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Question Tags and Echo Questions. The Use of So and Neither
Question Tags and Echo Questions. The Use of So and Neither
Echo questions
They are used to show interest. We use a rising intonation. Use a positive echo question with a positive verb and a negative question tag with a negative verb. A: She is a painter B: is she? A: didnt you know?
Question tags
Use a positive question tag with a negative verb and a negative question tag with a positive verb. If we are not asking a real question but are just making conversation or asking for confirmation of something we already know to be true, our intonation falls and the question tag sounds like a statement, not a question. A: She is a painter, isnt she? (I know you will agree with me) If we genuinely dont know the answer, we tend to use the rising intonation of a question. A she is a painter, isnt she? B Im not sure if she a painter.
SO..I,
NEITHER..I
So + Auxiliary Verb + Subject Use "so ... I" in a positive sense to show that we feel the same way as another person, or have performed the same action. Examples:
He flew to Geneva last summer. - So did she. I'd love to visit Poland some day. - So would I. I'm meeting a colleague tomorrow. - So am I.
Neither + Auxiliary Verb + Subject Use "neither ... I" in a negative sense to show that we feel the same way as another person, or have performed the same action. Examples:
I haven't had a promotion for a long time. - Neither have I. They weren't sure they had the resources to complete the job. - Neither were we. She won't be able to attend the conference. - Neither will I.
Both structures are usually used in the first person singular; however, other forms are also possible