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[RedRose]

Today I read an English novel in which I read such a sentence:

Did you say for or against just now?

thios sentence confused me a lot.

I know for is a prep or a conj, and against is a prep. but in this sentence, both become very unintelligible

Can anyone help me with this question? thanks in advance.

[Vin21]

I think this is just the speaker who didn't hear exactly what the person said to him,so he asked.
Did you say 'for' just now?
Did you say 'against' just now?
Are you for the proposal?
Are you against the proposal?
Say it again ,ask or for?

[Vin21]

against or for?

[RedRose]

the context was:

there is a conferent where 5 ladies are discussing about weekend activity, Lady A suggests that they should go outside for a picnic, and people start to discuss about this suggestion, at that time, Lady B is n't listening to them, instead, she is reading a magazine.finally, the conference finished. lady B asks lady C:"how will we spend our weekend? a picnic? did you say for or against?"

that is it.

[RedRose]

the context was:

there is a conferent where 5 ladies are discussing about weekend activity, Lady A suggests that they should go outside for a picnic, and people start to discuss about this suggestion, at that time, Lady B is n't listening to them, instead, she is reading a magazine.finally, the conference finished. lady B asks lady C:"how will we spend our weekend? a picnic? did you say for or against?"

that is it.

[Vin21]

[stellara]

i'd say that just means that lady B wants to know if lady C is for the suggestion of going outside for a picnic or if she's against it. maybe lady b thinks that Lady C is a very trustworthy person so she could just say "I agree with lady C"

generally:

to be for it/a suggestion/plan .. = to approve it/agree with it ..

to be against it/ .. = to disapprove it/disagree with it ..

okay? greets
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[Vin21]

I try to explain like this:

Did you say "for or against"?
just like
Did you say "yes or no"?
Did you say "that"?

So,"for or against" here functions as "that"---->a noun or what?(Sorry,I don't know exactly)

if you say:
Are you for/against the suggestion?------>here "for/against" functions as a prep.

[RedRose]

now I combine stellara's explanation and Vin21's, the answer is pretty clear. yeah, stellara, the lady B was asking for ladyC's thoughts. and Vin21, you are also right, she was asking "yes" or "no". from the context, both's analyses make sense.

thanks, stellara and Vin21!

[stellara]

no problem
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