QUESTION: I heard someone say, “I don’t suppose you like that, do you?” Is that correct? Why doesn’t the subject in the question tag match “I”? How do you form question tags with “I don’t suppose?”
ANSWER: A YouTube viewer posted this question, and it took some digging and reflection to come up with an answer. It’s one of those questions that had me turning to a colleague for additional insights. We both pondered the nature of “I suppose” and “I don’t suppose” in relation to tags that could occur in conversation.
Conversation — that was the key. We all know that certain patterns are more typical of conversation than written speech. Furthermore, exceptions to more standard patterns are more likely to occur when speaking, especially in a casual context. Question tags, by nature, are conversational. Speakers often use them to seek confirmation or agreement. Question tags seem to have a good number of variations, which is probably due to the very fluid nature of our spoken thoughts.
Let’s first recall the basic pattern for forming question tags: The subject in most question tags matches the subject in the main clause: You like that, don’t you? Also, the question tag generally uses an auxiliary verb in the form that is opposite of the main clause verb: You don’t like that, do you?’ Of course, I used the phrases “most question tags” and “generally uses” purposefully. Almost any rule has its exceptions: Interesting, isn’t it? [Example of a tag for an incomplete main clause.] Oh, you already know the answer, do you? [Example of a tag with an affirmative verb, though the main verb is also affirmative. Used to express a challenge.] Don’t interrupt me, will you? [Example of a tag following an imperative.] Let’s consider the matter more, shall we? [Example of a tag following a main clause with Let's.]
As we continue to explore exceptions to the rule, we need to recognize that some question tags will not follow a simple declarative sentence. There can be a main clause and a subordinate clause, as in the case of “I don’t suppose [main clause] you like that [subordinate clause], do you [question tag]?” I don’t suppose is an example of a comment clause. Other comment clauses include I guess, I believe, I think, and I would say. The Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English states that these clauses can mark the speaker’s opinion or express a degree of doubt or certainty (Biber et al, 865). Furthermore, Biber explains how comment clauses appear in more than one position (197). Speakers can use them as the main clause or as finite clause stance adverbials, which means their position can vary:
I guess this will take some thought, won’t it?
This will take some thought, I guess, won’t it?
I think it’s becoming clearer, isn’t it?
It’s becoming clearer, I think, isn’t it?
It seems simple enough to tell students to focus on the main thought rather than words inserted as comments when forming a question tag. However, that only helps when the comment clause is affirmative. Note how the examples with affirmative comment clauses allow the speaker to observe the standard rule of polarity in the question tags:
I guess this will take some time, won’t it? (+,+/-)
I think it’s becoming clearer, isn’t it? (+,+/-)
I’d say saythat’s enough, isn’t it? (+,+/-)
I believewe’re almost done, aren’t we? (+,+/-)
Now consider the following examples with negative comment clauses. We can’t tell students to ignore the comment clause and focus on the main idea to form the tag. That would help with the choice of subject, but not the verb form.
I don’t think it’s any clearer now, is it? (-,+/+)
I don’t believewe’re done, are we? (-,+/+)
I don’t supposeyou like that, do you? (-,+/+)
The verb in the comment clause (the main clause) is negative, the verb in the subordinate clause is affirmative, and the question tag is affirmative. What happened? I believe the comment clause decides the issue of polarity, but the subordinate clause indicates the true subject. In other words, negative comment clauses (-) require affirmative question tags (+), and affirmative comment clauses (+) require negative question tags (-). The speaker must focus on the main idea to determine the true subject of the question tag.
I don’t think that was too confusing, was it?
Source:
Biber D. et al. (2007). Longman grammar of spoken and written English. Essex: Pearson Education Limited.
The task for us teachers is to select real and natural contexts in which our students can practice using these forms. I know I’m not the first to match future verb forms to the topic of future hopes and goals. However, I hope my “Future Hopes” activity will save other teachers the time it takes to come up with a set of questions and a format that encourages repetitive yet natural use of these verb forms. Please see my Future Hopes_handout. Enjoy!
I was recently asked about the word some. It was already clear to the learner that we use some to refer to a quantity that isn’t exact. The learner himself gave examples of some + plural noun and some + noncount noun. Uncertainty was expressed over some + singular noun phrases. I began to wonder myself about the use of this determiner with singular nouns.
The Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English focuses first on some followed by plural nouns and noncount nouns. However, there is explanation of some with singular nouns in a later entry. I think it could be helpful for students to read through the various definitions, but it may be clearer and more memorable if they see these uses in one context.
The following conversation illustrates how some functions as a determiner to indicate one person or thing, and the speaker can’t really say who that person or thing is. The exact identity may be unkown, unclear, or not important. The conversation is informal because that’s likely the kind of spoken context we’d hear these phrases in. To interested students, I’d point out common singular nouns used this way: (people) some+ guy, girl, boy, lady, kid / (things) some+ idea, reason, excuse, way, kind of, sort of.
Note: I also included the conversational structure Some (person) you are! - which expresses disappointment or annoyance.
Brother: Some guy called for you while you were gone.
Sister: Who?
Brother: I don’t know. Just some guy. He didn’t say his name or leave a message.
Sister: Really? You must have had some idea who it was. It was someone from school, right? A young voice? Did it sound like Rick Johnson?
Brother: Rick Johnson, the football player? Maybe. It wasn’t an adult. It was just some kid. He said he’d call back.
Sister: Really? When?
Brother: How do I know when? At some point he’ll call again. Maybe tonight. Maybe tomorrow. You know, there could be some reason for a guy to call you besides asking you out. Maybe it’s just a classmate who wants to ask you about a homework assignment. Why would someone like Rick Johnson call you?
There can be no question about the importance of teaching the different verb forms in English. However, the debate begins when we consider terminology. On YouTube, I titled one playlist as Verb Tenses and I’ve included lessons on the present progressive and the past perfect. Now I’m moving on to future verb forms. Was my title a mistake? I think not. I had to give preference to convenience and practicality.
First of all, if I had used “Verb Forms” as my title for that series, viewers might have expected to see lessons on gerunds, the passive voice, and more. That title was too broad. Also, I’m aware that many resources use “tense” loosely and broadly, so most users doing a search would more likely use “tense” rather than “aspect” as a keyword. In the online word, content creators need to make their materials easy to find.
But is it misleading to group verbs in the progressive and perfect aspects in my discussion of verb tenses? I find that aspect is helpful to understand, but not until the higher levels. It’s somewhat like teaching adjectives such as interesting and bored to basic students and then later at a higher level pointing out those are really participial adjectives. By that time, they’ve also learned about the passive and understand the role of the past participle in other structures. Similarly, I teach the present progressive to beginners, but I don’t use the term aspect in my instruction. The concept makes more sense, I think, when students have been exposed to more forms. Then there are more pieces to build the puzzle and greater readiness to step back and see the larger picture.
Only now in Part 2 of Lesson 7 in my series do I plan to acknowledge the term aspect. I’ve chosen to limit my discussion, though. I simply introduce the term so that students are aware that it exists and that some sources might label forms they know by other names.
My main goal is to make the grammar clear to learners, and sometimes that means simplifying. Even without talking about “verbs in the progressive aspect,” a student can understand that progressive verb forms generally express ongoing actions or even a temporary situation. Likewise, learners might not be able to identify a verb form as an example of the “perfect aspect,” but they understand that those perfect forms express a relationship between two points in time.
In the effort to teach syntax with descriptive adjectives to my basic level student, I’ve come up with a way to encourage her discovery of the patterns. Natasha and I have talked about linking verbs before, and I hope that my Sixth Sense activity both reinforces and develops her understanding of the grammar. Please see my Sixth Sense_handout. Perhaps it will work for you, too. Enjoy!
One of the challenges of the past tense is learning the pronunciation of the -ed endings of regular verbs. With basic students in mind, I offer a timely activity about hopes and wishes. If you choose to make use of it in January rather than December, you can easily modify the questions at the end so that they are logical. Like many, I find the start of a new year to be time of reflection and evaluation. Hopefully, your students will enjoy the activity and gain more confidence using the simple past tense in their speech. Here is the Hopes and Wishes_handout.
I’m just about ready to post the second part of my YouTube lesson on the past perfect and past perfect progressive. As I think about what form of additional practice we can offer advanced students, I find myself gravitating to an activity that is similar to the one in my video. The final exercise online has several items that form a narrative. Students must choose the correct verb forms to complete sentences. At this level, I feel students can only grasp the meaning and appropriacy of the verb forms if we go beyond isolated sentences. They must consider how the forms work within a reading or a conversation.
In my Banding Together_handout, students can work individually or with one another to sequence the lines from a story about a music band. The process should force them to consider what each verb form expresses, particularly the past perfect and past perfect progressive. However, we cannot have a story written entirely in the past perfect. Use of other verb forms is both necessary and natural. I hope the activity works well for you! Please let me know about any good ideas for modifying it.
As December begins, I think of ways I wish to include the holiday celebrations in my teaching. The key to successfully doing that, of course, is to bear in mind your students’ backgrounds and their current language learning needs.
In the case of my beginner student, Natasha, I know that she celebrates both the American and Russian Christmas holidays. Because she’s in the U.S., I think it will be useful to expose her further to the music she’ll be hearing all around her, from the stores to the car radio. I’ve made suggestions for holiday music in the past. For Natasha, however, I carefully selected I’ll Be Home for Christmas because it’s short, simple, and at a slow tempo. It also makes use of the future with will, and that’s a grammar topic we need to cover. With this set of needs in mind, I offer the I’ll Be Home for Christmas_handout. I hope my ideas can be of use to some of you who are also teaching basic level students. Enjoy!
ANSWER: Good question. I thought I was sure of the answer until recently when I had to acknowledge the conflicting explanations and examples of sources I trust. At this point, I can only outline my thoughts and then turn to you, my colleagues, for a more definitive answer.
Thankfully, there’s at least agreement about the form and use of used to in affirmative sentences. All sources explain that this structure refers to past habitual actions, and the same form is used for all subjects. (Iused to feel more confident. Sheused to feel more confident. Theyused to feel more confident. Etc.) In addition, all sources agree that used to appears in questions and in negative sentences with far less frequency.
The confusion begins when we try to show how to form interrogative and negative sentences. Do we drop the -d and use only “use to”?
First, we need to identify what this verb form is. Both Biber (73) and Greenbaum (39) use the label marginal modal auxiliary. ”Marginal” can either be a helpful or harmful term, depending your point of view. Perhaps it’s good to recognize variation in forms because this might allow us to agree to disagree. On the other hand, students seeking a black-and-write explanation may be disappointed if we remain in the gray.
If we include used to in our discussion of modal verbs, we may feel strongly that the form must remain the same. Just as we make no spelling changes to should (Should we talk more? We shouldn’t be so vague.), we might argue the need to follow suit when we use used to: Did you used to think that? They didn’t used to do that.
But do you see the difference? With used to we insert the auxiliary do in the question and the negative. The only other marginal modal auxiliary that does this is need to: (present) Do we need to talk more? – No, we don’t need to talk more. / (past) Did we need to take more time? – No, we didn’t need to do that. The problem with this comparison is that need to can show present and past tense: I need to do this. / I needed to do that. In contrast, used to is a structure that is limited to the past.
If we group used to more closely with semi-modals, then it becomes easier to accept the changes in form. After all, have to uses the forms had to and didn’t have to.
Part of the problem may be connected to register. Most sources agree that used to is most frequently used in conversation. Like other modal verbs in spoken English, there is reduction. (Have) got to becomes “gotta,” for example, and ought to becomes “otta.” Our ears also recognize “hafta” as have to and “shoulda” as should have. Have our ears grown so accustomed to “usta” that we no longer remember if the verb should be written as used to or use to?
Greenbaum explains that used to functions as both “an auxiliary and as a main verb with DO-support” (40). Used not to is listed as a British construction, while didn’t use(d) to is listed as being British and informal American English. However, note that the final (d) is listed as a variation. Biber and his team limit their examples of negative forms to used not to and didn’t used to. The Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English includes examples with Did you use to…? / used not to / didn’t use to.
Perhaps didn’t use to was never a part of prescriptive grammar, but it has become so common in everyday English (particularly American – although I see similarities on US- and UK-operated sites), and now it has become a standard pattern. Is the reason why a good number of online and offline sources teach didn’t use to/ Did you use to…? because descriptive grammar dominated at the discussion table?
I should make a final note that all sources agree on having no change in form when used to is part of an adjective (participial adjective) + preposition combination, as in I’m not used to heated arguments. (= not accustomed to) / You’ll get used to her way of teaching. (become accustomed to)
Please let me know your thoughts. Which forms do you teach of used to and why?
Sources:
Biber D. et al. (2007). Longman grammar of spoken and written English. Essex: Pearson Education Limited.
Greenbaum S. and Quirk R. (1995). A student’s grammar of the English language. Essex: Longman Group UK Limited.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. Retrieved from http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/used-to
My beginner student will soon be studying comparative forms of adjectives and adverbs. I designed an activity that will review forms and test her ability to use the forms in context. The Easier Said Than Done_handout has been modified to meet the needs of a group class rather than a private lesson. I hope it works for those of you teaching lower levels. Enjoy!
Some verb forms are simply not used as much as others. Nevertheless, verbs in the future progressive, future perfect, and future perfect progressive exist, and they do have a place in our communication with others.
As December begins, I think of ways I wish to include the holiday celebrations in my teaching. The key to successfully doing that, of course, is to bear in mind your students’ backgrounds and their current language learning needs.
Student Stumper 37: How do you form a question tag with “I don’t suppose”?
May 22, 2013QUESTION: I heard someone say, “I don’t suppose you like that, do you?” Is that correct? Why doesn’t the subject in the question tag match “I”? How do you form question tags with “I don’t suppose?”
ANSWER: A YouTube viewer posted this question, and it took some digging and reflection to come up with an answer. It’s one of those questions that had me turning to a colleague for additional insights. We both pondered the nature of “I suppose” and “I don’t suppose” in relation to tags that could occur in conversation.
Conversation — that was the key. We all know that certain patterns are more typical of conversation than written speech. Furthermore, exceptions to more standard patterns are more likely to occur when speaking, especially in a casual context. Question tags, by nature, are conversational. Speakers often use them to seek confirmation or agreement. Question tags seem to have a good number of variations, which is probably due to the very fluid nature of our spoken thoughts.
Let’s first recall the basic pattern for forming question tags: The subject in most question tags matches the subject in the main clause: You like that, don’t you? Also, the question tag generally uses an auxiliary verb in the form that is opposite of the main clause verb: You don’t like that, do you?’ Of course, I used the phrases “most question tags” and “generally uses” purposefully. Almost any rule has its exceptions: Interesting, isn’t it? [Example of a tag for an incomplete main clause.] Oh, you already know the answer, do you? [Example of a tag with an affirmative verb, though the main verb is also affirmative. Used to express a challenge.] Don’t interrupt me, will you? [Example of a tag following an imperative.] Let’s consider the matter more, shall we? [Example of a tag following a main clause with Let's.]
As we continue to explore exceptions to the rule, we need to recognize that some question tags will not follow a simple declarative sentence. There can be a main clause and a subordinate clause, as in the case of “I don’t suppose [main clause] you like that [subordinate clause], do you [question tag]?” I don’t suppose is an example of a comment clause. Other comment clauses include I guess, I believe, I think, and I would say. The Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English states that these clauses can mark the speaker’s opinion or express a degree of doubt or certainty (Biber et al, 865). Furthermore, Biber explains how comment clauses appear in more than one position (197). Speakers can use them as the main clause or as finite clause stance adverbials, which means their position can vary:
It seems simple enough to tell students to focus on the main thought rather than words inserted as comments when forming a question tag. However, that only helps when the comment clause is affirmative. Note how the examples with affirmative comment clauses allow the speaker to observe the standard rule of polarity in the question tags:
Now consider the following examples with negative comment clauses. We can’t tell students to ignore the comment clause and focus on the main idea to form the tag. That would help with the choice of subject, but not the verb form.
The verb in the comment clause (the main clause) is negative, the verb in the subordinate clause is affirmative, and the question tag is affirmative. What happened? I believe the comment clause decides the issue of polarity, but the subordinate clause indicates the true subject. In other words, negative comment clauses (-) require affirmative question tags (+), and affirmative comment clauses (+) require negative question tags (-). The speaker must focus on the main idea to determine the true subject of the question tag.
I don’t think that was too confusing, was it?
Source:
Biber D. et al. (2007). Longman grammar of spoken and written English. Essex: Pearson Education Limited.
Categories: Grammar, Student Stumpers
Tags: comment clauses, English With Jennifer, Jennifer Lebedev, JenniferESL, question tags, tag questions
Comments: Be the first to comment