Question tag/special cases
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Message from mohammad51 posted on 04-02-2020 at 08:38:50 (D | E | F)
Hello
Could you pleases revise these answers or giving notices ?
Thank you in advance.
I noticed some questions tag different answers especially with wish
Here for example:
Stating intentions
When you wish to do something, the question tag at the end must be "may+I?"
I wish to leave now, don't I? said ( not correct)
I wish to leave now, may I? ✔️
Link
A similar discussion here:
1) I am late,aren't I? ✔️ all agree with
2)I wish to go back home now,___I? ( My answer: may I ?) some don't agree with and prefer " don't I"
3)I don't think he can finish his homework in time, can he? also some suggest: do I ?
(My answer: Do I?)
4) I didn't think he could finish his homework in time, could he?
( My answer: Did I?)
So, what the suggestion is? Is there difference between American English and British English?
2- what is the more suggestion when the main verb is wish as stated in question 2 ?
3. Is it possible to use two different versions when sentence has two verbs for example ( I don't think he can...) ?
Message from mohammad51 posted on 04-02-2020 at 08:38:50 (D | E | F)
Hello
Could you pleases revise these answers or giving notices ?
Thank you in advance.
I noticed some questions tag different answers especially with wish
Here for example:
Stating intentions
When you wish to do something, the question tag at the end must be "may+I?"
I wish to leave now, don't I? said ( not correct)
I wish to leave now, may I? ✔️
Link
A similar discussion here:
1) I am late,aren't I? ✔️ all agree with
2)I wish to go back home now,___I? ( My answer: may I ?) some don't agree with and prefer " don't I"
3)I don't think he can finish his homework in time, can he? also some suggest: do I ?
(My answer: Do I?)
4) I didn't think he could finish his homework in time, could he?
( My answer: Did I?)
So, what the suggestion is? Is there difference between American English and British English?
2- what is the more suggestion when the main verb is wish as stated in question 2 ?
3. Is it possible to use two different versions when sentence has two verbs for example ( I don't think he can...) ?
Re: Question tag/special cases from lucile83, posted on 04-02-2020 at 14:30:22 (D | E)
Hello,
2)I wish to go back home now,___I? ( My answer: may I ?) some don't agree and prefer " don't I" ...I agree with 'don't I?'
3)I don't think he can finish his homework in time, can he? also some suggest: do I ? ...YOU think,YOU have your own opinion, there is no tag possible,then 'Can he' is correct
(My answer: Do I?)
4) I didn't think he could finish his homework in time, could he? ...in the same way 'could he ' is correct
( My answer: Did I?)
Re: Question tag/special cases from gerondif, posted on 04-02-2020 at 14:54:37 (D | E)
Hello
Normally, the special cases are :
I'm late aren't I ? amn't I doesn't exist, but am I not can he heard and is pure correct English.
Remember that the tag means "isn't it true ?" "don't you agree with me about what I just said ?"
He is absent , isn't he ?
There were too many people on that boat, weren't there ?
What you call special cases are cases where it is impossible or ludicrous to doubt the first verb.
When you wish to do something, the question tag at the end must be "may+I?"
I wish to leave now, don't I? is correct if you think aloud, talk to yourself and doubt with yourself what you wish to do or not.
For exemple, I am angry at you because of that question and have murderous thoughts, but my other half, the good half, says : I don't really y wish to kill him, do I ? It's only grammar ! So, imagine you are at a boring party, you feel like leaving and you think to yourself : I wish to leave now, don't I ? I can't bear it another minute.
I wish to leave now, may I? is a completely different tag : It could and probably should be written like this :
I wish to leave now. May I? You are talking to your host, using an incomplete question.
I wish to leave now, if you don't mind ?
A similar discussion here:
1) I am late,aren't I? ✔️ ok.
2)I wish to go back home now,___I? ( My answer: may I ?) some don't agree with and prefer " don't I"
With don't I, you think aloud, with may I you ask permission to your host, and it is a different tag, it doesn't represent I wish, you have just deleted the end of the sentence, May I go back home now ? It is a repetition of the same idea.
3)I don't think he can finish his homework in time, can he? also some suggest: do I ?
(My answer: Do I?)
Do I sounds bizarre because you doubt your own judgment.
he can finish his homework in time, can't he? would be correct.
I don't think he can finish his homework in time, can he? means :
I don't think he can finish his homework in time, do you think he really can ?
I don't think he can finish his homework in time. What about you ? a different meaning, a different tag.
4) I didn't think he could finish his homework in time, could he?
( My answer: Did I?)
Imagine I said you would never pass your exam with such poor grammar. You take the exam, you sit for it and you pass it ! Wonderful !Then, when we meet again, I say:
I didn't think you would pass your exam, did I ? Well, I was wrong, I misjudged you.I apologize and recognize my mistake. Correct !!
It is clearer here:
I said you would never succeed, didn't I? Well, I was wrong!
Again, for me :
I didn't think he could finish his homework in time. Could he? should be the correct answer. It is a short form for a question : Could he finish it in time, do you think ? (another bizarre tag)
Is there a difference between American English and British English? NO, there is a difference in meaning.
2- what is the more(the more likely) suggestion when the main verb is wish as stated in question 2 ?
3. Is it possible to use two different versions when sentence has two verbs for example ( I don't think he can...) ? Yes, but the meaning is different.
Re: Question tag/special cases from mohammad51, posted on 11-02-2020 at 14:02:05 (D | E)
Hello
Many thanks to you teachers lucile83 and gerondif
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