Ali has few friends, does he?
Is using an affirmative question tag after that sentence a sound structure or not?
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4It's sound provided the tag is intended to have constant polarity, i.e. it's not asking for confirmation, but suggests an attitude such as surprise, disbelief, disapproval or the like. Elsewhere, one would expect the negative tag "doesn't he?"` So, you tell us what the intended meaning is, and then we can give you a definite answer.– BillJCommented May 2, 2021 at 12:56
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Ali has a few friends, doesn't he? is not: Ali has a few friends, does he?– LambieCommented May 2, 2021 at 15:16
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It also means the opposite if it has an indefinite article.– LawrenceCommented May 2, 2021 at 15:23
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1 Answer
Yes, it is grammatical. However, it signals that the content of the main clause and intent of the communication are, in a sense, opposites.
Ali has few friends, doesn't he? (Content/Intent: Ali doesn't have many friends.)
Ali has few friends, does he? (Content: Ali doesn't have many friends. Intent: the speaker believes that Ali has more friends than the other person expected.)
Ali has a few friends, does he? (Content: Ali has some friends. Intent: Ali has no friends.)
Question 'tags' are usually expressed with a negation of the main verb. The speaker expects an affirmation of the main clause. However, when the main clause and the tag are both unnegated, the question is rhetorical and communicates disbelief or incredulity about the main clause.
