Speaking

Tone Rising or Falling After Tag Questions

Tags can help us sound less direct or less pushy or aggressive because they turn a statement into a question. A tag question shows we would like our listener to confirm that our idea is correct. Tags give our listeners the power to correct us if we are wrong. Tag questions include other people in the conversation.

The sound or pitch of our voice in a tag can rise or fall. In this chapter, the tag questions CONFIRM understanding so, as in yes/no questions, the pitch of our voice gets higher. The higher (not louder) sound tells our listeners we’re waiting for them to agree or disagree with us.

In this exercise, the rising pitch is meaningful. If there is no rising pitch, listeners will likely not recognize that they should confirm by answering “yes” or “no.”

Answer the questions below while you listen. Listen as many times as you need to, and pause the recording when you need to. Some of the tags have a correct, rising tone. Others have an incorrect flat or falling tone. Indicate the kind of tone (rising, none, or falling) you hear for each question.

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