You are funny, aren't you?
This is a Tag Question. The whole sentence is called "tag question" whereas the end or tail part is known as "question tag". Tag questions are very common in now a days English. You must hear them in movies and TV shows. But sometimes they sound funny or strange to ESL Learners. For instance in case of "I" we use "aren't" e.g. I'm the funniest, aren't I?
Some other tag questions could be like.
She is beautiful, isn't she?
He will come today, won't he?
They have eaten their meal, haven't they?
She isn't coming, is she?
John will not agree, will he?
They haven't eaten their meal, have they?
Please note the difference. If first half is positive the question tag should be negative. And if first half is negative the question tag should be positive. This is general rule but as you all know English is a Funny Language so there are "funny exceptions" too.
Comments
but Naira had come after me, so I didn't know she was new to EC.
You're good in blogging, aren't you?
You should be carry-on blogging, shouldn't you?
This is what could I get from the crowdsourcing. "The negative contraction/tag question for "I am not" used to be "Amn't I?" (it is still spoken that way in some English dialects) however it was changed to "Aren't I" due to the difficulties in pronouncing "mnt" together in "Amn't I?" - it started to be pronounced the same way as "Aren't I" and the spelling then followed.
It is correct in colloquial use, as is "Ain't I?". At least in the US, "Aren't I?" is frequently used, and "Ain't I" is used in the Southern parts of the US more than anywhere else. If you want to be formal though, you'd better stick to "Am I not?".
Good question, Imran, and I'm glad you noticed the inconsistency there. I think "ARE I" is not used for the exact reason that it is grammatically incorrect. Which only brings us back to the same question why "AREN'T I" became acceptable at all. This is just another reason why I am very much convinced not to use AREN'T I in place of AM I NOT.
Anyways, I guess the only answer is that people felt comfortable using AREN'T I but not ARE I so AREN'T I became acceptable though incorrect. On the other hand, ARE I which sounded just downright odd was left out because people didn't want to use it (perhaps for the obvious reason that it is incorrect) and therefore did not become acceptable unlike AREN'T I. So really, it's just a matter of what word or phrase becomes popular among people, regardless of the rule. If people buy it and used over and over, whether it is wrong or does not make sense at all, the general public accepts it and then considered correct over time. By the way, this is just MY opinion. Others are welcome to share theirs regarding this matter.
Ohnie thank you very much for such a comprehensive explanation. Actually I also considered it awkward at first but then I research on it. I went through a lot of websites including best from England and America like British Council's and US State's and found "aren't" everywhere. But I remained confuse about it's positive use when the first half is negative like in this case. "I am not a teacher, ...?" I am ready to use "am I'? but my only concern is, If "aren't I" could be used with "I" as an irregular form of grammar why not "are I"?
Regards
"I am not a teacher, are I?"
"Are I" is incorrect, Imran. We never say "are I" although we do say "aren't I". So in this case you may say "I am not a teacher, am I?"
"I'm the funniest, aren't I?" I have actually never used "aren't I" in place of I am not because I always find it awkward and grammatically incorrect, whether in conversational or written form. I do agree that it is acceptable and commonly used in English speaking countries so it is not surprising to hear a native English speaker saying "arent' I" instead of "am I not"; however, just because one is widely accepted does not make it correct, does it? It's been an ongoing argument among teachers and grammar experts whether or not the use of "aren't I" as a question tag is in fact correct. Some say it is correct and call it irregular grammar while many strongly disagree. I guess it is up to each person to decide and reason for himself whether to use "aren't I" in question tags but I suggest to limit it to informal conversations only. When writing a formal paper, I encourage you to use "am I not" just to be on the safe side.
Saba, Naira is new on MyEC, isn't she?
You haven't welcomed her, have you?
Her profile picture is amazing, isn't that?
it's interesting :)
Estanis got Imran into trouble, didn't he? :D
I am not a teacher, are I? ( I am not sure about the accuracy this sentence can anyone help me?)
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