question tags - rarely, seldom

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by engee30

It really is! I'll try to provide you with some facts about that based on grammar books or texts.

That would be great. Thanks.

[Lenka]

Originally Posted by engee30

It really is! I'll try to provide you with some facts about that based on grammar books or texts.

I also think the sentence might be correct. In fact, I can't say as I am not a native speaker and can't tell you if the sentence really does sound good but according to what I know about question tags and such I believe the sentence is correct.


Longman: English Grammar - L. G. Alexander - chapter 13.21:

Form of tag questions: affirmative - affirmative is less common than the two other kinds of tag questions. A negative - negative form is also grammatically possible, but is very rare and is used to convey aggression:
So he won't pay his bills, won't he?

[Lenka]

Originally Posted by Casiopea

Man, as in mankind, the human race, works, as does the more preferred term these days humankind--at least academically--but is that the meaning you intended, to refer to people as a race?

Ex: Man(kind) sure doesn't see sunsets like that very often, do they?

Ex: People sure don't see sunsets like that very often, do they?

Ex: A man sure doesn't see sunsets like that very often, does he?

Ex: A woman sure doesn't see sunsets like that very often, does she?

Ex: One sure doesn't see sunsets like that very often, does one?

Ex: We sure don't see sunsets like that very often, do we?

Ex: You sure don't see sunsets like that very often, do you?

Thank you very much for the great explanation!

[engee30]

Originally Posted by Casiopea

That would be great. Thanks.

I've got one. Check it out, Casiopea.
English Grammar: Tag Questions (EnglishClub.com) (at the very bottom of the page)

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by Lenka

I also think the sentence might be correct.

I'm more interested in what it means. Before discussing what it might be, I think we should wait for the information on its function and distribution.

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by engee30

I've got one. Check it out, Casiopea.
English Grammar: Tag Questions (EnglishClub.com) (at the very bottom of the page)

Thank you.

The first example, here below, is meaningful in North American English as well, but the second example is still awkward, at least to me; and even though I know and understand what Englishclub.com calls "Same-way question tags", I can't figure out how it makes [2] meaningful? What does never...don't mean?

[1] You don't like my looks, don't you?
[2] You never help me, don't you?

Would you have examples that show this pattern, never...don't?

[Lenka]

Originally Posted by Casiopea

I'm more interested in what it means. Before discussing what it might be, I think we should wait for the information on its function and distribution.

I'm sorry, I've added an explanation to the post:

Longman: English Grammar - L. G. Alexander - chapter 13.21:

Form of tag questions: affirmative - affirmative is less common than the two other kinds of tag questions. A negative - negative form is also grammatically possible, but is very rare and is used to convey aggression:
So he won't pay his bills, won't he?

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by Lenka

Thank you very much for the great explanation!

You're most welcome, Lenka.

[Lenka]

Originally Posted by Casiopea

Thank you.

The first example, here below, is meaningful in North American English as well, but the second example is still awkward, at least to me; and even though I know and understand what Englishclub.com calls "Same-way question tags", I can't figure out how it makes [2] meaningful? What does never...don't mean?

[1] You don't like my looks, don't you?
[2] You never help me, don't you?

Would you have examples that show this pattern, never...don't?

Aaaah... So the point of the "same-way question tags" is the fact that the words are really repeated, right?
I didn't know that there is such a condition. I just thought that it has to be negative - negative.

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by Lenka

I'm sorry, I've added an explanation to the post:

Thank you, Lenka.

Longman provides a mirrored example, won't...won't (See Englishclub's example, don't...don't.)

Those kinds of tags, negAux + negAux, exist, yes, but the example in question, never...don't, doesn't house a negative auxiliary. It has an adverb of frequency, never. Are those kinds of adverbs privy to the pattern above? That's what I would like to know.