The problem is that unbalanced tag questions are pretty common as well (when both the statement and the tag have the same polarity), and they convey certain shades of meaning as well. So it may be not as easy to differentiate between these two possibilities (a negative main statement + positive tag question - balanced, vs. a positive main statement + positive tag question - unbalanced).
I know that certain words make the main statement negative without the "not" particle (adverbs like "never", "barely", etc., "nobody" as subject), but I'm not sure whether the word "nothing" (when it takes the role of object) falls into this category.
Smallwhite needs help with English expressions
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Re: Smallwhite needs help with English expressions
Yes, I’ve been doing nothing.
or
No, I’ve been doing nothing.
or
No, I’ve been doing nothing.
0 x
Dialang or it didn't happen.
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Re: Smallwhite needs help with English expressions
smallwhite wrote:Yes, I’ve been doing nothing.
or
No, I’ve been doing nothing.
Q: You've been doing nothing, haven't you?
A: Yes, I’ve been doing nothing.
Q: Have you been doing anything?
A: No, I’ve been doing nothing.
4 x
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Re: Smallwhite needs help with English expressions
Sorry for the late response. When I had some time for Llorg, I found this 虫儿飞 song thread more interesting to answer
Thank you for your answers. Helpful input from native speakers and great insights from fellow learners.
I can't decide if English is fun or not...
Thank you for your answers. Helpful input from native speakers and great insights from fellow learners.
I can't decide if English is fun or not...
1 x
Dialang or it didn't happen.
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