Response particles: The mysteries of yes and no

Abstract

Response particles like English yes and no are expressions that allow for agreeing or disagreeing reactions to polar questions and assertions. Despite their apparently simple function, there is considerable variation between and within languages when they are used with antecedents that contain a negation. The article gives an overview of recent accounts and experimental insights. It discusses two major approaches: One that considers response particles as grammatical reflexes of clauses, and one for which they are anaphoric expressions.