Page 212 - Basic English Usage
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If the main sentence has no auxiliary verb, the question tag has do.
You'like'oysters, don’t'you?
Harry'gave'you a cheque, didn the?
Meaning and intonation
We show the meaning of a question tag by the intonation. If the tag is a
real question — if we really want to know something, and are not sure of
the answer — we use a rising intonation: the voice goes up.
The meeting's at four o clock, isn’ Lw#?
If the tag is not a real question — if we are sure of the answer — we use
a falling intonation: the voice goes down.
It's a beautiful day, TSN
Requests
We often ask for help or information by using the structure
[ negative sentence + questiontag |
You couldn’t lend me a pound, could you?
You haven't seen my watch anywhere, have you?
Note
The question tag for / amis aren't !?
I’m late, aren’t I?
After imperatives, we use won't you? (to invite people to do things) and
will you? would you? can you? can’t you? and could you? (to tell people
to do things).
Do sit down, won’t you? Open a window, would you?
Give me a hand, willyou? — Shut up, can’t you?
After a negative imperative, we use will you?
Don't forget, will you?
After Let's ... , we use shall we?
Let’s have a party, shall we?
There can be a subject in question tags.
There’s something wrong, isn't there?
There weren't any problems, were there?
We use /tin question tags to refer to nothing, and they to refer to
nobody.
Nothing can happen, can it? Nobody phoned, did they?
We also use they to refer to somebody, everybody (see 307).
Somebody wanted a drink, didn't they? Who was it?