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Thread: Don't tell Sam to come downstairs

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    Default Don't tell Sam to come downstairs

    In the negative imperative mood like 2, does a tag question have to be "will you" or "won't you"?
    In 1, does it always have to be "will you", which is in my grammar book?

    gz183)
    1.Tell Sam to come downstairs, will you?
    2.Don't tell Sam to come downstairs, will you(won't you)?

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    Default Re: Don't tell Sam to come downstairs

    I would say "Don't tell Sam to come downstairs, would you?" The addition of would you makes it a request rather than an order. Will you is also okay, but to me it seems slightly more towards command than request.

    2. As in 1 they both soften the request but would you softens more than will you. Won't you is even softer than would you in my opinion.
    Last edited by probus; 18-Feb-2013 at 06:27.
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    Default Re: Don't tell Sam to come downstairs

    Any form of question tag on a negative imperative sounds unnatural to me.
    Odessa Dawn, emsr2d2 and keannu like this.
    Context is important. Please provide enough for us to be able to deal effectively with your question.
    Your thread title should include all or part of the word/phrase being discussed.
    If you just want to know the meaning of a word, try OneLook Dictionary Search first.


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    Default Re: Don't tell Sam to come downstairs

    Don't tell your grandchildren Father Christmas isn't real, will you. ?

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    Default Re: Don't tell Sam to come downstairs

    You mean only a positive tag question(would you) works for positive imperative like 1(Tell~),
    but both positive and negative tag questions (would you/will you/won't you) work for negative imperative like 2(Don't tell~), right?

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