You must have had a hard time,......? Add a question tag

[abo.omar]

You must have had a hard time,......? Add a question tag.
My answer is didn't you or right.
What do you think?

 

[Yankee]

I would go with either.

 

[Rover_KE]

My answer is 'mustn't you?'

 

[Tarheel]

You must have had a hard time.

It's a way of showing sympathy with somebody. As such I would leave it as is.

 

[teechar]

Rover's suggestion could work. The whole thing could, for example, be a sarcastic/wry comment.

 

[abo.omar]

You must have had a hard time.

It's a way of showing sympathy with somebody. As such I would leave it as is.

It will be according of the voice tone.Why not a way of surprise or exclamation ?

 

[abo.omar]

My answer is 'mustn't you?'

Is it obligation?

 

[emsr2d2]

It [STRIKE]will[/STRIKE] would [STRIKE]be according [STRIKE]of[/STRIKE] to[/STRIKE] depend on the [STRIKE]voice[/STRIKE] tone of voice. (Space needed after a full stop) Why is it not a way of expressing surprise or an exclamation?

Note my corrections above. You really need to concentrate on the spacing around punctuation. Please make sure you follow these basic rules at all times:

- Never put a space before a comma.
- Always put a space after a comma.
- Never put a space before a full stop.
- Always put a space after a full stop.
- Never put a space before a question mark.
- Always put a space after a question mark.
- Never put a space before an exclamation mark.
- Always put a space after an exclamation mark.

We simply wouldn't use "You must have had a hard time" to express surprise. It could be an exclamation if it was something like "Wow!! You must have had a really hard time!"

 

[jutfrank]

Is it obligation?

No. That's a strange question. Do you understand what obligation means? In what way do you think it could be obligation?


Who is telling you to "Add a question tag"? Who wrote this exercise?

 

[abo.omar]

Note my corrections above. You really need to concentrate on the spacing around punctuation. Please make sure you follow these basic rules at all times:

- Never put a space before a comma.
- Always put a space after a comma.
- Never put a space before a full stop.
- Always put a space after a full stop.
- Never put a space before a question mark.
- Always put a space after a question mark.
- Never put a space before an exclamation mark.
- Always put a space after an exclamation mark.

We simply wouldn't use "You must have had a hard time" to express surprise. It could be an exclamation if it was something like "Wow!! You must have had a really hard time!"

You are right. I have only one eye open.

 

[jutfrank]

I would go with either.

Really? Please justify this extremely controversial comment.

Do you mean that you think it's okay to teach your students to say You must have had a hard time, didn't you?

Remember that the learners here expect teachers to give them sound advice on the use of English.

 

[Tarheel]

It will be according of the voice tone.Why not a way of surprise or exclamation?

Of course tone of voice is important. No, I would not think it would be a way of expressing surprise.

(I had to read Ems's post to understand that. She's a genius!)

 

[abo.omar]

No. That's a strange question. Do you understand what obligation means? In what way do you think it could be obligation?

Sure ,I do.

Who is telling you to "Add a question tag"? Who wrote this exercise?

A non native English teacher asked me about it orally.

It is not me who said so, but someone said the answer or the question tag is 'mustn't you? We use this form for obligation.So I was asking him .

 

[emsr2d2]

We use this form for obligation.So I was asking him .

Go back and read my advice in post #10. Now look at the spacing you used around the full stops. After you've done that, consider whether what you wrote should actually have been two sentences or just one.

 

[Tarheel]

The word "must" can be used to indicate that someone is required to do something, but in the sentence in question it is not used that way.

 

[abo.omar]

My answer is 'mustn't you?'

Why did you use 'mustn't you?
Is it for obligation?

 

[emsr2d2]

There are two main issues here:

1. The sentence "You must have had a hard time" does not naturally attract a question tag in English. By that, I mean that a native speaker would never attach a question tag to the end.
2. Whoever wrote that question probably isn't aware of that and thought they could just write any verb and get the respondent to create a correct question tag.

In addition, they chose a verb that has two meanings. "must" can indicate obligation but it can indicate "it is reasonable to assume that ...". The second meaning is relevant to the original sentence.

You must have had a hard time = It is reasonable for me to assume (given the evidence) that you had a hard time
You must have been terrified = It is reasonable for me to assume (given the evidence) that you were terrified.
You must clean the floor = It is obligatory that you clean the floor
You must earn more money next year = It is obligatory that you earn more money next year.
I've seen your car. You must earn more money than me! = On the evidence of your car, it is reasonable to assume that you earn more than I do.

I can't think of instance where "must" can be used in the past tense to indicate obligation. The past of that version of "must" is "had to".

I must clean my room.
I had to clean my room.