1. I'm late, aren't I?
2. I'm late, ain't I?
[Do you pronounce 't' in "aren't"? Can we either pronounce 't' or not?]
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asked by rfvv
yesterday at 10:37pm
Avoid this construction if possible. The first one is acceptable, although incorrect. The second is wrong.
Technically we should say, I'm late, am I not?
posted by Ms. Sue
yesterday at 10:56pm
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Thank you for your help.
3. They are happy, aren't they?
4. They are happy, are they not?
[Can we use #4?]
5. He likes pears, doesn't he?
6. He likes pears, does he not?
[Can we use #6?]
7. He can swim, can't he?
8. He can swim, can he not?
[Can we use #8?]
Yes, all pairs can be used.
In terms of pronunciation, when it comes to "aren't," the final "t" sound is usually not pronounced. It is typically pronounced as "aren"t" with a silent "t."
Now, let's address the grammatical constructions you mentioned:
3. They are happy, aren't they?
4. They are happy, are they not?
Yes, both #3 and #4 are grammatically correct and have the same meaning. However, #3 is more commonly used in everyday conversation, while #4 is a more formal and less commonly used form.
5. He likes pears, doesn't he?
6. He likes pears, does he not?
Similar to the previous example, both #5 and #6 are grammatically correct and have the same meaning. #5 is commonly used in everyday conversation, while #6 is a more formal and less commonly used form.
7. He can swim, can't he?
8. He can swim, can he not?
Again, both #7 and #8 are grammatically correct and have the same meaning. #7 is commonly used in everyday conversation, while #8 is a more formal and less commonly used form.
In summary, you can use both the shorter forms (#3, #5, and #7) and the longer forms (#4, #6, and #8) to ask questions with negative tags. The shorter forms are more commonly used in everyday conversation, while the longer forms are considered more formal.