Asking and answering questions
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Using tag questions | page 3 of 6 |
Tag questions consisting of negative declarative + positive tag
This second type of tag question has a negative declarative followed by a positive question tag:
And he's not even English, is he? (Bank of English)
You don't read them, do you? (Bank of English)
These tag questions can be spoken in two ways. First, if they are spoken with a rising tone on the tag, they are real questions, which expect a no answer:
A: You didn't want to tell me anything special, did you? ( ) B: No, no ... (Bank of English)
Second, if the tag questions are said with a falling tone on the tag, they are more like statements rather than questions. A major function of such tag questions is to invite the addressee to agree with the speaker:
A: How much have you got? B: Really it's not a question of money, is it? (¯) I've got nine pounds but that doesn't mean a thing. (Bank of English)
Note that in this example the speaker does not stop speaking after the tag question since the addressee is not expected to give an answer. Instead, he or she is expected to express agreement with the speaker.
Note that the negative declarative may contain words like never, seldom, and nobody:
I bet you've never seen this before, have you? (Bank of English)
Nobody wants to see him, do they? (Bank of English)
Introduction
Tag questions consisting of negative declarative + positive tag
