The Classification of Words

THE RESPONSE WORDS
§ 334. The response-words yes and no are characterized as a separate class by

1. 
   their meaning of 'response statement',
   
2. 
   their negative combinability,
   
3. 
   their functioning as sentence-words.
   

§ 335. Practically every notional word can alone make a sentence in a certain situation of speech.

"How have you been?" "Good news, I hope". -
- "F i n e". (Dreiser). "Very". (Shaw).

But for most words this is not their principal function. Usually they are combined with other words to form a sen­tence:
¹ See C. E. К а г а н. Модальные слова английского языка в раз­личных по цели высказывания типах предложения. Автореферат дис­сертации, М., 1954, р. 9.
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The hilly country in the middle of the north edge of Sussex, looking very pleasant on a fine evening at the end of Septem­ber, is seen through the window of ... (Shaw).
There are words which are very often used as response sentences, e. g. the modal words.
"Are you paying room-rent where you are?" "C e r t a i n I y", answered Carry. (Dreiser).
But again this is not their only function. Though they rarely form combinations with other words, they usually modify the sentence they are used in.
/ was certainly rather taken aback when 1 heard they were engaged. (Shaw).
The words yes and no differ from other words in their being used almost exclusively as sentence-words. Thus it is not the situation of speech that makes them sentence-words, but they exist as such in the language. Therefore they must be regarded as a separate group or class of words.
§ 336. Their lexical meanings are those of 'affirmation' and 'negation'. Their lexico-grammatical meaning is that of 'response statement'. They confirm or deny a previous statement.
Yes represents a previous statement adding the lexical meaning of 'affirmation'. No does the same, but adds the meaning of 'negation'. In this respect yes and no resemble pronouns. They are some kind of anaphorical pro-sentences.
"At four, then, we may expect you?" "Yes", said Carrie. (Dreiser). "Can't you handle it?" "No", he said weakly. (Ib.).