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ESL forum > Ask for help > I was asked ...??    

I was asked ...??



Pretty3
Saudi Arabia

I was asked ...??
 
Hi,
 
I was asked a question about tag questions but I didn �t know the answer.
 
As you know we use a particular structure for questions that expect the answer yes or no.
 
e.g. She  likes tea , doesn �t she ?  ( a question that expects the answer yes )
 
So, the answer : Yes ,she does .
 
One asked me that : " you expect the answer yes & you use the structure of this kind of question , but the answer is no not yes .It is no. Can we answer that question with no , she doesn �t ? "
 
 
She  likes tea , doesn �t she ? 
No , she doesn �t ??????????????????????????
 
Can you help me answering this question ,please?
 

24 Aug 2010      





Redbull
Thailand

No she doesn �t like tea  GOOD FOR ME

24 Aug 2010     



Zora
Canada

But of course you can answer "no". A question tag emphasizes the question that you are asking; and it sometimes prompts a certain answer BUT you don �t always know a person�s personal preferences.

example:

A: Tina likes coffee, doesn �t she?

B: err... No, she doesn �t. She quit drinking coffee years ago.

A: Oh. Well, then.. that must means that she doesn�t like tea either, does she?

B: Umm, actually... she does. Tina simply loves green tea.


Hope that this helps somewhat,

Smile 

24 Aug 2010     



ELOJOLIE274
France

she likes tea, doesn �t she? 

with rising intonation: you �re not sure she likes tea, so it �s a question, and you can answer yes or no!

with falling intonation: you �re sure she likes tea, so it �s not a question, but it �s a polite way to check you can pour a cup of tea for her.


same for:
you �re an English teacher, aren �t you?
=> rising intonation = question / falling intonation = I know you are and I use that sentence to introduce the topic!

Intonation

We can change the meaning of a tag question with the musical pitch of our voice. With rising intonation, it sounds like a real question. But if our intonation falls, it sounds more like a statement that doesn �t require a real answer:


look here to learn more about question tags!

have a nice day;-)
Elodie


24 Aug 2010     



jmalone77
United States

It �s fine.  The reason for a tag question in your example would be to ask for reaffirmation of something that I really expect to be true.  For example, let �s say I have a guest from Morocco, and he brought a friend.  I might ask my friend the following:

He likes tabouli, doesn �t he?  (Let �s pretend that I spent 2 hours making tabouli beforehand)

In this sentence, I already assume that the Moroccan likes tabouli.  This seems to be a logical assumption because it is a traditional dish there.  From here, my partner can say either:

Yes, he does.

or

No, he doesn �t.

24 Aug 2010