Wednesday, June 5, 2019

How to unambiguously ask a question with "OR"



I want to ask a question about a piece of text.




Is the text about McDonalds Corporation or McDonalds Products?





I want the answer to be "Yes"/"No", rather than "McDonalds Corporation"/"McDonalds Products."



How do I ask the question unambiguously? Should I start with "Answer Yes or No:"?


Answer



One way would be to prefix the answer selection with "Answer Yes or No". However, I would recommend the following:




Is this question about either McDonalds Corporation or McDonalds Products?





The word either suggests that either of the two options is accessible, which in the context of a yes/no question forces the interpretation that you desire.



If there are three or more things, try "any of":




Is this question about any of apples, pears, or pineapples?



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