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Some pragmatic implications of the use of yes and no in response to yes-no questions

1986; Elsevier BV; Volume: 10; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/0378-2166(86)90087-1

1879-1387

M. A. Yadugiri,

Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation

Yes and no are generally considered to be equivalent and adequate responses to yes-no questions since yes affirms and no negates the proposition put forward by the question. But the pragmatic implications of affirming or negating certain types of propositions are different. In responses to yes-no questions containing such propositions yes and no are neither equivalent nor adequate. This article discusses three types of pragmatic non-equivalence between yes and no: (i) the non-equivalence which is due to the different presuppositional implications yes and no have in responses to yes-no questions with actual presuppositions which in turn result in differences between the two particles in terms of the pragmatic adequacy of the answers they provide; (ii) the non-equivalence which is due to the differences they have in terms of the pragmatic adequacy of the answers they provide to yes-no questions which are interpreted as wh-questions, and (iii) the non-equivalence which is due to the difference in the pragmatic constraints operating on the use of the two particles in certain types of responses to yes-no questions.