Yes , no and elliptical answers
The answer to a yes-no question is usually not a complete statement. Rather, it is just yes or no (or an equivalent). Quite often, we support the yes or no by an elliptical verb phrase. Or we may just use the elliptical verb phrase on its own:
》 ⤵No.
》 ⤵Never.
》 Of ⤵course not.
》 ⤵No, | I ⤵haven't.
》 I ⤵haven't, | ⤴actually.
》 I don't think I ⤵have.
》 Of ⤵course I haven't.
》 No I ⤵haven't been to Minsk.
The tone for these answers maybe any of the tones that can be used in full statements. Typically, it will be a definitive fall; but other tones are possible:
》 (⤵Yes,) | I ⤵am
》 (⤴Yes,) | I ⤴am (...and I'll tell you ⤵why.)
》 (⤵⤴Yes,) | I ⤵⤴am (...| though 'not im⤵⤴mediately.)
》 (⤵No,) | I ⤵haven't.
》 (⤴No,) | I ⤴haven't. (...and I'm not ⤵going to.)
》 (⤵⤴No.) | I ⤵⤴haven't. (but I ⤵⤴will.)
NOTE
These grammatical patterns can be used not only to answer a direct question but also to express our agreement with what the other person is saying, or alternatively to contradict them.
Use a fall for agreement
A straightforward agreement typically uses a fall:
》 ⤵Yes.
》 I ▸certainly ⤵have.
》 Yes, | I ⤵have.
》 Of ⤵course I have.
》 ⤵⤴Yes. (...but not ⤵⤴all of it.)
〉 Look, | it's snowing. It wasn't very good.
》 ▸So it ⤵is, | ⤵isn't it?
》 ⤵No. (= You're right, it wasn't.)
》 It ▸definitely ⤵wasn't.
》⤵No, | it ⤵wasn't.
》⤵⤴No. (....though it ▸wasn't ⤵⤴hopeless.)
Use a rise to contradict
To contradict what the other person says, it is possible to use a definitive fall or tentative fall-rise; but the most usual tone is a rise:
If we put (oh) yes or (oh) no before the elliptical verb phrase in a contradiction, English has fixed idiomatic tone patterns, and in particular disallows a sequence of two falls. (you cannot contradict a negative statement by saying yes alone). This pattern is used only to contradict a statement, not to answer a question
》 ⤵Yes, | I ⤴have. (= You're wrong.)
》 ⤵Oh yes, | I ⤴have.
》 Yes I ⤵⤴have.
》 (not x) ⤵Yes I ⤵have.
》 ⤵No, | it ⤴wasn't! (= You're wrong.)
》 ⤵Oh no, | it ⤴wasn't.
》 No it ⤵⤴wasn't.
》 (not x) ⤵No, | it ⤵wasn't.
》 (not x) ⤵Yes | we ⤴do.
Contradictions can also be said with a definitive fall: the difference is that a (high) fall implies warmth and solidarity with the other person - i.e. is supportive - while the rise implies defensiveness and unfriendliness - that is, it is unsupportive:
》 I ⤵have! (= It's OK, nothing's wrong.)
〉 You haven't paid the coffee.
》 I ⤴have (= Don't accuse me wrongly.)