Help with tags and the use let's

[makaveli]

Hi all,

A couple of grammatical bits and bobs that have cropped up this week that I need some help with!

Could someone please clarify the use of shall in the following example please for adding the tag to the statement:

Let's start, Shall we? ....................... Shan't we (doesn't seem correct)

I have referenced the use of let's or let us and it is noted as an exception. In the example I give the use is positive/positive which it states as rare. Any further information would be appreciated so I can better understand this.


Another completely unrelated question in regard the relationship between this or that becoming it in the tag.

Easily understood comparisons such as I - me subject object OK,but this becoming it I am having trouble finding in any of my reference books.

This is a nice car, isn't it?


Another is the use of past continuous in this sentence:

Today she is wearing trousers. Yesterday she was wearing a skirt. (Sounds OK)

However, surely in the second sentence it should be 'Yesterday she wore a skirt'. Simple past. Again looking this up I find 5 different examples of past continuous qualifying usage and none like that of the skirt sentence highlighted!






Many thanks

[albertino]

Hi all,

A couple of grammatical bits and bobs that have cropped up this week that I need some help with!

Could someone please clarify the use of shall in the following example please for adding the tag to the statement:

Let's start, Shall we? (A suggestion, rather than a judgment or opinion of oneself requiring clarification from the other party as the usual yes/no question tag does.)....................... Shan't we (So, in which case, "Shan't we" is out of the question)(doesn't seem correct)

I have referenced the use of let's or let us and it is noted as an exception. In the example I give the use is positive/positive which it states as rare. Any further information would be appreciated so I can better understand this.


Another completely unrelated question in regard the relationship between this or that becoming it in the tag.

Easily understood comparisons such as I - me subject object OK,but this becoming it I am having trouble finding in any of my reference books.

This is a nice car, isn't it? ("This" is a pronoun for the following "car", so we use "it" in the question tag. Similar examples are:
That isn't a deer, is it?
These are pencils, aren't they?
Those are not books, are they?)


Another is the use of past continuous in this sentence:

Today she is wearing trousers. Yesterday she was wearing a skirt. (Sounds OK)(The use of "continuous" may be that it is a temporary action. Today, she is wearing trousers but yesterday she was wearing a skirt.)

However, surely in the second sentence it should be 'Yesterday she wore a skirt'. Simple past. Again looking this up I find 5 different examples of past continuous qualifying usage and none like that of the skirt sentence highlighted!

Many thanks

(Not a teacher)