Did I not? Does she not? Has she not? Is she not?

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Rachel Adams

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Hello.

Are the parts in bold used when the speaker is surprised, angry, etc. Do they also express sarcasm?
I told you about it. Did I not?
She speaks French. Does she not?
She has a sister. Does she not? Has she not?
She is a doctor. Is she not?
 

GoesStation

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You may occasionally hear an American use these (except for number three, both versions of which sound odd) to express emphasis. It's rare, though, and not something I'd recommend for a learner.
 

jutfrank

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The first could well express a feeling of irritation that the listener has forgotten about whatever 'it' is.

It's hard to imagine why anyone would say any of the others.
 

Rachel Adams

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The first could well express a feeling of irritation that the listener has forgotten about whatever 'it' is.

It's hard to imagine why anyone would say any of the others.
Are they old-fashioned forms? Is any of them grammatically wrong? Why are they rare? Sorry, lots of questions. I just don't understand if ''Did I not is possible'' why other phrases are impossible.
 

emsr2d2

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Are they old-fashioned forms? [STRIKE]Is[/STRIKE] Are any of them grammatically wrong? Why are they rare? Sorry, lots of questions. I just don't understand why, if ''Did I not" is possible'', [STRIKE]why[/STRIKE] other phrases are impossible.

They're uncommon - they do sound old-fashioned but they also sound overly formal. We would normally use the standard tag questions with contractions. Tone of voice would be what indicates sarcasm.

I told you about it, (pause) didn't I?
She speaks French, (pause) doesn't she?
 

Rachel Adams

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They're uncommon - they do sound old-fashioned but they also sound overly formal. We would normally use the standard tag questions with contractions. Tone of voice would be what indicates sarcasm.

I told you about it, (pause) didn't I?
She speaks French, (pause) doesn't she?

Oh, I see now. I wanted to ask about my sentences with ''have.'' I undersand now that they are old-fashioned and sound overly formal, however each of them is grammatically correct. Am I right? For example, ''She has a sister.'' ''Does she not? Has she not?'' Correct but old-fashioned.
 

GoesStation

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Oh, I see now. I wanted to ask about my sentences with ''have.'' I undersand now that they are old-fashioned and sound overly formal, however each of them is grammatically correct. Am I right? For example, ''She has a sister.'' ''Does she not? Has she not?'' Correct but old-fashioned.
More than that. Archaic.
 

emsr2d2

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I still wouldn't make them separate sentences. They're just longer (and less likely) versions of tag questions.

She has a sister, does she not?
She has a sister, has she not?

Their meaning is exactly the same as "doesn't she?" and "hasn't she?"
 

jutfrank

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I think there's much more to this than their simply being alternative tag questions. I also think they cannot be explained as merely archaic.

Questions like this have specific uses. That is, there are good reasons why somebody would use Have I not? instead of ... haven't I? These reasons would invariably be because the former creates an effect which the latter does not. The effect is likely to be one of showing a certain attitude about what is being said. For example, an attitude that could be shown by the first sentence pair is irritation, or impatience.
 

jutfrank

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I just don't understand if ''Did I not is possible'' why other phrases are impossible.

I didn't say your other phrases were impossible. I meant that your first sentence pair makes good sense but that the others do not. That means that it is not very easy (or not as easy) to think of contexts in which they may be said.

All of your sentences are grammatical, but the grammar is not relevant here. Your question should be asking whether (or how) these forms can be used.

What I think is confusing about this thread is that you seem to have made up sentences that you don't know the meaning of. Don't do that.
 
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