He has few friends, does/doesn't he?

[jutfrank]

I personally like this explanation:
View attachment 4829

I'm saying that part 9 of this explanation is wrong.

Modifiers like barely do not make a sentence negative. Only the word not (and its relatives never/nobody/nowhere, etc.) in either the subject or operating on the auxiliary make a sentence negative.

He barely speaks, doesn't he?
he barely speaks, does he?

To be clear (!), I'm not saying that the latter sentence here is not possible. You can of course use a positive tag on a positive sentence, but it creates a different kind of tag, with a different use.

 

[5jj]

What I think we're disagreeing on is where the positive/negative comes from. I'm saying that He has no friends is positive, so the question tag is negative.

He has one friend, doesn't he?
He has no friends, doesn't he?

I disagree. The natural tag for me in the second is does he? (or has he?

 

[jutfrank]

I disagree. The natural tag for me in the second is does he? (or has he?

Okay. To me, does he? and has he? sound wrong.

What do you think about the He barely speaks example? And the He has few friends one?

 

[Ostap]

I'm saying that part 9 of this explanation is wrong.

Modifiers like barely do not make a sentence negative. Only the word not (and its relatives never/nobody/nowhere, etc.) in either the subject or operating on the auxiliary make a sentence negative.

He barely speaks, doesn't he?
he barely speaks, does he?

To be clear (!), I'm not saying that the latter sentence here is not possible. You can of course use a positive tag on a positive sentence, but it creates a different kind of tag, with a different use.

But many other grammar sources say the same - that negative adverbs (scarcely, hardly, never, barely, rarely, etc) require positive tag questions, because they make the statement negative.

 

[5jj]

What do you think about the He barely speaks example? And the He has few friends one?

He barely speaks, does he?
He has few friends, has/does he?

As Ostap says, most grammar sources say the same.

 

[jutfrank]

Yes, I don't deny that some grammar sources say the same. That's what I wanted to address in the first place.

He has few friends, does he?

I wonder what other native speakers think of this.

 

[5jj]

Yes, I don't deny that some grammar sources say the same.

I haven't found any reputable ones that don't

That's what I wanted to address in the first place.

So do you think that everybody but you has it wrong?

 

[jutfrank]

So do you think that everybody but you has it wrong?

I'm starting to think so.

What do the reputable ones say? And when you say "most grammar sources say the same", do you mean you found some that don't?

 

[Peedeebee]

Since I'm not American I can't really comment about the does/has debate in that context. I have to confess I just thought over recent years that it was an irritating feature of the speech patterns of today's youngsters, (I mean 20s & 30s), that if you ask, " Have you got Windows 11?" They would answer, "Yes I do."
It leaves me thinking... You do what? I didn't ask did you do something...
Heigh-ho.. Modern life!
Perhaps I should just bemoan the existence of "Do" as an English auxiliary verb.

 

[5jj]

What do the reputable ones say?

Michael Swan, (2005.470), Practical English Usage.

Non-negative tags are used after sentences containing negative words like never, no, nobody, hardly, scarcely and little.

You never say what you are thinking, do you? (NOT ... don't you?)
It's no good, is it? (not ... isn't it?)
It's hardly rained at all this summer, has it? (NOT ... hasn't it?)
There's little we can do about is, is there? (NOT ... isn't there?)

And when you say "most grammar sources say the same", do you mean you found some that don't?

Not yet! I'm still looking.

 

[sitifan]

A native speakers says:
'I'm not keen on the negative/positive distinction, but let's move on.
1. There are few students in the classroom, aren't there?
2. There are only a few students in the classroom, aren't there?
Here's some of my own, using your adverbs. They all seem to be "negative",
except d. and f.
a. There's scarcely any water left, is there?
b. There's hardly anything to eat, is there?
c. Your seldom come to class, do you?
d. You often come to class, don't you?
e. There are hardly any students in the room, are there?
f. There's only a few drops of water left, isn't there?

It seems as if few/a few are "positive"
I can't tell you the rule because I just wrote these as I'd say them. '

 

[Peedeebee]

I'm ging to put an example of this in the General discussion forum. It's main;y entertaining, but has an element of good English usage in the story too.
Enjoy....

 

[sitifan]

An American says:
"She has little homework every day, doesn't she?
She has little homework every day and so do I. "
(my bold)

 

[sitifan]

I'm ging to put an example of this in the General discussion forum. It's main;y entertaining, but has an element of good English usage in the story too.
Enjoy....

A typo.

 

[Tarheel]

Yes, I don't deny that some grammar sources say the same. That's what I wanted to address in the first place.

He has few friends, does he?

I wonder what other native speakers think of this.

"He doesn't have many friends, does he?" seems more natural to me.

 

[Tarheel]

Since I'm not American I can't really comment about the does/has debate in that context. I have to confess I just thought over recent years that it was an irritating feature of the speech patterns of today's youngsters, (I mean 20s & 30s), that if you ask, " Have you got Windows 11?" They would answer, "Yes I do."
It leaves me thinking... You do what? I didn't ask did you do something...
Heigh-ho.. Modern life!
Perhaps I should just bemoan the existence of "Do" as an English auxiliary verb.

Your mini-dialogue is perfectly natural. (See below.)

Abe: Do you have Windows 11?
Bob: Yes, I do.

In the above dialogue Bob's sentence is short for "Yes, I do have Windows 11."

 

[Tarheel]

An American says:
"She has little homework every day, doesn't she?
She has little homework every day and so do I. "
(my bold)

This American would probably say:

She doesn't usually have much homework, does she?

 

[Peedeebee]

If I'd had much homework, perhaps I wouldn't have made 2 typos! (going)

 

[Peedeebee]

Your mini-dialogue is perfectly natural. (See below.)

Abe: Do you have Windows 11?
Bob: Yes, I do.

In the above dialogue Bob's sentence is short for "Yes, I do have Windows 11."

Quite so. But I didn't ask, "do you have.." I asked ,"Have you got..."

 

[sitifan]

If I'd had much homework, perhaps I wouldn't have made 2 typos! (going)

What does the word "going" mean in the quotation?