Negative Questions, Question Tags, and Emphatic Do: How to Improve Your Credit Score (Review)

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Negative Questions, Question Tags, and Emphatic Do: How to Improve Your Credit Score (Review)

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- Unfinished
- Intermediate
- Negative question
- Question tag
- Emphatic do
Negative question Question tag Emphatic do
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Review the conversation "How to Improve Your Credit Score". Do multiple choice questions to review question tags and the new vocabulary that you just learned.

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How to Improve Your Credit Score

(1) Ashley:

Listen

I've been thinking of buying a new car and I may need to apply for a [vocab word=loan]loan[/vocab]. But I'm afraid my [vocab word=credit score]credit score[/vocab] is too low.

Credit scores can range from 300 to 900. The higher the number, the more banks and lenders will trust you. You get higher scores when you prove yourself to be financially responsible.

(2) Julian:

Listen

Isn't your credit score good?

This is a negative question. Julian believes Ashley's credit score is good, so he is asking a negative question to confirm his belief. If he hadn't anticipated an answer, he would have asked, "Is your credit score good?"

(3) Ashley:

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I believe it's lower now. I did miss a few credit card [vocab word=payment]payments[/vocab] recently.

"did" is an emphatic do. Ashley is emphasizing the verb "miss".

(4) Julian:

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I see. Late payments do affect your credit score[vocab word=negatively]negatively[/vocab].

(5) Ashley:

Listen

I should've paid all my bills on time. I regret it now.

(6) Julian:

Listen

Nobody is perfect, are they? The good news is, credit scores aren't permanent and can be improved.

When the subject is "nobody", "no one", "everybody", "everyone", we use the question tag "are they?" or "do they?"

(7) Ashley:

Listen

I'm not quite sure how to do that.

(8) Julian:

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You can [vocab word=pay off]pay off[/vocab] your [vocab word=debt]debts[/vocab], first of all. You have to pay them off anyways, don't you?

(9) Ashley:

Listen

I sure do! But aren't there more ways to increase my credit rating?

"Aren't there more ways to ...?" is a negative question. Ashley believes there are more ways to increase her credit rating.

(10) Julian:

Listen

Absolutely. For example, you can keep your credit card debt low. If your credit card [vocab word=limit]limit[/vocab] is $10000, borrow no more than $1000. Low credit card debt shows that you are not relying on your credit card too much.

(11) Ashley:

Listen

That makes sense.

This means she understands it.

(12) Julian:

Listen

Also, don't get too many credit cards at once. You never apply for three or four credit cards in a short [vocab word=span]span[/vocab] of time, do you?

If the sentence has "never", use a positive question tag like "do you?" or "are you?"

(13) Ashley:

Listen

No, I never do that. I have enough credit cards already.

(14) Julian:

Listen

Good, because too many credit [vocab word=application]applications[/vocab] can affect your score negatively. Finally, I assume you pay your mortgage on time?

(15) Ashley:

Listen

... I've been late a [vocab word=couple]couple[/vocab] of times, [vocab word=actually]actually[/vocab]. I'm pretty [vocab word=irresponsible]irresponsible[/vocab], aren't I?

When the sentence has "am", use the question tag "aren't" (not "am not"). E.g. I am ..., aren't I?

(16) Julian:

Listen

Everyone goes through a hard time. Are you paying the mortgage on time now?

(17) Ashley:

Listen

Yes, I am. My husband has just found a new job, so we are getting our [vocab word=finance]finances[/vocab] back in order.

(18) Julian:

Listen

Good! Don't worry, then. You will improve your credit score. Just continue paying your mortgage and credit card bills on time, and you'll be fine.

(19) Ashley:

Listen

Thank you for your advice, Julian. I certainly will.

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