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h. You have two sisters, don’t they?
In British English you would be correct to say “You have two sisters, haven’t you?”
“The statement containing word such as neither, no adjective, none, no one, nobody, nothing, scarcely, hardly ever, seldom are treated as negative
statements and followed by an ordinary interrogative tag”, Thomson and Martinet, 1986:113. Look at the example:
a. None of your friends came to the party last night, did they?
b. Nothing was done, was it?
c. Jim hardly ever studies hard, does he?
“When the subject of the sentence is anyone, no one, nobody, none, neither, we use the pronoun they as the subject of the question tags”, Thomson
and Martinet, 1986:113. Look at the example: a.
I don’t suppose anyone will be a volunteer?, do they? b.
None of the bottles are broken, are they? c.
Neither of them complained, did they? With everybody, everyone, somebody, someone, we use pronoun they, Thomson
and Martinet, 1986:114.
2.5 The Special Difficulties in Question Tags.
As the writer said in chapter I, that in English there are some exceptions to make question tags and the writer will give some reminder for the students.
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In using
will not, most of students also have a difficulty. Will not are shortened to willn’t instead of won’t, because they know that cannot becomes
can’t, or must not becomes mustn’t. It is similarity with may. It is necessary to know that may not has no contraction. Look at the example below:
a. Her brother will arrive here tomorrow, won’t he?
b. She may leave the meeting, may not she?
Yet, the words like will you?, would you?, can’t you?, and couldn’t you?, they are can used in question tags often as imperatives. These are not real
questions. They mean something like please, but they often have rising intonation. Won’t is used to invite: will, would, can and can’t to tell people to do
things. Look at the examples below a.
Do stand up, won’t you? b.
Close the door, would you? c.
Come here, will you? d.
Calm down, can’t you? e.
Remember your promise, will you? Remember that after negative imperative, only will you? can be used. Look
at the five examples above. Another case on forming the question tags is in using there. They forget that there
can be used not only as an adverb of place, but also as an introductory subject. As an introductory subject, it can also be used in subject position in question tags.
The students think that the word there becomes it. Example:
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a. There is something wrong, isn’t there?
b. There won’t be any trouble, will there?
2.6 Same – Way Question tags
It is quite common to use affirmative question tags after affirmative sentence and negative tags after negative sentences. Question tags used in this
way have the same meaning as reply question. They can express their feelings like interest, concern, supplies or anger depending on the intonation. For example:
She thinks she’s going to become a doctor, does she? Well, well.
2.7 Question Tags and Reply Question
