Lesson 8 · Stage 1: The basics
“So do I” / “I think so”
BeginnerForm & use
So do I, Neither can I, I think so, I hope not — short replies with an auxiliary or so/not
1.How to make them
Answer a yes/no question with Yes / No + subject + helper verb — reuse the helper from the question instead of repeating the whole sentence.
| Question | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| Are you tired? | Yes, I am. | No, I'm not. |
| Is it far? | Yes, it is. | No, it isn't. |
| Do you cook? | Yes, I do. | No, I don't. |
| Does he smoke? | Yes, he does. | No, he doesn't. |
| Did they win? | Yes, they did. | No, they didn't. |
| Can you swim? | Yes, I can. | No, I can't. |
| Have you got a car? | Yes, I have. | No, I haven't. |
| Is there a lift? | Yes, there is. | No, there isn't. |
| Will she come? | Yes, she will. | No, she won't. |
2.Rules to remember
- Yes answers are never contracted: Yes, I am / Yes, she is / Yes, we have (not Yes, I'm / Yes, she's / Yes, we've).
- No answers are usually contracted: No, I'm not / No, he doesn't / No, they can't.
- Change the subject to fit: Are you…? → Yes, I am. Does your mum…? → Yes, she does. Are the shops…? → No, they aren't.
- The helper must match the tense: Did…? → did / didn't, never do.
A bare “Yes.” or “No.” can sound abrupt or cold. A full short answer (Yes, I do.) sounds much more natural and polite.
3.Answering negative questions
Many languages answer by agreeing or disagreeing with the question. English chooses Yes/No by the facts.
Don't you like durian? — Yes, I do.
= I like it
Don't you like durian? — No, I don't.
= I don't like it
Trick: take the “not” out of the question (Do you like durian?) and answer that. You like it → Yes, I do. You don't → No, I don't.
4.Short replies with helper verbs
Helper verbs also let you reply to a statement without repeating it.
| Purpose | Example |
|---|---|
| Showing surprise or interest | I've lost my phone. — Have you? / I don't eat meat. — Don't you? |
| Me too (positive) | I love this song. — So do I. / I'm hungry. — So am I. |
| Me neither (negative) | I can't dance. — Neither can I. / I didn't go. — Neither did I. |
| Disagreeing | You didn't lock the door. — Yes, I did! |
| Short opinions | Is it going to rain? — I think so. / I hope not. / I don't think so. |
5.Common mistakes
Are you a student? — Yes, I'm.Yes, I am.
Yes answers are not contracted.
Do you like tea? — Yes, I like.Yes, I do.
Reuse the helper, not the main verb.
Did you see it? — Yes, I saw.Yes, I did.
Reuse did.
Is your father at home? — Yes, he's.Yes, he is.
Yes answers are not contracted.
I'm tired. — So do I.So am I.
The helper must match the original sentence (am).
Examples
- A: I love durian. B: So do I.
- A: I'm tired. B: So am I. Let's go home.
- A: I've seen that film twice. B: So have I.
- A: I can't drive. B: Neither can I.
