"Are you happy?" Which is the best answer to teach:
Yes.
Yes, I am.
Yes, I’m happy.
Yes, I am happy.
Yes, I am. I’m happy.
Yes, I am. I am happy.
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About the poll: there should be a #7: “See below for wise-ass comment.” However, the facist program wouldn’t let me add that option! Does this software have a sarcasm detector, or what?
Anyway, this seems like a nit-picky difference, but since there are a million and one yes/no question forms (Is/Am/Are, Can, Do/Does, Have/has, Did, etc) whichever way you teach them is going to get a lot of mileage!
My school forces me to unteach them method 4), which most schools seem to use, in favor of method 5). Not to be a conformist toady, but I agree with method 5, because it contains both basic answer forms.
I always try to encourage them to form sentences, instead of just answering the question. Same with ‘wh-’ questions. Simple answers teach bad habits.
Are you happy?
Yes.
Why are you happy?
Because I have a cookie.
(Some years later, like when I’m marking their IELTS practise papers as they’re preparing to go study something complicated overseas.)
Write an essay examining the relationship between happiness and gratification.
… Because I have a cookie. So I am happy.
Also, if students have to explain why they are answering yes or no it helps then avoid the trap of answering ‘yes’ to a tag question or statement containing a negative.
I have no money. I’m not rich am I?
Yes, you’re not rich. Er, hang on, No, you’re not rich.
Reading back, I can see that I’ve not really answered your question. Physician heal thyself. I’m such a loser today.
Click the edit button on your OP and add the other poll option, then click the ‘add option’ thingy or whatever it’s called so that you get a new blank field to add another option. The ‘fascist’ thing never recognises the last option so you have to leave it blank. Did I redeem myself?
Nevertheless, your response is more interesting than the thread even merits. Thank you!
[quote]Click the edit button on your OP and add the other poll option, then click the ‘add option’ thingy or whatever it’s called so that you get a new blank field to add another option. The ‘fascist’ thing never recognises the last option so you have to leave it blank. Did I redeem myself?
[/quote]
Ahhhhhh…now it all falls into place. You’re brilliant, thank you. :bravo:
Teach all of the above. Students should know that native speakers use all of these. But for practicing structure it’s probably better to stick with one form.
Personally, I hate introducing contractions before kids have mastered the forms that they are contracting. I feel it is much better to start with 4 and 6 and only allow 3 and 5 to be used after they have demonstrated mastery over subject verb agreement and use of correct modals.
I think it depends on whether you’re teaching written or oral, and what your goal is.
If it’s just spoken English, then I’d go with “yes” and “yes, I’m happy” as more natural spoken English. When writing, I’m focusing on grammar more, and want them to write something like “Yes, I am happy” or even “Yes, I am. I am happy”. As pui said, full froms before contractions for written work, but I usually use contractions more for spoken.
I’ve noticed a lot of buxiban English schools in Taiwan don’t seem to teach contractions at all. I’m curious what the take is on this among those who actually have TESL degrees (unlike myself). We teach both but generally want the kids to use contractions for spoken. That seems good to me in that native speakers hardly ever use un-contracted forms, except at sentence endings where it’s obligatory to do so.
However, I find that ‘be verb’ contractions can be a hindrance, because they sort of fuse the subject and be verb together in the kids’ minds. In our system, they spend all this time learning ‘I’m; you’re; he’s; she’s’. Then they start learning verb sentences and are unable to disentangle themselves from the contractions - so they end up saying things like “He’s can swim”, “I’m like to scream and run around in restaurants” and so on.
I think there are two related questions here. The first is; What are the most common forms used by native speakers (of course allowing for differences between registers and between written and spoken forms)?
The second is; If teachers start by teaching forms which are not the most common forms used by native speakers, does this better serve the students in the long run?
Regarding the first question, Winn-Bell Olsen found in 1980 that even the short answers such as “No he isn’t.” or “No he is not.” were not frequent in the speech of native speakers. (8% – 26 out of 329 instances). What was far more common was “Yes” or “No” (or yep, nope etc.) followed by some kind of elaboration. Indirect answers (“I guess maybe…”) were also common. (Celce-Murcia and Larsen-Freeman 1983). So from the point of view of directly teaching natural speech forms, Loretta’s approach of accepting a one-word answer then encouraging elaboration seems promising.
The second question is tricky. I think overgeneralization of the type that Vay described can occur whichever forms are taught first. I think I would plump for using a variety of forms embedded in various appropriate contexts and recycled enough that they start to feel natural. Of course the rules should also be taught explicitly at some point.
[quote=“Vay”]
However, I find that ‘be verb’ contractions can be a hindrance, because they sort of fuse the subject and be verb together in the kids’ minds. In our system, they spend all this time learning ‘I’m; you’re; he’s; she’s’. Then they start learning verb sentences and are unable to disentangle themselves from the contractions - so they end up saying things like “He’s can swim”, “I’m like to scream and run around in restaurants” and so on.[/quote]
Rather than being the fault of the contractions, I think your problem might be more that not enough time is being spent learning “I you he she” with verbs as a pattern in its own right. More emphasis on verb/adjective and associated pattern differentiation could help.
I’m such a loser today.
:bravo: