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Coincidence Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
echo questions
Hello..Could you help please with 'echo questions'...I hope I understand the difference between echo questions and question tags, for example:
A: You are going to move to Italy, aren't you?
A: I am going to move to Italy.
B: Are you?
What about negative sentences and echo questions:
A: You shouldn't eat so much chocolate.
B: Shouldn't I?
I have thought that we should always keep the nagation from the original sentence as far as 'echo questions' are concerned,
but I have seen such a sentence in a grammar book:
A: That was the best film we've ever seen!
B: Yes, wasn't it?
Shouldn't it be 'was it?' ?
(I have just noticed the present perfect in the second part of this sentence. Shouldn't it be 'that was the best film we had ever seen'?Maybe the present perfect refers it to the whole life span of a person (until now), whereas the past perfect refers to the time period up to the moment in the past when sb saw that film?)
Thank you for your help!
Kind regards.
A: You are going to move to Italy, aren't you?
A: I am going to move to Italy.
B: Are you?
What about negative sentences and echo questions:
A: You shouldn't eat so much chocolate.
B: Shouldn't I?
I have thought that we should always keep the nagation from the original sentence as far as 'echo questions' are concerned,
but I have seen such a sentence in a grammar book:
A: That was the best film we've ever seen!
B: Yes, wasn't it?
Shouldn't it be 'was it?' ?
(I have just noticed the present perfect in the second part of this sentence. Shouldn't it be 'that was the best film we had ever seen'?Maybe the present perfect refers it to the whole life span of a person (until now), whereas the past perfect refers to the time period up to the moment in the past when sb saw that film?)
Thank you for your help!
Kind regards.
Top answer
The exchange: A: That was the best film we've ever seen! B: Yes, wasn't it? is correct.
- The exchange: A: That was the best film we've ever seen!
- B: Yes, wasn't it?
- is correct.
- " would be incorrect, a very bad grammatical error, in fact.
- A technical explanation for this is difficult to formulate, because this type of construction is apparently of an idiomatic nature and as such may not make any kind of grammatical sense.
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9 Answers
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The exchange:
A: That was the best film we've ever seen!
B: Yes, wasn't it?
is correct. Changing B's response to "Yes, was it?" would be incorrect, a very bad grammatical error, in fact. A technical explanation for this is difficult to formulate, because this type of construction is apparently of an idiomatic nature and as such may not make any kind of grammatical sense.
A: That was the best film we've ever seen!
B: Yes, wasn't it?
is correct. Changing B's response to "Yes, was it?" would be incorrect, a very bad grammatical error, in fact. A technical explanation for this is difficult to formulate, because this type of construction is apparently of an idiomatic nature and as such may not make any kind of grammatical sense.
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Thank you for your explanation..
I have the impression that if we say:
A: That was the best film we've ever seen!
B: Yes, wasn't it?
(I agree with the person A)
A: That was the best film we've ever seen!
B: Hmmm.....was it?
(I have some doubts about it..I don't agree)
Am I right?
I would be grateful for your help.
I have the impression that if we say:
A: That was the best film we've ever seen!
B: Yes, wasn't it?
(I agree with the person A)
A: That was the best film we've ever seen!
B: Hmmm.....was it?
(I have some doubts about it..I don't agree)
Am I right?
I would be grateful for your help.
00
The response, "Yes, wasn't it?", is something more than mere agreement. One might consider this agreement with a kind of emphasis.
The response, "Hmmm...was it?", again, is something more than a mere expression of doubt or disagreement. This is a rude, offensive response.
The response, "Hmmm...was it?", again, is something more than a mere expression of doubt or disagreement. This is a rude, offensive response.
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Thank you!
Ok, I hope I understand...
I would like to ask the last question about 'was it'..
A: It was the best concert I have every been to!
B: Ah..was it?? I have always thought you didn't like pop music?
I only want to express my surprise. Maybe it depends a bit on the way I say it?
If I say it with a lot of 'surprise' in my voice, is it stil
Ok, I hope I understand...
I would like to ask the last question about 'was it'..
A: It was the best concert I have every been to!
B: Ah..was it?? I have always thought you didn't like pop music?
I only want to express my surprise. Maybe it depends a bit on the way I say it?
If I say it with a lot of 'surprise' in my voice, is it stil
00
"He participated on the report."
"He participated in the report."
How are "in" and "on" different?
"He participated in the report."
How are "in" and "on" different?
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Sorry..it should be :
"Ah..was it?? I have always thought you don't like pop music.."
"Ah..was it?? I have always thought you don't like pop music.."
00
A: That was the best film we've ever seen!
B: Hmmm...was it?
Here, A's statement is very enthusiastic. And note the "we" rather than "I." A is expecting a positive, equally-enthusiastic reply from B. Here, B has to reply positively, even if she doesn't agree with the statement. To reply like this, "Hmmm....was it?", is not an acceptable reply to this kind of statement.
B: Hmmm...was it?
Here, A's statement is very enthusiastic. And note the "we" rather than "I." A is expecting a positive, equally-enthusiastic reply from B. Here, B has to reply positively, even if she doesn't agree with the statement. To reply like this, "Hmmm....was it?", is not an acceptable reply to this kind of statement.
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A: That was the best concert I've ever been to!
B: Ah...was it? I always thought you didn't like pop music.
Replies like this, "Ah...was it?" or "Hmmm....was it?", are not acceptable. When someone makes an enthusiastic statement and you reply with a question like this, it's like you're contradicting the person or questioning his judgement, which is very rude. Saying, "I always th
B: Ah...was it? I always thought you didn't like pop music.
Replies like this, "Ah...was it?" or "Hmmm....was it?", are not acceptable. When someone makes an enthusiastic statement and you reply with a question like this, it's like you're contradicting the person or questioning his judgement, which is very rude. Saying, "I always th
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