When you are learning a language, you become very good at showing people you don't know something! But sometimes we have an idea about something, but we're not completely sure. How can we express different levels of certainty?
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Question Tags
We often use this structure when we are unsure of something or want to check information.
1. It's not Shilpa Shetty ...
is it?
2. She isn't an actress...
is she?
3. That's Shilpa Shetty ...
isn't it?
4. She's been on T.V. ...
hasn't she?
Examples 3 and 4 show slightly more certainty than 1 and 2. However, the intonation the speaker uses with a question tag is the main indicator of the level of certainty. Listen to these two clips of Example 1:
Note: When responding to question tags, yes and no refer to whether something is or isn't the case, not whether the first speaker is right or wrong. So in the following exchange, B is saying he doubts the woman is an actress:
A: She's not an actress, is she?
B: No, I don't think so.
On the Grammar Challenge website, you can find out more about the formation and intonation patterns of question tags.
Modals
It
might
may
could
must
be Shilpa Shetty
uncertain
certain
Could is sometimes combined with a question tag:
She couldn't be an actress, could she?
You can use possibly and perhaps with all these modals (except must), to indicate a lack of certainty:
She might perhaps be an actress ...
She couldn't possibly be an actress, could she?
Using I think before a modal usually shows that the speaker is more certain about something, e.g.
I think it might be Shakira
I think she might be an actress
However, a sentence like this with extra stress on the modal indicates slightly less certainty:
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