Question tags

[evren]

English Grammar Tests, Elementary Level

ESL/EFL Test #37 "Question Tags (3)", question 1

You'd rather I kept quiet about it .........

(a) did you?
(b) had you?
(c) wouldn't you?
(d) do you?

English Grammar Tests, Elementary Level

ESL/EFL Test #37 "Question Tags (3)", answer 1

You'd rather I kept quiet about it wouldn't you?

Correct answer: (c) wouldn't you?

Your answer was: incorrect
You'd rather I kept quiet about it did you?
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I understood why the answer is wouldn't you but I didn't understand the meaning of the sentence. Please explain me. Thanks.

evren

[Alan]

Hi evren,

You'd rather I kept quiet means: I think you would prefer me to keep quiet/say nothing.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple

[Chami]

Hello Alan,

I'm a member here for sometime now, and didnt type for long time.
About this question, my problem is the word, 'rather'. I cant say I dont this word, but I still dont know the exact meaning.
Could you explain?

thanks.

[Afnan]

why we use would please
thanks

[Shyone]

[Chami]

Shyone, thank you for your kind reply. would you explian it more?

Thanks a lot again and sorry for the delay.

[Shyone]

In this context 'rather' is used to express a wish or preference.

Instead of 'You'd rather I kept quiet about it, wouldn't you?' you could say 'You wish that I keep quiet about it, don't you?' or 'You prefer me to be quiet about it, don't you?'
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[Chami]

Thank you.

[Xiao_Lai]

In this quiz:
"You'd rather I kept quiet about it .........", if "You would" is used to replace "You'd", it's kind of weired since would is an auxiliary verb and followed by "kept"---a past tense.
Isn't it?

[Esl_Expert]

Hello Xiao_Lai,

The form is the same as the past tense of "kept, but it is not used as a past tense in the sentence. Tense and form are two different things. It is quite common to find these sorts of past forms used after the expression "I'd rather" and also after the verb "wish".

Just think of the way past forms are used to talk about present/future time in so-called Type 2 conditional sentences, for example. The following two sentences do not refer to the past:

- If I had a million dollars, I would buy a yacht. (Type 2 IF-sentence)
- I wish I had a million dollars. (past form after "I wish")


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"Integrity is not a conditional word. It doesn't blow in the wind or change with the weather. It is your inner image of yourself, and if you look in there and see a man who won't cheat, then you know he never will." ~ John D. MacDonald

[Nhai]

excuse me! i dont understand why " wouldn't you " is incorrect and why "did you" is correct in that case?

[Beeesneees]

"You would rather..."(positive) is the main phrase so the negative form, "wouldn't you?" is the required tag.
If the main phrase were
"You didn't do..."(negative) then the tag would be the positive form, "did you?"
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