Yes, We Can!

These three words, made famous by the American president Barack Obama during his election campaign, are nothing more and nothing less than a short answer!  So while American citizens review Obama's first two years in mid-term elections on Tuesday, why don't we review short answers!

Do you know how to make short answers?

Instead of just answering Yes or No, or using a long answer: Yes, I know how to make short answers. Or: No, I don't know how to make short answers.

A short answer would be: Yes, I do. Or: No, I don't.

Basically, short answers are simply: Yes / No + subject pronoun + auxiliary verb (+ not)

The most important things to keep in mind is 1) the subject pronoun in the short answer must agree with the subject in the question. And 2) the auxiliary verb in the short answer must be the same as the auxiliary verb in the question. (If the answer is negative, we add not after the auxiliary verb, usually in a contracted form.) 

For example: 

Is Obama a good presdient? Yes, he is. / No, he isn't.

Do you ever vote? Yes, I do. / No, I don't.

Are you going to vote? Yes, I am. / No, I'm not.

Will the Republicans win the majority in Congress? Yes, they will. / No, they won't.

Did the Democrats lose the majority? Yes, they did. / No, they didn't.

Can you make short answers now? Yes, we can!