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confluent vs flushing (rash)
It would be in everyone's interest
May 12, 2008 08:41
16 yrs ago
3 viewers *
English term

answer or respond - what is the difference in this context?

English Art/Literary General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Please respond to the correct question.
Please answer to the correct question.
Responses
3 +7 answer
4 +3 respond TO or answer (no TO)
4 +2 omit the 'to' when using answer, otherwise no difference
4 +2 Please answer the right question
4 they are synonymous
Votes to reclassify question as PRO/non-PRO:

Non-PRO (2): d_vachliot (X), KathyT

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Discussion

Tony M May 12, 2008:
It might help if you told us what the context is?

Responses

+7
54 mins
Selected

answer

Although technically either "respond to" or "answer" is possible, I suspect (and can only suspect, because you don't give any context) that "answer" (without "to") is the better choice here. That is particularly the case if the question asked is a fairly straightforward one requiring a simple answer ("What is the capital of France?" "How many brothers have you got?" "Have you ever had measles?"). To use "respond to" in that sort of situation is slightly less clear and in my view somewhat pompous. "Respond to" implies a wider range of options ("He responded to the question by walking away / throwing his hat in the air / bursting into tears / grunting in frustration" - all those things are responses but they are not answers. If it is an answer that you want, then say so!
Peer comment(s):
neutral Egil Presttun : We're talking about something written in a greeting letter here. "Please answer...". They should have the same meaning in this context.
6 mins
agree orientalhorizon
7 mins
agree Patricia Townshend (X) : But also not "answer to" - omit the "to"
9 mins
agree Mikhail Kropotov : However, answers to survey questions are universally called responses.
51 mins
agree Tony M : Yes, and particularly since here the implication seems to be that someone has previously tried to answer the WRONG question; in which case, 'respond' would sound a bit odd
1 hr
agree cmwilliams (X)
3 hrs
agree NancyLynn : And I suspect that this is a patient questionnaire - therefore, an answer is required :)
3 hrs
agree Óscar Delgado Gosálvez : answer
5 hrs
disagree ayman musa : the answer must highlight the difference in meaning besides, saying answer to the correct question did not hit my right , dose not, linguistically, sound well thank you
9 hrs
agree kmtext : There's a subtle distintion between an answer and a response and I think you've summed it up pretty well. Not every response is an answer.
21 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks everybody!"
+2
2 mins

omit the 'to' when using answer, otherwise no difference

Please respond to the correct question
Please answer the correct question
Peer comment(s):
agree KathyT
1 hr
Thanks, KathyT
agree Phong Le : recall that I do not see "respond" in school exercise
2 hrs
Thanks!
Something went wrong...
+3
2 mins

respond TO or answer (no TO)

Peer comment(s):
agree liz askew
22 mins
Thanks, liz
agree Mikhail Kropotov
1 hr
Thanks, Mikhail
agree ayman musa
3 hrs
Thanks, ayman
Something went wrong...
4 mins

they are synonymous

they are synonymous in 3 dictionaries.
Peer comment(s):
neutral Victoria Porter-Burns : apart from the fact that 'answer to' is completely incorrect here.
30 mins
neutral Armorel Young : possibly here, but that's too simplistic as a generalisation - e.g. someone might "respond to a question with a shrug" but not "answer" the question
40 mins
Something went wrong...
+2
1 hr

Please answer the right question

I totally agree with Armorel Young, but I just gotta tell ya that it's normally the answer that should be correct, not the question. So, normally, you should try to ask the right question and answer correctly.

I'm startin' to feel kinda guilty now, cause I didn't answer the question you asked: "What is the difference in this context?". Well, the only difference I can see in this context is that the first sentence is bad English while the second is worse. No offence, but that's the only difference I can see in this context. Just trying to help!

And, if there are more than one question, don't forget the s: questions.


Peer comment(s):
agree Mikhail Kropotov
15 mins
agree Tony M : Well, whether or not you answered the question actually asked, you have raised a key point here: what is the 'correct' all about? It seems more likely, as you say, that it ought perhaps to be 'right'
28 mins
Something went wrong...
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