I'm an ESL student, and I just don't understand how to answer this kind of question. for example, If I ask someone, "Could you please not open the window?",
and he answers, "No, I won't do that"
Does it mean that he will not open the window or he will open the window?
I am confused about the "that" in his answer represents the "not open the window" or "open the window"?
Best Answer
It really depends on whether he's intentionally being obtuse and unhelpful or not. If he's a normal person just acceding to your request, he means he won't open the window. But the proper answer to the question is, "Sure, I won't open it."
A person who is being a PITA will mean "No, I won't NOT open the window," which means he will open the window.