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laurence.crohem
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 10:03 pm
Post subject: Question tags? |
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Hi,
Let us imagine a conversation between Bob and John:
A) 'Bob: 'Mike can drive well. ' John: 'Can he?'
I can understand that John doesn't believe Bob, and is surprised and
indignated.
'Bob: 'Mike can drive well. ' John: 'Can't he?'
Is this dialogue possible at all? If so, what does it mean?
Thanks,
Clara
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Michael Hamm
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 10:03 pm
Post subject: Re: Question tags? |
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Today, Lars Eighner <eighner@io.com> abed:
| Quote: | Bob: 'Mike can drive well. ' John: 'Can he?'
I can understand that John doesn't believe Bob, and is surprised and
indignated.
|
Me too; however, I can also -- and more readily -- understand that John
likes to fill in lulls in a conversation with meaningless replies.
| Quote: | Bob: 'Mike can drive well. ' John: 'Can't he?'
Is this dialogue possible at all? If so, what does it mean?
John agrees enthusiastically that Mike can drive well.
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I'd never say "Can't he", and it sounds weird to me. "Can't he, though"
sounds beter to me.
Michael Hamm
AM, Math, Wash. U. St. Louis
msh210@math.wustl.edu Standard disclaimers:
http://math.wustl.edu/~msh210/ ... legal.html |
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Lars Eighner
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 10:07 pm
Post subject: Re: Question tags? |
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In our last episode,
<41937f27$0$32154$8fcfb975@news.wanadoo.fr>,
the lovely and talented laurence.crohem
broadcast on alt.usage.english:
| Quote: | Hi,
Let us imagine a conversation between Bob and John:
A) 'Bob: 'Mike can drive well. ' John: 'Can he?'
I can understand that John doesn't believe Bob, and is surprised and
indignated.
|
| Quote: | 'Bob: 'Mike can drive well. ' John: 'Can't he?'
Is this dialogue possible at all? If so, what does it mean?
|
John agrees enthusiastically that Mike can drive well.
--
Lars Eighner -finger for geek code- eighner@io.com http://www.io.com/~eighner/
"The very essence of the creative is its novelty, and hence we have no
standard by which to judge it." --Carl R. Rogers, On Becoming a Person
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Adrian Bailey
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 10:08 pm
Post subject: Re: Question tags? |
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"laurence.crohem" <laurence.crohem@wanadoo.fr> wrote in message
news:41937f27$0$32154$8fcfb975@news.wanadoo.fr...
| Quote: | Hi,
Let us imagine a conversation between Bob and John:
A) 'Bob: 'Mike can drive well. ' John: 'Can he?'
I can understand that John doesn't believe Bob, and is surprised and
indignated.
|
John is asking for confirmation, possibly as you say because of surprise or
disbelief.
If it isn't a question ("Can he.") it shows disagreement or a lack of
interest.
| Quote: | 'Bob: 'Mike can drive well. ' John: 'Can't he?'
Is this dialogue possible at all? If so, what does it mean?
|
Only with an exclamation mark: "Can't he!" This shows excited agreement.
Adrian |
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John O'Flaherty
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 10:08 pm
Post subject: Re: Question tags? |
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Adrian Bailey wrote:
| Quote: | "laurence.crohem" <laurence.crohem@wanadoo.fr> wrote in message
news:41937f27$0$32154$8fcfb975@news.wanadoo.fr...
Hi,
Let us imagine a conversation between Bob and John:
A) 'Bob: 'Mike can drive well. ' John: 'Can he?'
I can understand that John doesn't believe Bob, and is surprised and
indignated.
John is asking for confirmation, possibly as you say because of surprise or
disbelief.
If it isn't a question ("Can he.") it shows disagreement or a lack of
interest.
'Bob: 'Mike can drive well. ' John: 'Can't he?'
Is this dialogue possible at all? If so, what does it mean?
Only with an exclamation mark: "Can't he!" This shows excited agreement.
|
And the punctuation would signify the absence of question intonation.
--
john |
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Arcadian Rises
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 10:08 pm
Post subject: Re: Question tags? |
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| Quote: | From: "Adrian Bailey" dadge@hotmail.com
"laurence.crohem" <laurence.crohem@wanadoo.fr> wrote in message
news:41937f27$0$32154$8fcfb975@news.wanadoo.fr...
Hi,
Let us imagine a conversation between Bob and John:
A) 'Bob: 'Mike can drive well. ' John: 'Can he?'
I can understand that John doesn't believe Bob, and is surprised and
indignated.
John is asking for confirmation, possibly as you say because of surprise or
disbelief.
If it isn't a question ("Can he.") it shows disagreement or a lack of
interest.
'Bob: 'Mike can drive well. ' John: 'Can't he?'
Is this dialogue possible at all? If so, what does it mean?
Only with an exclamation mark: "Can't he!" This shows excited agreement.
|
Depending upon John's tone of voice, can "Can't he!" connote sarcasm?
Which one of the "can/can't he?/!" combination is more apt to convey sarcasm? |
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Wood Avens
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 2:07 pm
Post subject: Re: Question tags? |
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On Thu, 11 Nov 2004 16:07:56 +0100, "laurence.crohem"
<laurence.crohem@wanadoo.fr> wrote:
| Quote: | Hi,
Let us imagine a conversation between Bob and John:
A) 'Bob: 'Mike can drive well. ' John: 'Can he?'
I can understand that John doesn't believe Bob, and is surprised and
indignated.
|
("Indignant") In BrE, "Can he?" doesn't necessarily signal disbelief;
it may simply convey interest and a willingness to be told more. A
lot is in the tone of voice in which it's said.
| Quote: | 'Bob: 'Mike can drive well. ' John: 'Can't he?'
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In BrE this would probably be "Can't he just!"
--
Katy Jennison
spamtrap: remove the first two letters after the @ |
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John Dean
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 2:07 pm
Post subject: Re: Question tags? |
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Wood Avens wrote:
| Quote: | On Thu, 11 Nov 2004 16:07:56 +0100, "laurence.crohem"
laurence.crohem@wanadoo.fr> wrote:
Hi,
Let us imagine a conversation between Bob and John:
A) 'Bob: 'Mike can drive well. ' John: 'Can he?'
I can understand that John doesn't believe Bob, and is surprised and
indignated.
("Indignant") In BrE, "Can he?" doesn't necessarily signal disbelief;
it may simply convey interest and a willingness to be told more. A
lot is in the tone of voice in which it's said.
'Bob: 'Mike can drive well. ' John: 'Can't he?'
In BrE this would probably be "Can't he just!"
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Indeed.
Now on to the subtleties of "Not half he can't" and "Can he bumflaps".
--
John Dean
Oxford |
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