Right
De Linuxmemo.
HOW TO REPLACE 266 THINGS IN ENGLISH WITH ONE WORD!!!!!
A lot of you seem intrigued by my declaration that I think you can do something with two little things that could replace the necessity to learn 128 things......... which would be a real pain in the arse to learn, wouldn't it?
But, firstly, I want to say that I think I was wrong- it's not 2 versus 128.....I think, after reflection, that it's more like 1 v 266!!!!
Not only would it be a pain in the arse to learn all these things, the real questions are:
Could you learn them well enough to use them with absolute confidence?
Do you really want to?
Only YOU can make that decision....I can only propose an alternative solution.....after that you choose.
I reckon we can replace 266 different things you have to learn at school if you want to respect the CORRECT MODEL with one thing.
Interested?
The subject I am talking about is Tag questions.
IF YOU ARE ALREADY BORED TO DEATH WITH THIS, JUST GO TO END WHERE I GIVE THE SOLUTION.
I DON'T EXPECT YOU TO READ THIS RUBBISH...IKNOW YOU HAVE MORE PRESSING OR MORE INTESRESTING THINGS TO DO. BUT FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED...... What are Tag questions?
English tag questions, when they have the grammatical form of a question, are atypically complex, because they vary according to four factors: the choice of auxiliary, the negation, the intonation pattern and the emphasis.
The English tag question is made up of an auxiliary verb and a pronoun. The auxiliary has to agree with the tense, aspect & modality........blah, blah, f**king blah.
You see, I know something about GRAMMAR, especially when I copy it from a grammar book.....that I borrowed from my wife....she's French, of course!!!!
Well, I just can't be arsed.....let's look at some examples.
The usual stuff they tell you is something like below, right?
He read this book, didn't he?
He's reading this book, isn't he?
He reads a lot of books, doesn't he?
He'll read this book, won't he?
He should read this book, shouldn't he?
He can read this book, can't he?
Now, I reckon there are 19 different “manipulations” of verbs, well, I found 19 in a grammar book but there could be more, I suppose, but who cares? This includes all your past, presents, futures, could, would, should etc.
I'm not even gonna start listing them 'cos it's really not very interesting.
Why 266? Simple, it's 'cos you have positive & negative tag questions or “balanced and unbalanced” Tag questions and you have 7 subjects I, you, he, she, it, we, they....maybe I'm exaggerating a bit...'cos a lot are the same. But, it's still a lot to learn.
So 19 X 7 = 133 X 2 (positive & negative possibility) = 266, right? I know some of you would like me (your Cartesian conditioned minds demand it) to explain and give reasons WHY I THINK YOU CAN DO IT WITH 1 WORD.
If you don't care and you have enough confidence in me, please feel free to skip the next paragaraphs which are, in my limited but highly pragmatic opinion, just a load of useless bollocks. If you are patient and curious enough and you have two hours to waste, go ahead, read it. OTHERWISE GO TO END FOR SOLUTION! THIS IS THE COMPLICATED EXPLANATION Positive vs Negative or Balanced vs unbalanced tags
Tag questions could contain a negation, but it's not absolutely necessary......bloody hell, it's geting even more complicated!. When there is no special emphasis, the basic rule often applies that a positive sentence has a negative tag and vice versa. This form usually seeks confirmation of the asker's opinion or belief.
She is French, isn't she?
She's not French, is she?
These are sometimes called "balanced tag questions". However, it has been estimated that in normal conversation, as many as 40%-50% of tags break this rule anyway.....what's point of having a f**king rule if half the time there are exceptions?!!!!!!!. "Unbalanced tag questions" (positive to positive or negative to negative) could be used for ironic or confrontational effects:
Do listen, will you?
Oh, I'm lazy, am I?
Jack: I refuse to spend Sunday at your mother's house! Jill: Oh you do, do you? We'll see about that!
Jack: I just won't go back! Jill: Oh you won't, won't you?
Intonation
English tag questions can have a rising or a falling intonation pattern. This can be contrasted with French where a tags rise. As a basic rule, the English rising pattern is used when soliciting information or motivating an action, that is, when some sort of response is required. Since normal English yes/no questions have rising patterns (e.g. Are you coming?), these tags make a grammatical statement into a real question:
You're coming, aren't you?
Do listen, will you?
Let's have a beer, shall we?
The falling intonation pattern is used to underline a statement. The statement itself ends with a falling pattern, and the tag sounds like an echo, strengthening the pattern. Most English tag questions have this falling pattern.
He doesn't know what he's doing, does he?
This is really boring, isn't it?
Sometimes the rising tag goes with the positive to positive pattern to create a confrontational effect:
He was the best in the class, was he? (rising: the speaker is challenging this thesis, or perhaps expressing surprised interest)
He was the best in the class, wasn't he? (falling: the speaker holds this opinion)
Be careful, will you? (rising: expresses irritation)
Take care, won't you? (falling: expresses concern)
Sometimes the same words may have different patterns depending on the situation or implication.
You don't remember my name, do you? (rising: expresses surprise)
You don't remember my name, do you? (falling: expresses amusement or resignation)
Your name's Mary, isn't it? (rising: expresses uncertainty)
Your name's Mary, isn't it? (falling: expresses confidence)
It is interesting that as an all-purpose tag the Multi-cultural London English set-phrase innit (for "isn't it") is only used with falling patterns:
He doesn't know what he's doing, innit?
He was the best in the class, innit?
On the other hand, the adverbial tag questions (alright? OK? etc.) are almost always found with rising patterns. An occasional exception is surely.
THIS IS MY EXPLANATION
Here are all the sentences executed “correctly” with “correct” Question Tags
He read this book, didn't he?
He's reading this book, isn't he?
He reads a lot of books, doesn't he?
He'll read this book, won't he?
He should read this book, shouldn't he?
He can read this book, can't he?
She is French, isn't she?
She's not French, is she?
Do listen, will you?
Oh, I'm lazy, am I?
Jack: I refuse to spend Sunday at your mother's house! Jill: Oh you do, do you? We'll see about that!
Jack: I just won't go back! Jill: Oh you won't, won't you?
You're coming, aren't you?
Do listen, will you?
Let's have a beer, shall we?
He doesn't know what he's doing, does he?
This is really boring, isn't it?
He was the best in the class, was he? (rising: the speaker is challenging this thesis, or perhaps expressing surprised interest)
He was the best in the class, wasn't he? (falling: the speaker holds this opinion)
Be careful, will you? (rising: expresses irritation)
Take care, won't you? (falling: expresses concern)
You don't remember my name, do you? (rising: expresses surprise)
You don't remember my name, do you? (falling: expresses amusement or resignation)
Your name's Mary, isn't it? (rising: expresses uncertainty)
Your name's Mary, isn't it? (falling: expresses confidence)
I think it takes 23 different versions to execute these sentences correctly
NOW WATCH THIS!!!!
He read this book, right?
He's reading this book, right?
He reads a lot of books, right?
He'll read this book, right?
He should read this book, right?
He can read this book, right?
She is French, right?
She's not French, right?
Do listen, will you? THIS ONE DOES NOT WORK FOR THE SIMPLE REASON I CANNOT REMEMBER NOR IMAGINE ANYONE SAYING :
Do listen,will you?”.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THE BLOODY QUEEN. Most people would say “Listen, right!”
Oh, I'm lazy, right?
Jack: I refuse to spend Sunday at your mother's house! Jill: Oh you do, right? We'll see about that!
Jack: I just won't go back! Jill: Oh you won't, right?
You're coming, right?
Let's have a beer, right?
He doesn't know what he's doing, right?
This is really boring, right?
He was the best in the class, right? (rising: the speaker is challenging this thesis, or perhaps expressing surprised interest)
He was the best in the class, right? (falling: the speaker holds this opinion)
Be careful, right? (rising: expresses irritation)
Take care, right? (falling: expresses concern)Exactly what I said last Saturday to my 13 year old daughter when she went to La Vogue des Marrons in the Croix Rousse for the first time with her friends.
You don't remember my name, right? (rising: expresses surprise)
You don't remember my name, right? (falling: expresses amusement or resignation)
Your name's Mary, right? (rising: expresses uncertainty)
Your name's Mary, right? (falling: expresses confidence)
MY VERSION WORKS PERFECTLY, USES ONE WORD “right” AND YOU USE A LOT OF INTONATION.
YOU COULD DO THIS, RIGHT? I GUARRANTEE THAT IT WORKS.
