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Chapter 2 Question Tags and Negatives With Inversion - EnGLISH LECTURE

This document discusses question tags and negatives with inversion in English grammar. It covers: 1) The basic structure of question tags, which use the opposite auxiliary verb or form of "be" in the tag from the statement. 2) How tone can be falling or rising depending on whether the speaker believes the listener will confirm or not. 3) Examples of question tags and expectations for responses. 4) How negatives can be formed with inversion, placing the negative word before the auxiliary verb to give emphasis. 5) Various time expressions and phrases used for negative inversion, along with examples.

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Diana Novita [Dino]
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101 views22 pages

Chapter 2 Question Tags and Negatives With Inversion - EnGLISH LECTURE

This document discusses question tags and negatives with inversion in English grammar. It covers: 1) The basic structure of question tags, which use the opposite auxiliary verb or form of "be" in the tag from the statement. 2) How tone can be falling or rising depending on whether the speaker believes the listener will confirm or not. 3) Examples of question tags and expectations for responses. 4) How negatives can be formed with inversion, placing the negative word before the auxiliary verb to give emphasis. 5) Various time expressions and phrases used for negative inversion, along with examples.

Uploaded by

Diana Novita [Dino]
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Question Tags and

Negatives with Inversion


Chapter 2
Upper Intermediate Structure
QUESTION TAGS

“a statement followed by a mini question” (“Tag Questions”, 2019:p.1)


“to confirm that something is true or not, or to encourage a reply from the person” the
speaker is speaking to (“Question Tags: English Grammar Rules”, 2019:p.1).

The basic structure:


If the first part is in a positive statement, the tag in the second part is negative, and
vice versa.
Repeating the auxiliary/modal, or main verb (when be) in the statement, and changing
it to negative or positive
TONE

FALLING: When the speaker believes that the listener


will confirm what he says, he will use falling
intonation.

RISING: When the speaker is not sure whether the


listener will confirm his position, he may prefer
to use rising intonation. Rising intonation is
often more polite.
The first part is important → expects that the
answer agree with his/her statement.

“You aren’t hungry, are you?” → he/she expects the answer:


(a) No, of course not or Certainly not or No, not really and
(b) No, I’m not.

“You are hungry, aren’t you?”, → he/she expects the answer:


(a) Yes, I am and
(b) Yes, Certainly or Yes, I think so.
NEGATIVE: never, hardly ever, rarely,
seldom, hardly, barely and scarcely

John seldom had a chance to get a promotion


at work, did he?

His wife could never get his shirts as white as


she wanted them to be, could she?
IMPERATIVE:
invitation (won’t)
order (can, can’t, will, or would)

I have been preparing the food for the whole day. Try some, won’t you?
(polite invitation)
Help me to solve my problems of youth, can you? (quite friendly order)
Help me to solve my problems of youth, can’t you? (quite friendly order,
some irritation?)
Grab me the umbrella, would you? (quite polite order)
Be practical. Stop daydreaming, will you? (less polite order)
Don’t forget to post the letter when you leave, will you? (Only will is
possible with negative imperatives)
some special cases should be
considered with some expressions

• I am a true Javanese, aren’t I? (not amn’t I)


• Let’s start our rehearsal, shall we?
• Nothing came in the post, did it? (treat
statements with nothing, nobody etc like
negative statements)
• This/that is the diplomat’s document, isn’t it?
ECHO TAGS: Is he?/He is?
NEGATIVE WITH INVERSION

Never never before


usually inversely when no longer no sooner no more
the speaker wants to
give emphasis not not only not until
only then only after hardly ever
negative word or
expression precedes at no time in no way
the appropriate
auxiliary verb which is on no account scarcely
followed by the subject
and the required part of seldom rarely
the main verb
NEGATIVE WITH INVERSION:
emphatic construction

I shall never see my home again.


usually inversely when
the speaker wants to Never shall I see my home again.
give emphasis
We rarely go to the cinema
negative word or
nowadays.
expression precedes
the appropriate Rarely do we go to the cinema
auxiliary verb which is nowadays.
followed by the subject
and the required part of
the main verb
He didn’t speak a word. Not a word did he speak.
The kids didn’t make a sound. Not a sound did the kids make.
The audience didn’t applaud the Not even once did the audience
artist even once. applaud the artist even once.
He had never in all his life felt so Never in all his life had he felt so
disappointed. disappointed.
Little girls should in no In no circumstances should little
circumstances use that kind of girls use that kind of language.
language.
He didn’t want to wait for us. And He didn’t want to wait for us. Nor
he didn’t want to leave a did he want to leave a message.
message.
Not only do those little pests
Those little pests not only steal steal our oranges, but they also
our oranges, but they also make make fun of us.
fun of us.
Nowhere could you find anyone
You couldn’t find anyone more more stubborn than he is.
stubborn than he is anywhere.
Never has there been a soccer
There has never been a soccer player like Pele.
player like Pele.
Inversion
after negative adverbials

Time expressions: Rarely can a minister have been faced with


never, rarely, such a problem.
seldom
Seldom has the team given a worse
performance.
These are most
commonly used Rarely had I had so much responsibility.
with present perfect
or past perfect, or
with modals such as
can and could.
Sentences of this
type often contain
comparatives.
Inversion
after negative adverbials

Time expressions: Hardly had the train left the station, when
hardly, barely, there was an explosion.
scarcely, no sooner
Scarcely had I entered the room when the
These refer to an phone rang.
event which quickly
follows another in the No sooner had I reached the door than I
past. realized it was locked.
They are usually used
with past perfect, No sooner was the team back on the pitch
although no sooner than it started raining.
can be followed by
past simple. Note the
words used in the
contrasting clause.
Inversion
after negative adverbials

Only after posting the letter did I


After only
remember that I had forgotten
Here only combines
with other time to put on a stamp.
expressions and is
usually used with
past simple.
Note that when Only Mary realized that the door
only refers to 'the was not locked.
state of being the
only one', there is
no inversion
following it.
Inversion
after negative adverbials

Phrases containing On no condition are they to


no/not
These include under
open fire without a warning.
no circumstances, on
no account, at no Not until I got home did I notice
time, in no way, on no that I had the wrong umbrella.
condition, not until,
not only ... (but also).
Little does the government
little
appreciate what the results will
also has a negative or
be.
restrictive meaning in
this sense
Question Tags and Negatives with
Inversion

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