Page 306 - Oxford_English_Grammar_Course_Basic_2015

reply questions Oh, Did they really?

In conversation, we often ask short questions (auxiliary verb + pronoun) to show interest.

'I've ju s t had a letter from Eric.' 'Have you?' 'Yes. He says he's com ing b a c k ...'
These'reply questions'are not really questions: they mean'Oh, yes? That's interesting.'
Some more examples:

'John's getting m arried.' 'Is he really? Who to?'
'Anna and Peter had a lovely tim e in Greece.' 'D id they?' 'Yes. They w e n t...'
We answer negative sentences with negative reply questions.

7 can't see very well w ith these glasses.' 'C an't you? M aybe you should get new ones.'

^ Choose the correct reply questions.

► 'Your mother hasn't phoned.' ‘Has she?/H asn't she? I wonder why not.'
1 'I've just got married.' 'H aveyou?/H aven'tyou? Congratulations'

2 'William had an accident last week' ‘Has h e ? /D id he? Is he OK?'
3 'There's a strange bird on the roof.' ‘Is it? /Is there? Let me look.'
4 'I can't understand this.' ‘Can you? / Can't you? Let me help you.'
5 'This coffee doesn't taste very nice.' ‘Doesn't it? /D o e s it? I'm sorry.'
6 'Your sister's in trouble with the police.' ‘Is she?/Isn't she? Oh, dear. Not again!'

7 'The children want computers for Christmas.' ‘Do th e y? /D o n 't they?They think I'm made of money.'
8 'The students don't like your lessons.' ‘D on't they?/A ren't they?\Ne\\, I don't like them either.'

Put the beginnings and ends together, and put in reply questions.

0 'Oliver didn't eat much.' A Perhaps he's ill.'
1 '1 don't like this bread at all.' B 1 hope they're having a good tim e.'......
2 'The Smiths are in America.' C I'll get a different kind next tim e.'......

3 'My French is getting very bad.' D When's he going to bring it back?'......
4 'Ryan's taken the car.' E I'll have a look at them .'......
5 '1 can't understand these papers.' F ' You need to go to France.........

Q GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY: showing our feelings
Complete the sentences with reply questions and expressions from the box.
Use a dictionary if necessary. Different answers are possible.

Congratulations! Good luck! I am sorry. I don't believe it. / Say'hello'to him/her for me.

That's interesting. That's terrible. That's a surprise. What a nuisance! What a pity!

► The Swiss have declared war on America.' . . .1 !...............................

1 'I've just passed my exams.' ....................................................................................................................
2 'I'm seeing Katie next week.' ...................................................................................................................
3 'My job interview is tomorrow.' ..............................................................................................................
4 'Some trees can live for thousands of years.' .........................................................................................
5 'Lewis didn't get into university.' ............................................................................................................
6 'My computer has crashed again.' .........................................................................................................
7 'I don't feel well.' ......................................................................................................................................
8 'Andy and Paula are getting married.' ....................................................................................................
9 'I haven't got enough money to buy food.' ...........................................................................................

In some answers, both contracted forms (for example I'm, don't) and full SPOKEN GRAMMAR 291
forms (for example / am, do not) are possible. Normally both are correct.