📌 What Are Short Answers? / ¿Qué son las respuestas cortas?
Short answers are brief replies to yes/no questions. They help make conversations more natural and avoid repetition. En español, las respuestas cortas son respuestas breves a preguntas de sí o no. Ayudan a que las conversaciones sean más naturales y evitan repeticiones innecesarias.
📖 Structure of Short Answers / Estructura de las Respuestas Cortas
Short answers in English usually follow this pattern:
🔹 Yes/No + Subject + Auxiliary Verb.
| Question | Short Answer (Yes) | Short Answer (No) |
|---|---|---|
| Are you a student? | Yes, I am. | No, I’m not. |
| Do you like coffee? | Yes, I do. | No, I don’t. |
| Can she swim? | Yes, she can. | No, she can’t. |
| Have they arrived? | Yes, they have. | No, they haven’t. |
| Will he come? | Yes, he will. | No, he won’t. |
✏️ Examples / Ejemplos
🔹 Is he your brother? → Yes, he is. / No, he isn’t.
🔹 Do you speak English? → Yes, I do. / No, I don’t.
🔹 Did they call you? → Yes, they did. / No, they didn’t.
🔹 Can you help me? → Yes, I can. / No, I can’t.
🔹 Have you ever been to Spain? → Yes, I have. / No, I haven’t.
⚠️ Important Notes! / ¡Notas Importantes!
🔹 The auxiliary verb must match the tense of the question. (El verbo auxiliar debe coincidir con el tiempo de la pregunta.)
🔹 In negative answers, contractions are commonly used. Ejemplo: No, he isn’t en lugar de No, he is not.
🔹 Avoid answering with just “Yes” or “No”; complete answers sound more natural. (Evita responder solo con “Yes” o “No”; las respuestas completas suenan más naturales.)
🎓 Practice Time! / ¡Hora de Práctica!
Complete the short answers:
- Are they your friends? → Yes, ___ ___. (they are/they do)
- Do you like chocolate? → No, ___ ___. (I don’t/I’m not)
- Can John drive? → Yes, ___ ___. (he can/he does)
- Has she finished her homework? → No, ___ ___. (she hasn’t/she didn’t)
- Will you come to the party? → Yes, ___ ___. (I will/I do)
✍️ Bonus: Write Your Own Questions and Answers! / ¡Escribe tus propias preguntas y respuestas!
Now, create short answers for different types of questions and practice saying them aloud!
Answers:
I will
they are
I don’t
he can
she hasn’t