tag (adj./n.)

A term used in GRAMMATICAL DESCRIPTION to refer to a QUESTION structure (a tag question) usually consisting of an AUXILIARY VERB plus PRONOUN, attached to the end of a STATEMENT in order to convey a NEGATIVE or POSITIVE orientation. It may be INVARIABLE, as in French n’est-ce pas, German nicht wahr, or variable, as in English. In all cases, the INTONATION in which the tag is uttered determines its FUNCTION – the contrast between ‘asking’ and ‘telling’, illustrated by English she’s late, isn’t she? (‘I am asking you if she is late’) v. she’s late, isn’t she! (‘I am asking you to agree with me that she is late’). In English, in addition to this, the POLARITY of the tag is usually the reverse of that found in the MAIN CLAUSE: a positive clause takes a negative tag, and vice versa, e.g. she’s leaving, isn’t she/she isn’t leaving, is she. Sometimes, two positive clauses are found (she’s leaving, is she), and, very rarely, two negatives (she doesn’t know, doesn’t she). Some grammars also recognize tag statements (e.g. That was a lovely drink, that was; He’s a nice man, is John) and there are some close connections between this CONSTRUCTION and such ‘reinforcing’ patterns as They’re all the same, these phoneticians!

A GRAMMATICAL label attached to a word in a computer CORPUS to indicate its CLASS, in a procedure known as tagging. Tags may be added manually or automatically (the latter at present with varying degrees of success).