Up or down? Asking or agreeing

Up or down? Asking or agreeing

The same words can do two jobs. Your voice tells the listener which one:

Small talk about the weather is the classic home of the down tag. You can both see the sky:

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1. 1Lovely day, isn't it?
2. 2Terrible weather, isn't it?
3. 3It's cold, isn't it?
4. 4It's windy, isn't it?

Sunny: Lovely day, isn't it? Rainy: Terrible weather, isn't it? Snowy: It's cold, isn't it? Windy: It's windy, isn't it? In each one the voice goes down: you want the other person to agree.

In writing, nobody can hear your voice. So You did send it, didn't you? in a message can sound like you think they didn't.

Same-way tags

Sometimes a yes sentence takes a yes tag. It is not a mistake. It shows surprise, interest, or that you are not pleased:

• So you're the new boss, are you?
• You think that's funny, do you?

Understand it when you hear it. You don't need to use it.

Common mistakes