Delphine
LEMAIRE
" TAGS
"
I/ DEFINITION
" Tags
" are elliptical idiomatic expressions used either to react
immediately to what has just been said (approval, surprise...)
or to quickly add an idea to what we have just said (to emphasize
an opposition, to call someone to witness...)
The most frequently, they function dialectically ie [affirmative
< negative; negative < affirmative].
N.B.: In
all the following examples, the auxiliary verb is a form of be
or have or a modal verb.
II/ REACTIONS
TO WHAT HAS JUST BEEN SAID
1. Short
answers
After yes and no (but also after indeed, perhaps, of course...),
one may stress the auxiliary in order to avoid to sharp an answer.
Pattern: yes/no + pronoun + auxiliary + 'nt (if it is a negative
short answer)
Examples: _ Have you been working all day? _ Yes, I have.
_ Is she angry with him? _ Of course she is.
2. The translation
of " si "
Thanks to a " tag ", one can translate the French answer
" si " to a negative question.
Example: Don't you like tea? _ Yes, I do.
3. More categorical
answers
In this case, a " tag " replaces " yes " or
" no "; the answer is then synonymous with " yes
indeed " or " not at all. " The auxiliary is stressed.
Example: _ Will you have this woman to be your lawful wedded wife...?
_ I will
4. To record
a fact.
Example: _ You are late. _ So I am.
5/ To express
one's astonishment.
Example: _ He never drinks wine. _ Oh, doesn't he?
III/ TAGS EXPRESSING ADDITIONAL IDEAS TO WHAT WE HAVE JUST SAID
1. Translation
of " moi aussi "/ " moi non plus "
· Pattern: so/ neither + auxiliary + subject (the subject,
not the auxiliary is stressed)
Example: We must hurry, so must you.
Example: They aren't tired, neither am I.
NB: for the positive statement at the first person of the singular,
one can use " me too " but this expression belongs to
a lower level of language.
2. Translation of " moi si "/ " moi non plus "
Pattern: subject + auxiliary (+ negative, for the translation
of " moi non plus ")
Example: If you are not hungry, I am.
They went to the cinema, we did not.
3. Translation of " et vous? ".
Pattern: auxiliary + subject (the subject is stressed)
Example: I like Dickens. Do you?
or I like Dickens. Don't you? (one expects an affirmative answer)
4. Translation of " n'est-ce pas? "
Patterns: _ positive statement + negative tag (auxiliary verb
+ n't + pronoun)
Example: It is raining, isn't it?
_ negative statement + positive tag (auxiliary verb + pronoun)
Example: It isn't raining, is it?
The question tag is a short question added on to a statement.
It is used to call someone to witness, or to end up a sentence
in a less sharp way.
When a tag is spoken, a falling intonation means that the speaker
is sure (or almost sure) that the statement is true (the tag is
not really a question and no answer is expected). A rising intonation
means that the speaker is less sure (in this case, the tag is
more like a real question and the speaker expects an answer).
N.B.:
· For the imperative, after " don't ", the tag
is " will you? "
Example: Don't make any noise, will you?
· After let's, we use " shall we? "
Example: Let's sit in the garden, shall we?
· In a " question tag " the pronouns " this
" and " that " are replaced by the pronoun "
it ".
Example: That was very nice, wasn't it?
· Even if " everybody " (=everyone) is singular,
it is replaced by " they " in the question tag.
Example: Everybody was tired, weren't they?
· Never, nobody, hardly, etc... are negative, so the tag
is positive.
Example:We can hardly complain, can we?
· A " question tag " can be used after an elliptical
sentence.
Example: Funny, isn't it?
5. Translation
of " alors vraiment? "
It expresses an ironical surprise. But when the sentence is positive,
the " question tag " is also positive (and when the
sentence is negative, so is the " question tag ")
Example: So you've come after all, have you ?
(Tiens, tu es quand même venu?)
