Did you NOT tell her? Certainly, we did

Hi

As English is very specific in use of negative forms I often have difficulties with… logic. :slight_smile:

‘Did you not <some action, for example, “tell her”>’?
‘Certainly, we did’.

–> ‘We’ told her or not?

‘Did you not tell her ?’
‘Certainly, we did’.

If we told:
“Certainly, we did”, or “Yes, we did”, “We did, certainly”

If we didn’t tell he: “Certainly not”, or “We certainly did not”.

In each case “tell her” is implied after “did” or “did not”.

.
In English, the response agrees with the truth, Tamara, not with the question’s polarity:

Did you tell her? – No.
Didn’t you tell her? – No.
You told her? – No.
You didn’t tell her? – No
. In all these she was not told.
.

Hmm, how interesting… I mean – independency from (polarity of) a question.
I didn’t know that. And supposedly misinterpreted other’s speaking and made mistakes with my own answers (but who knows?… :))

So, now I can surely give the correct answer even before the question will be asked :slight_smile: – what a great language, indeed!

Just always answer the truth… or always tell the lie. :slight_smile: – the simplest rule of thumb. :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

Thank you!