Oh, you can't can you?

[Viveki]

Test No. incompl/elem-36 "Question Tags (2)", question 4

Sarah: 'I can't take any more.'
Paul: '.........'

(a) Oh you can, can you?
(b) Oh you could, could you?
(c) Oh, you can't can you?
(d) Oh you could, could you?

Test No. incompl/elem-36 "Question Tags (2)", answer 4

Sarah: 'I can't take any more.'
Paul: 'Oh, you can't can you?'

Correct answer: (c) Oh, you can't can you?
_________________________

The answer should be "Oh you can,can't you?"

Viveki

[Aurelie.]

[Jerryjay75]

i was thinking of: oh oh, you can't, can you? sounds weird

[Amalmusica]

All the confusions arise here are because People learned from the primary classes about question tags like..
-when "positive" statements come, then the question tag should be "negative"...and vice versa..
but here ...
this is another type of question tag..right?
I think,People need a more detailed explanation including me about these..
a)Positive >>> negative convertion of question tags..
b) same structure repeated as a surprising expression..like positive statement and positive question tag also followed by.

Some one please give an explanation for the different kinds of question tags..!

thanks in advance
Amal.

[Mahboubeh]

Dear Alan

[Aliraf62]

Seemingly there's a subcategory to the tag question number 1:

[Esl_Expert]

[OxfordBlues]

I have always felt the emphasis on question tags is a bit ridiculous in most ESL methods. Most native speaker do not use these anywhere near as often as books would have you believe. And the example above with can and can't sounds absolutely ridiculous and is not something I can ever remember a single person ever saying in my life.
_________________
There's no such thing as an exception to the rule...

My blog: http://calleteach.wordpress.com

[Esl_Expert]

Hello OxfordBlues,

I'd tend to agree with you about the over-emphasis placed on tags. In addition, since tag questions are primarily a feature of spoken English, and rely heavily on intonation, it sometimes seems pointless to attempt to explain them in writing.

__________________________________________________________
“Mistakes are a great educator when one is honest enough to admit them and willing to learn from them.”

[OxfordBlues]

I can't tell you how many classes I've taught or books I've edited where there were multiple chapters on question tags. Some even take it to a ridiculous level of indirect questions where the student is taught to make a slightly related statement in the hopes that the person they are speaking to will somehow volunteer the actual information they want. Not only is it inefficient, it's silly. The overuse of question tags is equally pointless to me.

The only important thing to understand with question tags is that the tag uses the same auxiliary verb as the original statement.
_________________
There's no such thing as an exception to the rule...

My blog: http://calleteach.wordpress.com

[Mahboubeh]

Dear fellows Ali and Esl Expert
Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge. I now can say that I have a good grasp of this case ;)

Best regards
Mahboubeh

[Mitra584]

Dear Alan,
Would you please tell me 'I can't take any more' means I can't stand it or i can't think about it?
_________________
Peace&Love

[Sriazati]

What's the meaning of " I can't take any more"

[Beeesneees]

I can't take any more means 'I have had enough and I cannot take any more pressure that a particular situation is placing me under.'

If someone says they can't take any more, then they feel completely drained, often emotionally and physically.
_________________
Cheers m' dears!

[Sriazati]

Dear Beeesneees

Thanks a lot.
it's a nice idiom. I cant speak english very well , i have spent a lot of money on english classes ,each time i stopped my class for a reason like my university , my job and so on, though .i cant take any more , i have decided this trying will be the last trying . this froum and this site give me a good chance to get ride of it.