Do you ever eat breakfast at work?
Do you ever eat breakfast at work? (¿Desayunas alguna vez en el trabajo?)
These are the types of answers that I would put:
Yes, I sometimes eat breakfast at work. (Sí, a veces desayuno en el trabajo).
No, I never eat breakfast at work. (No, nunca desayuno en el trabajo)
Yes, I eat breakfast at work every day. (Sí, desayuno en el trabajo todos los días)
But, in a grammar book I have seen as answers things like:
Yes, every day.
Yes, sometimes.
No, never.
I am thinking that perhaps they want the pupils to complete the answers putting those expressions. When we the Spanish speakers are studying English grammar, we are not allowed to put these types of answers separately.
I would like to know your answers.
11 Answers
Hi Nila,
Your answers are all correct. The answers from the grammar book are just shorter versions that most English speaking people would use. We wouldn't necessarily repeat the words "breakfast" or "work". But either way does sound natural.
I know what you mean about the grammar books though. In all of my Spanish grammar books, they want us to complete the entire thought. I think that is more for practicing sentence structure and vocabulary. It seems the only time they allow us to shorten the sentence is when we are practicing with direct or indirect objects, etc.
I would just give both answers. That way, you will be practicing the proper structure and vocabulary, plus you will also have the opportunity to practice writing and seeing how most people would answer in a real life situation. 
Nila,
One thing to consider that many Americans don't: The shorter the answer, the less interested the respondent appears. For example:
Did you have a good time today? Yep.
The above sentence shows disinterest by the respondent even though this may not be the case.
Did you have a good time today? Yes, I had a lovely time, thank you.
This example shows that using correct grammar and taking the time to respond with proper sentence structure communicates interest and gratitude.
Americans have a tendency to forget common courtesy in exchange for laziness in language usage. I do not think it is just a question of correct grammar, but courtesy as well.
It is true that when fewer words are used, it can sometimes appear to be rude. For instance, when you are speaking to a teen-ager and ask "What did you do today?" and they respond with "Nothing." or just a few words, we know they are being rude.
True but there is a great difference between this question (which is obviously intended to solicit a [possibly detailed] description of the teenager's activities and the questions that were posed by Nila. Hers could be answered "Sometimes" / "never" / "Always" with absolutely no loss of information. Repeating almost the entire question provides zero additional information. This is a simple matter of efficiency and in every language that I've had experience with, this sort of "abbreviated" answer is the norm in conversation. Because it is a conversation, there is a context. There is no point/advantage to repeating the information (or a portion thereof) that has already been established within the context.
There is nothing wrong with the statement "I sometimes eat breakfast at work." but, as a reply to "Do you ever eat breakfast at work?", it is grotesquely inefficient and suggests a lack of familiarity with the normal rhythms of conversation. It is also nonsense to suggest that Americans are more prone to this sort of practice than other English speakers. One has only to read a book with lots of dialog set in England, Scotland, Ireland or Australia to find numerous similar examples (assuming that it be a relatively modern book [in earlier times, "realistic" dialog was not considered to be so desirable]).
As with the truculent teenager, the famously laconic replies from New Englanders (e.g. "Do you know how to get to Boston [or, wherever]?" - "Yup." /"Yep." are unfair examples as the answer (obviously) does not address the intent of the question).
The situation is the same in Spanish. If asked "¿Cuántos años tienes?", One can, of course reply "Tengo veinte años." (One could, presumably, also answer "Cumplí los veinte años a principio de marzo." [or some other more detailed answer e.g. the date of your birth, the astrological configuration that obtained then, etc.]). However, a bare "Veinte" is a full and sufficient answer to the question, as asked. It is, admittedly not a "complete" sentence but nowhere is it written that all answers to questions must be in complete sentences.
The rules of grammar spell out what constitutes a "complete sentence" but there is no "rule" that requires that all utterances be complete sentences. Nor should there be. What constitutes an appropriate response (in a given language) is a question of usage not grammar.
Nila said:
In spite of your answers I go on thinking that I must follow the rules learned.
I agree Nila. I would answer the way you have been taught by your English teachers. There are usually reasons why they ask you to do things a certain way. It may seem like more work now, but it will be beneficial to you later.
As you continue to speak with people in English, you will get a feel for how to respond to people in different situations.
It is true that when fewer words are used, it can sometimes appear to be rude. For instance, when you are speaking to a teen-ager and ask "What did you do today?" and they respond with "Nothing." or just a few words, we know they are being rude.
However, sometimes fewer words are perfectly courteous. It all depends on who you are speaking with and the length of the conversation. If you have been speaking for several minutes with someone and they ask if you eat breakfast at work, it is perfectly fine to say something like "No, I never do. How about you?"
Hi, Nila. One reason the short answer is not used is because short answers like those can seem rude, depending upon the audience, and they are not complete sentences.
A friend probably wouldn't be offended by a short answer.
i think your answers (in bold) are redundant, in terms everyday, informal speech. They are not incorrect, but people don't usually speak like that.
In English, if someone asks me whether I ever eat breakfast at work, I may very well answer with a simple "Nop", or "No... why?"
I work the same way in Spanish. "¿Alguna vez desayunas en el trabajo?" "No" "Hm.. a veces". I'd never use the form "Sí, a veces desayuno en el trabajo" as part of my natural speech.
Nicole said:
But either way does sound natural.
I agree. You can say either the entire sentence or the shorter version.
Nila said:
I suspect there are some differences between the practice and the grammar.
This, I think, is what Gekkosan is trying to say. You may have to write in complete sentences at school (to show your understanding of the sentence structure) but in everyday speech we often use the shorter answers.
Renaerules, American behavior is not rude, the speech and ways you object to are our culture. We don't speak in excessive words. Have you ever considered how very strange Spanish people appear to Americans who get the idea they really talk and act the way they do in these textbooks? It looks extremely affected. I honestly don't know what proportion of Spanish people talk or think like you do, but I doubt it's very many, clearly it isn't everyone from Hispoamerica on this board, and my parents taught me to give people the benefit of the doubt, and if I stereotyped people, I got punished. If I believed the things you say about proper ways to act in Hispoamerica, I'd be expressing a stereotype and anti-Hispanic prejudice. There are actually some Americans who do talk exactly teh way you do, complete with liking to talk at length about who is rude, and most people think something really is wrong with them. If you come around here with that attitude, noone is going to like you, so if you don't like Americans, it's not going to matter. How do you like yourself?
In school they always tell us to speak in complete sentences, but in everyday speech, you will hear short answers and they are not necessarily rude.
Yes, I suppose you are right. But at school we are only allowed to answer with these two types of answers:
Do you ever eat breakfast at work?
Yes, I sometimes eat breakfast at work. (complete answer)
Yes, I do. (short answer)
Try to do any other thing.... you will see what can happen with your marks.
This is the first time that I work with "do you ever....?" for that reason I thought it could be an exception as it happens with "shall". Example: Shall I open the window?. Yes. This is the only case in which we can answer in a single way.
In spite of your answers I go on thinking that I must follow the rules learned. This is the first time I cannot find an exact answer. Perhaps it is because you cannot see the things from the point of view of English teachers. I suspect there are some differences between the practice and the grammar.
