panicmonger
Member
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2010
- Member Type
- Student or Learner
- Native Language
- Chinese
- Home Country
- China
- Current Location
- Australia
They say this type of interrogative(see title) can function as polite requests, for example:
You couldn't carry this for me, could you?
However, as a non-English native, I cannot figure out why it can be a request when the main clause is negative.
To me, I would think the main clause should be positive together with a negative tag, whereby a polite request is formed. For example:
You could carry this for me, couldn't you?
Could you tell me why (negative clause + affirmative tage) can be a polite request?
Thank you very much indeed.
You couldn't carry this for me, could you?
However, as a non-English native, I cannot figure out why it can be a request when the main clause is negative.
To me, I would think the main clause should be positive together with a negative tag, whereby a polite request is formed. For example:
You could carry this for me, couldn't you?
Could you tell me why (negative clause + affirmative tage) can be a polite request?
Thank you very much indeed.