The question-tags tag has no wiki summary.
24
votes
6answers
1k views
Punctuating question tags: A question mark is always required, isn't it. (Well, isn't it?)
Consider the sentence:
You didn't leave the dog in the car, did you?
In oral English, this statement may be spoken with a rising intonation or a falling one. If the former, it suggests that ...
10
votes
3answers
3k views
“Haven't you?” or “don't you?”
What is the right question tag (in British English) when we use the verb have?
I have interviewed a few native speakers and none of them could explain why sometimes they prefer "haven't/hasn't" and ...
9
votes
6answers
1k views
Why can positive statements end with a negative question and vice versa?
I had a hard time phrasing the actual question title—hopefully this doesn't mean it's too subjective—, but I'm curious about why positive (or negative) statements can be terminated by negative (or ...
7
votes
3answers
2k views
How to reply to question tags
English is not my native-tongue, so I always find it hard to grasp the concept of "question tags" and more importantly the way to answer to them. Let me explain with the help of this situation -
I am ...
7
votes
1answer
191 views
Tagged question and perfect tense
I've just passed one of numerous English grammar online tests. And I agree with all the mistakes I've made except this one:
You ______ put it back before the boss comes ...
6
votes
5answers
635 views
How to ask a question to confirm a negative situation?
For example, I want to make sure that Tom was not in Professor X's class. However, I can't ask:
Wasn't Tom in Professor X's class last semester?
Because that means I think Tom WAS in Professor ...
5
votes
6answers
798 views
“tag question” vs. “question tag”
I've just read this page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tag_question
So regarding this passage:
The term "question tag" is generally
preferred by British grammarians,
while their American ...
5
votes
2answers
800 views
Tag Questions “is he not”
"He is happy, isn't he?"
If you did not use the contraction isn't he, in the question above, would the correct sentence be:
"He is happy, is he not?"
"He is happy, is not he?"
Sentence #1 seems ...
5
votes
2answers
123 views
Why do positive and negative variants of the same question elicit the same answer? [duplicate]
In common American English usage, these two questions elicit the same response:
Do you have a ticket?
Don't you have a ticket?
These are the usual answers (I was going to say "possible answers" ...
4
votes
2answers
327 views
About question tags
He did nothing*.
Which is the correct question tag for the sentence above?
didn't he?
did he?
What is the effect of using nothing for negation?
3
votes
2answers
221 views
You have no idea, (…): “do you” or “don't you”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Question tags — “did you” vs. “didn’t you”
Which one is correct?
option 1:
You have no idea, don't you?
or, option 2:
You have no idea, do you?
3
votes
1answer
616 views
Does “shouldn't” always take “should” as a question tag?
Which usage is correct?
You shouldn't take sugar, should you?
You shouldn't take sugar, will you?
3
votes
1answer
1k views
Question tags — “did you” vs. “didn't you”
Typically, when we ask for confirmation/denial of a statement, we say something like the following:
We turn left here, don't we?
You have a cat, don't you?
We've met before, haven't we?
...
3
votes
2answers
295 views
Answering questions with a negation at the end
How are you supposed to answer a question like this (assuming you're from Minnesota)?
You are a Minnesotan, no?
Are you supposed to give the same answer as your answer to this question or give ...
2
votes
3answers
197 views
Can a possessive pronoun be used in a tag question?
Can we use possessive pronouns in tag questions? For example,
Your name is Ben, isn't yours?
2
votes
2answers
370 views
Question tag for a sentence starting with “few”
Which is correct?
Few people knew the way, didn't they?
Few people knew the way, did they?
1
vote
3answers
158 views
“I'm not X, am I?” vs. “I'm not X, do I?” [closed]
Which of the following is correct or better? Can they both be used?
I'm not making any sense, am I?
I'm not making any sense, do I?
1
vote
4answers
568 views
What is the appropriate question tag for sentences such as “Neither of you is…”?
Neither of you is going to the show tonight, ____?
Should it be isn't he/she? I think the fact that neither of you takes the third-person singular verb is means that a third-person question tag ought ...
1
vote
1answer
169 views
Using the adverb “now” with a tag question [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Question tags — “did you” vs. “didn’t you”
People can hardly motivate themselves now, can they?
People can hardly motivate themselves now, can't they?
...
1
vote
1answer
252 views
Usage of “isn’t it” in the sentence
Being a non-native speaker of English, I am less aware about the distinction between Asian and standard English. While conversing with my client, I came to realize that isn't it is used wrong in this ...
1
vote
1answer
89 views
Using can and can't [duplicate]
She can barely cook a decent meal, ____ she?
I think the answer is can’t. Please advise: what is the rule here?
Therefore, if the question is asked:
She can’t swim, ____ she?
In this case, ...
0
votes
2answers
87 views
Is 'mind you' a question tag? [closed]
“That plate is hot, mind.” (Angela Downing, English Grammar)
Prof. Angela says ‘mind’ above is a question tag.
Is ‘mind you’ below the same tag?
"Don't know why he's so bothered," said Ron. ...
0
votes
3answers
590 views
“He has to do it. Hasn't he (to)?”
He has to do it. Hasn't he (to)?
Is the 'to' correct/ incorrect/ unnecessary?
Is that a case of an infinitive in interrogative tail (question tag)?
0
votes
2answers
305 views
Is the phrase “… or I'm mistaken” correct?
I want to write phrase "Capital of A is B, or I'm mistaken?", but I'm not sure that the second part of thus phrase is correct. Should I write "... or I've made a mistake?", or "... or I'm wrong?"? ...
0
votes
0answers
18 views
Tag question for a sentence starting with “ A/The number of” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
“A number of students” vs “The number of students”
A number of Indians have become software engineers in the USA because of their proficiency in ...
-1
votes
1answer
199 views
Two questions about question tag
I want to ask about two sentences, and what would be the correct way to form a question:
It's very important that we eat healthy food, ...........?
Which would be the correct question tag: ...
-1
votes
2answers
220 views
What is the question tag for “I used to swim in the Tilak tank”?
What is the question tag that can be added to the following sentence?
I used to swim in the Tilak tank.
This is question from an MCQ test whose options were
did I?
would I?
-2
votes
4answers
409 views
Future simple passive and phrases like “you do know that, don't you?”
I've just written a question and only after I'd done that did I think about if it's even correct:
I hope all the scheduled payments will be sent this night, won't be they?
What confuses me is ...
