Listen & Learn Blog

We use tag questions all the time without realising it – “you’re meeting me at the car right?” or “that was interesting, wasn’t it?”

An interesting article on Boston.com explores the usage of tag questions. The slight upward inflection on the final word of the sentence gives these sentences extra meaning. Linguists see these questions as having two different ‘flavours’:

the kind that ask for information or confirmation [as in the first example above], called “modal” tags, and the kind that try to connect with the hearer’s feelings, softening a statement or opening the door for more conversation, called “affective” tags [as in the second example]. (Source: Boston.com)

Unfortunately, tag questions have been labelled as ‘female’ and have not been studied closely by linguists. More recent studies, however, have found that men use tag questions as much (if not more than) women, and the usage can be more associated with power rather than gender. I know right??

Erin McKean goes on to say:

When you look at what people actually use as tag questions, it turns out to be a fascinating and delightful corner of the language. The modal tag questions, the practical ones, tend to be very straightforward: We’re going to be late, aren’t we?; I should close this, shouldn’t I?; He knows where we’re going, doesn’t he? The affective tags, on the other hand, have a huge range of variation across regions and cultures. Many of us use a simple right? or OK?, or a slightly less simple you with me so far? In the South, you’re likely to hear you hear? (especially in the stereotypical “y’all come back now, y’hear?”). There’s the jokey geddit?, the Brit-tinged savvy?, the goodfellaish capisce?, and the Spanglish comprendo? Some are redolent of old-hipsterism — catch my drift? — and some are associated with urban culture, such as nahmsayin? or aight? Different varieties of English (and other languages) use tag questions, too: Canadians have eh?, Brits have innit?, and in Singaporean English, there’s the borrowed lah.

How do you use tag questions?

My last post was about two guys who travelled around America correcting typos.

It appears they also have issues in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as the government has set up a “grammar hotline”. The hotline aims to help people who have difficulties using Portuguese, the official language of Brazil.

According to the BBC News article:

A senior member of the Rio de Janeiro state assembly, Colonel Jairo Souza Santos, said the hotline would provide a very useful service:

“The hotline will be a quick and efficient way of clearing up common doubts about the correct usage of the Portuguese language,” he said. “A good knowledge of the language is essential, whether in academic study or at work.”

The issue has been highlighted during the presidency of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, whose frequent grammatical errors are considered a source of embarrassment by some Brazilians, although others consider it a source of pride that he was able to become head of state despite not learning to read until he was 10 years old.

Perhaps the Great Typo Hunters should consider a move south?