QUESTION TAGS (range)

There are a number of similar points for questionS in the EGP.  Some are clearly different, while others get harder to differentiate.

18 QUESTIONS tags B1 increasing range of affirmative ‘be’, ‘do’ and ‘have’ tags with negative main clauses.
19 QUESTIONS yes/no B1 use main verb ‘be’ + ‘n’t’ to form negative ‘yes/no’ questions.
20 QUESTIONS tags B1 an increasing range of affirmative tags with affirmative clauses.

These overlap with other categories too:

15 NEGATION B1 negative questions and question tags to involve the listener/reader by seeking agreement or checking something.

61 MODALITY would B1 question forms.

82 MODALITY B1 ‘will’ to make predictions & question tags

89 MODALITY B1 question tag form ‘shouldn’t’ + pronoun to make suggestions and ask for opinions


Here are two points across levels that clash:

B1 Point 25 QUESTIONS is defined as:

increasing range of ‘be’, ‘do’, ‘have’ and modal verb tags with negative main clauses.

A2 Point 8 QUESTIONS is defined as:

a limited range of question tags.

*With no clear definitions of range, we must depend on the example sentences.  For A2, they include both positive and negative:

… do you? …was it?
… doesn’t it? …isn’t it?

For B1:

aren’t you? …don’t you? …doesn’t it? …haven’t we? …wouldn’t it? …shouldn’t we? …won’t you? …couldn’t you?

*The first 3 examples overlap.

*Other categories also contain this grammar: PAST simple questions: You slept with her, didn’t you?


A search in iWeb for:

, _V _XX _P ?

1 , ISN’T IT? 19275

*note ‘Innit’ is an occasional informal variant of ‘isn’t it’

PELIC STUDENT EXAMPLE:

In fact, what is the oldest school in the world? It is life, isn’t it?

Italian, Male, Level 5, Writing Class.


 

2 , DOESN’T IT? 8659

3 , DO N’T YOU ? 5790
4 , ARE N’T YOU ? 2435
5 , DO N’T THEY ? 2276
6 , ARE N’T THEY ? 2055
7 , DID N’T YOU ? 1963 ,

8 , WAS N’T IT ? 1802

It was impossiblewasn’t it?

Thai, Female, Level 5, Grammar Class.

 

9 , WOULD N’T IT ? 1678
10 , DO N’T WE ? 1472
11 , IS N’T HE ? 1042

12 , WOULD N’T YOU ? 1040

PELIC STUDENT EXAMPLE:

You would be disgusted, wouldn’t you?

Indonesian level 5 grammar class.

13 , ARE N’T WE ? 845
14 , DID N’T IT ? 756
15 , HAVE N’T YOU ? 722
16 , DID N’T I ? 707
17 , WO N’T YOU ? 672
18 , DID N’T HE ? 668
19 , DOES N’T HE ? 520
20 , HAS N’T IT ? 492
21 , DID N’T THEY ? 492
22 , CA N’T YOU ? 482
23 , IS N’T SHE ? 431
24 , DID N’T WE ? 417
25 , IN N IT ? 402
26 , ARE N’T I ? 392
27 , WAS N’T HE ? 321
28 , DO N’T I ? 309
29 , HAVE N’T WE ? 305
30 , WERE N’T YOU ? 286
31 , WOULD N’T THEY ? 269
32 , SHOULD N’T IT ? 252
33 , WERE N’T THEY ? 229
34 , WO N’T IT ? 227
35 , CA N’T WE ? 222
36 , HAVE N’T THEY ? 216
37 , WOULD N’T HE ? 190
38 , HAS N’T HE ? 190
39 , DID N’T SHE ? 186
40 , DOES N’T SHE ? 185
41 , DO N’T IT ? 184
42 , HAVE N’T I ? 175
43 , WO N’T WE ? 170
44 , CA N’T I ? 157
45 , WO N’T THEY ? 142
46 , CA N’T IT ? 138
47 , WOULD N’T I ? 125
48 , WOULD N’T WE ? 122
49 , CA N’T THEY ? 115
50 , IS NOT IT ? 110


, _V _P ?

1 , IS IT ? 9103

But that’s not really how we learn biology early on, is it?

2 , SHALL WE ? 8052
3 , DO YOU ? 7520
4 , DOES IT ? 4665
5 , ARE YOU ? 3771
6 , WOULD YOU ? 3553
7 , DID YOU ? 3101
8 , CAN YOU ? 2074
9 , WILL YOU ? 1852
10 , DO THEY ? 1776
11 , WAS IT ? 1414
12 , ARE THEY ? 1405
13 , HAVE YOU ? 1280
14 , WOULD IT ? 1258
15 , CAN IT ? 1206
16 , DO WE ? 1186
17 , GET IT ? 929
18 , ARE WE ? 785
19 , CAN WE ? 702
20 , IS HE ? 677
21 , DID IT ? 664
22 , AM I ? 629
23 , CAN THEY ? 607
24 , CAN I ? 575
25 , DO I ? 544
26 , WILL YA ? 544
27 , WOULD THEY ? 534
28 , DID HE ? 525
29 , DID THEY ? 514
30 , COULD IT ? 474
31 , DOES HE ? 428
32 , DID I ? 384
33 , WOULD WE ? 384
34 , WILL IT ? 380
35 , COULD YOU ? 329
36 , WERE YOU ? 314
37 , HAS IT ? 303
38 , GOT IT ? 278
39 , SHOULD IT ? 268
40 , CAN HE ? 264
41 , WAS HE ? 253
42 , WOULD HE ? 234
43 , HAVE THEY ? 226
44 , COULD THEY ? 224
45 , IS SHE ? 222
46 , DO YA ? 197
47 , WILL THEY ? 192
48 , DID WE ? 191
49 , WOULD I ? 186
50 , HAVE WE ? 184
51 , COULD I ? 179
52 , DID SHE ? 176
53 , WERE THEY ? 167
54 , DOES SHE ? 161
55 , HAVE I ? 150
56 , SHOULD I ? 149
57 , HAS HE ? 136
58 , SHOULD YOU ? 127
59 , WOULD YA ? 125
60 , COULD HE ? 121
61 , COULD WE ? 115
62 , WILL HE ? 112
63 , SHOULD THEY ? 108
64 , DID YA ? 103
65 , REMEMBER ME ? 102
66 , SHOULD WE ? 100
67 , WILL WE ? 94
68 , EXCUSE ME ? 94
69 , CAN SHE ? 90
70 , ARE YA ? 89

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