Cambridge Grammar of English Hardback with cd-rom a comprehensive Guide

TAG QUESTIONS 

431

A tag after a declarative clause can form a question.

Tag questions are highly interactive in that they may constrain the range of

possible or desired responses from the addressee. Some patterns are more

constraining than others.

Types of tag question

type

clause + tag polarity

falling tone 

falling or rising

constrained or desired 

tone:

or  

answer

1

affirm. + neg.

They

’ve been affected 

haven’t they?

agreement with yes

by it,

(Yes, they have.)

2

affirm. + affirm.

He

’s gone back,

has he?

agreement with yes

(Yes, he has.)

3

neg. + affirm.

She 

never talked to 

did she?

agreement with no

anybody,

(No, she didn’t.)

4

affirm. + neg.

You

’ve worked hard,

haven’t you?

anticipated agreement with

yes 

(Yes, I have.) but open to

challenge with no (No, I

haven’t.

)

5

neg. + affirm.

He 

didn’t get it,

did he?

anticipated agreement with

no 

(No, he didn’t.) but open

to challenge with yes (Yes, he

did.

)

Types 1 and 2 contain an affirmative statement by the speaker in the main clause,

and an expectation of a yes-answer as confirmation in the tag.

Type 3 contains a negative statement by the speaker in the main clause, and an

expectation of a no-answer as confirmation in the tag.

Type 4 contains an affirmative statement by the speaker in the main clause, and a

more neutral possibility (i.e. of a yes- or a no-answer) in the tag.

Type 5 contains a negative statement by the speaker in the main clause, and a

more neutral possibility (i.e. of a yes- or a no-answer) in the tag.

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300 Question tags for a full account of the structures and patterns found in 

tag questions

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also 100 Follow-up questions

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ECHO AND CHECKING QUESTIONS 

432

Echo questions repeat part of the previous speaker’s utterance, usually because

some part of it has not been fully understood. They often have declarative word

order and a wh-word at the end of the clause:

A: Steve was singing with the group.

B: Who was singing, sorry? (stressed)

A: Steve, Steve Jones.

B: Oh.

A: He’s called Oliver.

B: He’s called what?

A: Oliver.

A: The map is in the rucksack.

B: In the what, sorry?

A: The rucksack.

In spoken language, an interrogative-form self-checking question may interrupt

an utterance in order to focus on specific information or to show uncertainty or

hesitation, or to ask for confirmation:

I was talking to, oh, 

who was it, that that guy from Edinburgh.

[travel agent to customer]

Well, I’ve got you on the flights that you required, i.e. coming back on the, 

what

was it, the twentieth.

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also 100 Follow-up questions