I stayed home because it was raining, wasn't it/didn't I?

[sitifan]

1. I stayed home because it was raining, wasn't it?
2. I stayed home because it was raining, didn't I?
Which tag question is correct?

 

[jutfrank]

Why do you think you need a question tag? What's 'correct' depends on what you're trying to do and what you mean to say.

 

[sitifan]

Is "because" a subordinating conjunction or coordinating conjunction?
If it is a subordinating conjunction, only #2 is correct because tag questions refer to the main clause, not the subordinate clause.

 

[jutfrank]

Is "because" a subordinating conjunction or coordinating conjunction?

Subordinating.

If it is a subordinating conjunction, only #2 is correct because tag questions refer to the main clause, not the subordinate clause.

That's not right. In sentence 1 the tag goes with it was raining and in sentence 2 it goes with I stayed home. That makes two very different sentences. Both sentences are possible, if a little hard to imagine.

 

[Annabel Lee]

1. I stayed home because it was raining, wasn't it?
2. I stayed home because it was raining, didn't I?
Which tag question is correct?

For me, only (2) is correct; but (1) could be made correct by changing the tag question to a separate, elliptical sentence:

(1a) I stayed home because it was raining. Wasn't it?​

​

The elliptical question in (1a) can only be interpreted as a genuine question, however, not as seeking confirmation. "Wasn't it?" will have rising intonation rather than falling intonation in (1a), whereas in (2) the tag could go either way: it could have rising intonation (genuine question) or falling intonation (confirmation-seeking) depending on the context.

 

[5jj]

For me, only (2) is correct;

I agree with jutfrank:

In sentence 1 the tag goes with it was raining and in sentence 2 it goes with I stayed home. That makes two very different sentences. Both sentences are possible, if a little hard to imagine.

 

[jutfrank]

For me, only (2) is correct

What's the problem with (1) for you, then? I hear it with a falling intonation.