Tag Questions – Can ‘Shan’t We’ Be Used as a Tag for ‘Let Them’?

tag-questions

As it's written in the title, I want to ask if my sentence sounds correct.

Let them wreak havoc again, shan't we?

If I read that sentence, that doesn't sound like an imperative sentence, I believe. That's why I have my doubt about determining the appropriate question tag (Discussions about the question tag of Let's I'd read, led me into "shall we" which is an imperative sentence).

I had chosen "don't we" at first but I thought "shan't we" would be OK. Is my sentence correct, by the way?

Best Answer

I think you are mixing up tag questions.

It's your book, isn't it?

with a construction like

Let him speak, will you?

This latter is a rhetorical re-ordering of "Will you let him speak?"

It is pretty unusual to use "tag questions" with the imperative. It is possible to have

Go to the shops, why don't you?

but you can't add a tag question

Go to the shops, don't you? / This one doesn't make sense.

So coming back to your phrase, you could have

Let them wreak havoc again, did you? / Let them wreak havoc again, shall we?

as rhetorical re-arrangements of

Did you let them wreak havoc again? / Shall we let them wreak havoc again?

But you can't add a "tag question" as in your example. If you are not sure about the rhetorical effect of the re-arrangement you should be careful. It is sarcastic

Husband! What is going on here? You're meant to be watching the kids but there's a mess all over the living room. Let them wreak havoc again, did you?? And who's going to have to clear up? I'm really tired of your lack of responsibility.

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