Other Structures Possible in English

Here are some more examples that show the wide variety of structure possible in English:

1. Easier is said than done, ̗ eh? (can be heard much across Scotland, New Zealand, Canada and the North Eastern US)

2. I’m coming with you, all ̗right?

3. You’ve been here, ̗right? (the most common one)

4. He isn’t here, cor ̗rect? (considerably more formal than “right”)

5. It’s rather a nice place, don’t you a ̗gree? (rather formal)

6. You were there, ̗no?

7. He is a nice person, ̗OK? (= I know you don’t believe it, but…)

8. You come here often, ̗ huh? (= right?) (also may be used in a sarcastic or challenging way)

These tag questions are generally invariant, regardless of verb, person or negativity.

The adverbial tags are almost always found with the low rise.

Exercise 1.

You remember when “OK?” is used as a tag it means “I know you don’t believe it but…” Transform the following statements into tag questions by adding “OK?”, use the low rise and comment on your attitude to the situation.

Model: – He is a nice person.

– He is a nice person, OK? (I know you don’t believe it, but I think he is a nice person.)

1. She doesn’t like me.

2. We remembered everything.

3. He did a good job when he fixed my car.

4. She was prevented from going out.

5. He has gone on to the station with some of the luggage.

6. There is a good comedy on at the theatre today.

7. The doctor wasn’t called until this morning.

8. The Woods are rather careless.

9. It was a bad sore throat.

10. She hates waiting around.

11. He was always good at languages at school.

12. He enjoyed the work immensely.

Exercise 2.

Read the following conversational situations and use the low rise in the tags.

1. – The exams were dead easy, OK? – May be they were easy enough for you but they were much too hard for me.

2. – First he went to Arabia for two years, OK? – Well, he went to Africa first.

3. – He intends to go to Canada next, OK? – He intends to go to South America first, I’m sure.

4. – Your tie is in the wardrobe, OK? – I’ve looked for it everywhere. And it isn’t in the wardrobe.

5. – James is sitting some examinations this month, OK? – No, Malcolm, his elder brother, is determined to win a scholarship to study at the University of Oxford. He is sitting the examinations.

Exercise 3.

Read the tag questions, use the low rise in the tags. Develop the situation by translating the given Russian variant in brackets.

1. – Young Patrick Ellis always drives carefully, OK? – Наоборот, он ездит как сумасшедший, а на днях попал в очередную аварию. И все его друзья такие как он.

2. – Eva Browning is getting married for the second time, OK? – Она выходит замуж уже в третий раз десятого сентября. Какая это ужасная женщина!

3. – You must be losing weight, OK? – Нет, моя талия никак не меняется. Просто я себя обманываю.

4. – You can stay with us, OK? – Нет, Герти ужасно разозлится, если я опоздаю. А впрочем, мне не обязательно торопиться. Я ещё выпью пива с тобой.

5. – There are more road casualties per day than air deaths per year, OK? – Ну нет, самолёты меня нервируют.

6. – Air transport is really safe compared with road transport. – И всё же я предпочитаю морское путешествие. Лайнеры плывут не так уж быстро, но в конце концов я могу расслабиться.

Exercise 4.

Develop the conversational situations.

1. – Malcolm is bored with school and studying, OK? – …

2. – Malcolm has already won several tennis tournaments, OK? – …

3. – James intends to become a lawyer, OK? – …

4. – Felix spends a lot of time practicing squash, OK? – …

5. – Nora has prepared some fish for supper, OK? – …

6. – Robert is packing his suit cases in the sitting-room, OK? – …

7. – The fire was out. So Harry is making the stove again, OK? – …

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