Please tell about this

Yes.

I'd say, "He rarely eats apples, does he?"

fivejedjonI'd say, "He rarely eats apples, does he?"

But isn't it that the 'He rarely eats apples' is in positive form, and so the following part 'does he' should be in negative 'doesn't he?'? I'd like to know why you prefer 'does he?' to 'doesn't he?' in this case, please.

Thank you.

TomJBut isn't it that the 'He rarely eats apples' is in positive form, and so the following part 'does he' should be in negative 'doesn't he?'?

The problem is that 'rarely' carries a certain negativity. I had to think awhile before I decided upon my answer. I am sure that both tag polarities are in use.

Thanks to you, Mister Micawber, for replying. So, can we use either tag polarity when we use words which carry a certain negativity? For eg, words such as 'seldom', 'rarely', 'hardly', 'hardly ever'.

How about the word 'never'? Which tag polarity should we use in the case of 'never'?

Huddleston and Pullum (2002. 815 - 821) label the words 'rarely, seldom, barely, hardly and scarcely 'approximate negators', and feel that rarely and seldom are weaker markers of clausal negatiion than the others. Thet feel that, in some contexts a negative tag may be acceptable.

Quirk et al (1986.782) say, "Speakers vary in the extent to which they accept negative tag que

Thank you. Both are acceptable in some cases, okay. So, I'm wondering how you respond when you agree or disagree with the questioner. If you say yes, does it mean "He rarely eats apples?" If you say no, does it only mean "I don't think so?"

AnonymousSo, I'm wondering how you respond when you agree or disagree with the questioner. If you say yes, does it mean "He rarely eats apples?" If you say no, does it only mean "I don't think so?"

It is inherently ambiguous, and the wise interlocutor will say more or ask for more.

OK. Thank you again.