Which is the right answer?

[eddy143]

Dearest teachers and users of this forum, i greet you all. I run into a "question tag" and was wondering if it's right.

1- There is little water in the bottle.
a-Is there.
b-Isn't there.
c-Is it.
d-Isn't.
Thanks

 

[Barb_D]

What do you think?

 

[eddy143]

Dearest teachers and users of this forum, i greet you all. I run into a "question tag" and was wondering if it's right.

1- There is little water in the bottle.
a-Is there?
b-Isn't there?
c-Is it?
d-Isn't?

I choose "a". Is there?
Thanks

 

[bhaisahab]

Dearest teachers and users of this forum, i greet you all. I run into a "question tag" and was wondering if it's right.

1- There is little water in the bottle.
a-Is there?
b-Isn't there?
c-Is it?
d-Isn't?

I choose "a". Is there?
Thanks

In my opinion that sentence is not suitable for a "question tag". Are you sure it's not "There is a little water..."?

 

[Barb_D]

I do agree it would be better with "a little water."

Usually a tag reverses the main statement. There is... isn't there.

With the built-in negative statement "There is little water," you wouldn't have to reverse. "There is little water, is there" would be the answer I'd give, IF you have faithfully recreated the question. (I would not be surprised to see others disagree with me, though.)

 

[5jj]

I do agree it would be better with "a little water."

Usually a tag reverses the main statement. There is... isn't there.

With the built-in negative statement "There is little water," you wouldn't have to reverse. "There is little water, is there?" would be the answer I'd give, IF you have faithfully recreated the question. (I would not be surprised to see others disagree with me, though.)

pssst - '?'

I agree with you.:-D

There is a little (= some) water, isn't there?
There is little (= not much) water, is there?

 

[bhaisahab]

pssst - '?'

I agree with you.:-D

There is a little (= some) water, isn't there?
There is little (= not much) water, is there?

Yes, I agree too.

 

[Raymott]

pssst - '?'

I agree with you.:-D

There is a little (= some) water, isn't there?
There is little (= not much) water, is there?

This would also apply to other constructions where the sense is negative, but where there is no specifically negative word:
"There's hardly any water left, is there?"
"We barely have water, do we?"