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ESL forum >
Grammar and Linguistics > Are they correct?
Are they correct?
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Imdad
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Are they correct?
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Sorry for the disturbance.
Plzzzz tell me if the following tag questions are correct or not, or give your different argument.
1. The beauty of a moon-lit-night cannot be described in words, can it?
2. Even the little insects fly here and there, don �t they?
Again sorry , and thanks is advance.
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8 Mar 2014
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Apodo
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They are both grammatically correct.
EDIT: Yes, you�re right. I see that meaning now lbhspatriot - Even the little insects fly here and there, don�t they? Is perfectly correct.
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8 Mar 2014
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lbhspatriot
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I think what Imdad meant was more of a "inspirational quote" than a statement that there are insects flying around :) Like saying that even the smallest creatures explore the world.
At least, that �s how I understood it - but I might be wrong :)
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9 Mar 2014
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Imdad
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Actually the context or meaning is not the problem, the other day one of the senior teachers in the locality contradicted that the first answer would be "can she?", and the second one would be "do they?". But , strange to say, i find no way to support it as you will also do.
So, i got the problem. Now it is solved.
1. Subject = the beauty = abstract noun = it. It can never be "she". But, only it could if it was personified subject starting wither a capital letter. As we see here:
The Moon has her charm, hasn �t she?
The Titanic sank with all her hopes, didn �t she?
2. When �little � is an adjective, it is not Negative in meaning, as we see : a little boy, the little insects, etc.
But, when �little � is a Determiner in a noun phrase, it conveys negative meaning, as we see :
i have little water, do i?
She has little money, does she?
So i think, and you will also, that "little insects � is positive as it is an adjective modifying the plural noun �insects �.
Am i right? |
9 Mar 2014
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MoodyMoody
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I agree with you that the proper pronoun to use for beauty is it. The only inanimate nouns that commonly use she are a boat or ship, and it �s okay to use it for them also. I also agree that little is an adjective referring to the size of the insects in your example. You would use few to talk about the number of a countable noun like insect.
I hope this helped. |
9 Mar 2014
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