or not

Asking Between Yes and No

Level 2

A positive clause followed by or not asks whether it is true: You want tea or not? Keep the offered positive and negative alternatives clear rather than adding or not to every question.

How It Works

Or not presents the negative alternative after a positive clause. You want tea or not? asks whether wanting tea is true. It can be a normal information question; its directness depends on tone and the situation.

Use a clause whose yes and no alternatives make sense. You coming or not? contrasts coming with not coming. A question word already asks for a different type of information, so adding or not to every where or why question would not preserve the intended question. Shared English yes/no frames remain available alongside this pattern.

Examples (4)

  1. You want tea or not?

    Do you want tea?

  2. The shop open or not?

    Is the shop open?

  3. You send the form already or not?

    Have you sent the form yet?

  4. Here got seats or not?

    Are there seats available here?

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

or notLevel 2Asking Between Yes and No

Learn This First

Understand a positive action and its negative alternative before reading an or-not question.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.