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

Types of tail 

97b

Tails are most typically noun phrases, but may also be prepositional phrases or

clauses:

They’re incredibly nice, our neighbours.

I put it 

there, on the fridge.

I find it very frustrating 

that, not being able to remember people’s names.

I find 

it annoying that they didn’t tell us.

More complex noun phrases can also form tails:

It never occurred to me, the danger I was in. 

(preferred in writing: The danger I was in never occurred to me.)

That was our only chance of a holiday, that weekend in Rome seeing Rita.

(preferred in writing: That weekend in Rome seeing Rita was our only chance

of a holiday.)

Tails may also occur in interrogative clauses:

Are 

they both at university, your brother’s kids?

Tails often occur with statement tags. Sometimes the tail noun phrase may be

accompanied by an auxiliary verb or copular verb be in the same form and

polarity as in the main clause:

It’s an exciting place, 

Hong Kong is

.

(or: It’s an exciting place, Hong Kong.)

They’re from all over the world, 

those photos are

.

[two friends in a restaurant]

A: What are you going to have?

B: I can’t decide.

A: I’m going to have a burger with chilli sauce, 

I am

. 

(statement tag)

B: Mm yeah, it’s a speciality here, 

the chilli sauce is

. 

(tail)

She hasn’t been here before,

Judith hasn’t

.

It’s not very good, 

that cake isn’t

.

Tails also frequently occur with tag questions and can be placed either before or

after the tag:

They do take up a lot of time, I suppose, 

kids

, 

don’t they?

Cos 

they tend to go cold, don’t they, 

pasta

?

It’s not easy to eat, is it, 

spaghetti

?