NEGATIVE QUESTIONS with MODAL VERBS

B1, MODALITY, NEGATIVE, QUESTIONS

Here’s a very advanced hypothetical conditional example of using a negative modal verb phrase in a question:

If worms were evading the vibrations,

wouldn’t they burrow deeper instead?

Here are simpler examples of negative modal questions:

Now who wouldn’t want that?

Won’t you join me?

Shouldn’t we save everything we can on the lifeboats?

Question tags are also B1:

Your life would be pretty different, wouldn’t it?

Here are B2 examples:

Wouldn’t that be cool?

Why, if we knew this was going to happen every year,

why could n’t we just do something to make sure that we were safer?

Here’s a C1 example with existential ‘there’:

Shouldn’t there be an easier way?

Here’s a C2 example speculating about the past:

Couldn’t she have taken an Uber or called another friend?

There are two similar points in the English Grammar Profile in the category of questions at B1:

Point 24 is defined as:

‘wh-‘words + the negative form of modal verbs + subject + main verb to form ‘wh-‘questions.

Point 26 is defined as:

modal verbs + ‘not’ + subject + main verb to form ‘yes/no’ questions

*Note that there is already an entry at B1 for ‘can’t’ questions. And a much more general A2 point 25 in CLAUSES/interrogatives: negative ‘wh-‘ interrogative clauses. Point 25 includes an example sentence that includes ‘could’.

A search in iWeb for:

_VM _XX _P _VVI ?

1 WOULDN’T YOU SAY? 678
2 WOULDN’T YOU AGREE? 508

Crookston Times

Wouldn’t you agree it was one of the worst years ever?

3 CAN’T YOU SEE? 214
4 WOULDN’T YOU THINK? 112
5 CAN’T YOU TELL? 92
6 CAN’T YOU READ? 40
7 CAN’T YOU UNDERSTAND? 39
8 WOULDN’T IT WORK? 32
9 WON’T IT WORK? 19
10 WOULDN’T YOU KNOW? 18
11 WON’T YOU COME? 17
12 WON’T YOU SAY? 14
13 CAN’T THEY MISS? 10
14 CAN’T IT WAIT? 10
15 WON’T YOU DIE? 10

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