Chapter  IV   SENTENCE   EXPANSION


Lesson  20   Shortened Sentences

 20-1  [Short Answers] 
     To sum up the so-far, English has four types of questions (A1A4) to ask whether the proposition "John - PRS- be a vegetarian" is correct or not.
    (1)  A1: John IS(is) a vegetarian?            [-DO Type]
         A2: John ISN'T(isn't) a vegetarian?
         A3: IS(Is) John a vegetarian?
         A4: ISN'T(Isn't) John a vegetarian?
     The answer to these will be any one of the following three(B1B3).
    (2)  B1: Yes./No.
         B2: Yes, he IS(is)./No, he ISN'T(isn't).
         B3: Yes, he IS(is) a vegetarian./No, he ISN'T(isn't) a vegetarian.
             (The last parts in B2, "is" and "isn't" carrying
              the normal accent at the end of sentence, are 
              actually the same with "IS" and "ISN'T" respectively.
              The same hereafter.)
     In the above, sentence B1 is made from sentence B2, which in turn is made from sentence B3.   In otherwords, the Equi Rule #3(cf.11-1) works here to make a gap.
    (3)  B3: Yes, he IS(is) a vegetarian.
               B2: Yes, he IS(is) ø.
               B1: Yes ø.
    (4)  B3: No, he ISN'T(isn't) a vegetarian.
               B2: No, he ISN'T(isn't) ø.
               B1: No ø.
     Similarly, to ask whether the proposition "John - PRS - like onions" is correct or not, we have four types of questions(A1A4).
    (5)  A1: John DOES like(likes) onions?          [+DO Type]
         A2: John DOESN'T(doesn't) like onions?
         A3: DOES(Does) John like onions?
         A4: DOESN'T(Doesn't) John like onions?
     The answers would be,
    (6)  B1: Yes ø.
         B2: Yes, he DOES(does) ø.
         B3: Yes, he DOES(does) like onions.
    (7)  B1: No ø.
         B2: No, he DOESN'T(doesn't) ø.
         B3: No, he DOESN'T(doesn't) like onions.
     In English the negative sentence never follows the first response "Yes", while the non-negative sentence never follows the first response "No".  Thus,
    (8)a. *No, ...IS(is)...
       b. *No, ...DOES(does)...
    (9)a. *Yes, ...ISN'T(isn't)...
       b. *Yes, ...DOESN'T(doesn't)...
 20-2  [Conditional Short Answers] 
     Sometimes all but "yes/no" and modifying AD phrases disappear.
    (10)a.  In a sense, yes.
        b.  Up to a point, yes.
        c.  To my knowledge, yes.
    (11)a.  Unfortunately, no.
        b.  Technically, no.
               (Gaps are omitted here and hereafter when obvious.)
 20-3  [Echo-Question(ECHO-Q-S)] 
     As with short answers, English also has short questions made from echo response questions.
   (12) A : John is a vegetarian.                      [-DO Type]
        B1: Is he?
        B2: Is he a vegetarian?
   (13) A : John isn't a vegetarian.
        B1: Isn't he?
        B2: Isn't he a vegetarian?
   (14) A : John likes onions.                         [+DO Type]
        B1: Does he?
        B2: Does he like onions?
   (15) A : John doesn't like onions.
        B1: Doesn't he?
        B2: Doesn't he like onions?
The B1 forms in the above are all shortened forms made from their B2 forms.  We call these short ones an echo-question or ECHO-Q-S.
     These echo questions have three variations.
   (16)a.  Is he?    IS he?/He IS(is)?
       b.  Isn't he?    ISN'T he?/He ISN'T(isn't)?
   (17)a.  Does he?    DOES he?/He DOES(does)?
       b.  Doesn't he?    DOESN'T he?/He DOESN'T(doesn't)?
 20-4  [Tag: Substandard vs Standard] 
     A kernel sentence(K-S) and an echo question(ECHO-Q-S) may be combined to make a sentence(S).
   (i) <Substandard Tags>
     (18)  A: John is a vegetarian.
           B: Is he?
                  John is a vegetarian, is he?
     (19)  A: John isn't a vegetarian.
           B: Isn't he?
                  John isn't a vegetarian, isn't he?
     (20)  A: John likes onions.
           B: Does he?
                  John likes onions, does he?
     (21)  A: John doesn't like onions.
           B: Doesn't he?
                  John doesn't like onions, doesn't he?
     The underlined parts in (18) to (21) are called a tag.  Actually the tags in the above belong to the substandard type.  The more common and standard type:
     (22)a. John is a vegetarian, isn't he?
         b. John isn't a vegetarian, is he?
     (23)a. John likes onions, doesn't he?
         b. John doesn't like onions, does he?
     Notice that the tag includes a negative element when the original sentence doesn't and vice versa.
     Other examples:
  (ii) <Standard Tags>
      <-DO Type>
   (24)a.  You're against the death penalty, aren't you?
       b.  You aren't against the death penalty, are you?
   (25)a.  Joe can play the guitar, can't he?
       b.  Joe can't play the guitar, can he?
   (26)a.  Bill has changed very much in 20 years, hasn't he?
       b.  Bill hasn't changed very much in 20 years, has he?

      <+DO Type>
   (27)a.  They use an abacus when they count, don't they?
       b.  They don't use an abacus when they count, do they?
   (28)a.  Kathy always makes a fool of her husband, doesn't she?
       b.  Kathy doesn't always make a fool of her husband, does she?
   (29)a.  Your brother signed up for the tennis club, didn't he?
       b.  Your brother didn't sign up for the tennis club, did he?
 20-5  [Informal Tag] 
     English has what we call an informal tag.
     (30)a.  John is a vegetarian, right?
         b.  John likes onions, right?
This doesn't care if the original sentence is negative.
     (31)a.  John isn't a vegetarian, right?
         b.  John doesn't like onions, right?
     Other examples:
    (i) -DO Type
     (32)a.  You're against the death penalty, right?
         b.  You aren't against the death penalty, right?
     (33)a.  Joe can play the guitar, right?
         b.  Joe can't play the guitar, right?
     (34)a.  Bill has changed very much in 20 years, right?
         b.  Bill hasn't changed very much in 20 years, right?

   (ii) +DO Type
     (35)a.  They use an abacus when they count, right?
         b.  They don't use an abacus when they count, right?
     (36)a.  Kathy always makes a fool of her husband, right?
         b.  Kathy doesn't always make a fool of her husband, right?
     (37)a.  Your brother signed up for the tennis club, right?
         b.  Your brother didn't sign up for the tennis club, right?
 20-6  [Other Tags] 
     Other tags including some creative ones:
     (38)  John hasn't washed the dishes, has the son of a bitch? (Mc, p.482)
     (39)  Open the door, won't/will you?
     (40)  Turn on the light, will somebody or other?
     (41)  Let's play another game, shall we?
     (42)  They forgot to attend the lecture, don't you think?
     (43)  I suppose you're not serious, are you?              (Quirk, p.811)
     (44)  He is unlikely to come, isn't he?

Copyright(C) 2004 Masaya Oba. All rights reserved.