Question Tag Polarity

The Dynamics of Question Tag Polarity

By Prasun Goswami

"The polarity of a tag question, whether affirmative or negative, is a subtle yet powerful lever in shaping meaning and inviting response."

— Inspired by the observations of British grammarians

Polarity, in grammatical terms, refers to whether a verb phrase is affirmative (positive) or negative. In question tags, this aspect creates fascinating variations, influencing how we seek confirmation or engage with our listener.

Contrasting Polarity: The Standard Form

General Rule: The most common pattern involves a main clause and a tag with opposing polarities.

Affirmative Main Clause

You've completed the assessment,

Negative Tag

haven't you?

Negative Main Clause

He didn't acknowledge the message,

Affirmative Tag

did he?

Affirmative Main Clause

We had discussed the project brief,

Negative Tag

hadn't we?

This contrasting pattern is vital for checking information or seeking agreement in a typical conversational flow.

Constant Polarity: A Deeper Dive

While not the most frequent, constant affirmative polarity is perfectly acceptable and occurs regularly. These tags often seek confirmation of a statement whose truth is already presumed, especially when delivered with a falling intonation.

• You're familiar with this, are you?
• He completed the report, did he?
• They have a strong presence, do they?
• You appreciate the effort, do you?
• This is the key point, is it?
• There's a resolution available, is there?
• "You remember, there was an incident." "That was the same individual, was it?"
• "Our colleague, a bit of a collector," he whispered. "You'd describe him as such, would you?"

Constant negative polarity is significantly rarer and has been a topic of linguistic debate. While examples exist, they are often considered marginal or dialectal. This construction has been noted in British English, for instance:

• You're not leaving, aren't you?
• He hasn't attempted it, hasn't he?

Note: Some occurrences are associated with regional British dialects, such as double-negative tags in Scots or Tyneside Geordie. A particularly striking normal-sounding example often carries strong ironic meaning, like: "You can't defeat me." – "I can't, can't I?"

It's important to recognise that these constructions are at best marginal, with attested instances often being exceptional:

• "[Speaker from a northern town:] 'He's not very good with the bat, nor behind the stumps, but goodness me – he can certainly drink ale, can't he?'" (a nonstandard dialect use)
• "He isn't finished, isn't he?" (This is more of a stylistic flourish than common usage.)
• "She's quite an unfriendly person, isn't she?" (Note the negative prefix 'un-' rather than 'not' or 'no' directly.)
• "You oughtn't to be so dismissive, oughtn't you?" (A rare use of interrogative 'oughtn't'.)

The consensus among many grammarians is that constant negative polarity, while occasionally documented, has not been robustly proven in widespread actual use outside of specific contexts or dialects.

"The subtle interplay of affirmative and negative polarity, combined with intonation, allows question tags to convey a multitude of meanings, from polite inquiry to ironic challenge."

— A contemporary linguistic reflection

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