Figure of Speech

Factual Questions
1

There is a figure of speech I’ve noticed for a while, but I don’t know what it’s called. I hear or see it mainly when the character speaking is British. The character is basically asked a question, they answer, then they add on a negative question at the end of their answer.

Here’s an example from “Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows” (near the end, in what Mundungus says [bold italics]):

Does anyone know what this is called?

2

Rhetorical question?

3

Positively rhetorical negative-interrogative?

4

It’s done positively, too:

“You shut off the oven before you left the house, right?”

It’s also done in Spanish (or Spanglish, for that matter):

“You shut off the oven before you left the house, que no?”

I’ve often wondered if, when people end their English sentences with the “no” interrogative, if it’s actually a shortened version of “que no?”

5

I believe that’s called a tag or tag question:

tag question
 
–noun Grammar.

  1. Also called tag. a short interrogative structure appended to a statement or command, as isn’t it in It’s raining, isn’t it?, are you in You’re not going, are you?, or German nicht wahr.
  2. a question formed by appending such a structure to a declarative sentence or command, often inviting confirmation or assent, as She lives nearby, doesn’t she? or Sit down, won’t you?

Origin:
1960–65
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.

6

OK, great. That’s defines it perfectly. 10-q.