When should you write "answer" versus "response"?

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Chapters
00:00 When Should You Write &Quot;Answer&Quot; Versus &Quot;Response&Quot;?
00:19 Answer 1 Score 5
00:32 Accepted Answer Score 30
01:00 Answer 3 Score 1
01:12 Thank you

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Full question
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Tags
#wordchoice #differences

#avk47

ACCEPTED ANSWER

Score 30

Response is a very broad term, and includes all reactions to a stimulus.

Answer is more specifically a response to a direct question.

One can always respond to anything (an event, an injury, a letter, a speech, a question...) but one can only answer a question. As Emanuil said, it's also possible to respond to a question without actually answering it; listen to politicians being interviewed.

ANSWER 2

Score 5

"response" requires something you are responding to and it doesn't have to contain an answer. You can respond to a question without answering it.

ANSWER 3

Score 1

"Response" is from Latin (responsum), while "answer" is from Old English (noun: andswaru, verb: answarian.).

I always use Fowler's rule: Prefer the Saxon word to the Romance.