QUESTION TAGS - some special cases:
I am right, aren't I? |
aren't I (not amn't I) |
You have to go, don't you? |
you (do) have to go... |
I have been answering, haven't I? |
use first auxiliary |
Nothing came in the post, did it? |
treat statements with nothing, nobody etc like negative statements |
Let's go, shall we? |
let's = let us |
He'd better do it, hadn't he? |
he had better (no auxiliary) |
Have + got:
You haven't got $10 to lend me, have you?
Sometimes we use question tags with imperatives (invitations, orders), but the sentence remains an imperative and does not require a direct answer. We use won't for invitations. We use can, can't, will, would for orders.
|
imperative + question tag |
notes: |
invitation |
Take a seat, won't you? |
polite |
order |
Help me, can you? |
quite friendly |
Help me, can't you? |
quite friendly (some irritation?) | |
Close the door, would you? |
quite polite | |
Do it now, will you? |
less polite | |
Don't forget, will you? |
with negative imperatives only will is possible |
Although the basic structure of tag questions is positive-negative or negative-positive, it is sometime possible to use a positive-positive or negative-negative structure. We use same-way question tags to express interest, surprise, anger etc, and not to make real questions.
Negative-negative tag questions usually sound rather hostile: