This research examines English linguistic markers using the concept of ‘polyphony’, i.e. intersubjectivity, a concept that is key to many studies in French linguistics. More precisely, we examine how negative interrogative constructions in English work, while also exploring the possibility that they may shed light on how the English linguistic system functions as a whole.To do so, we begin by reviewing the theoretical work that inspired our study. This earlier work is then applied to our corpus of negative interrogatives, which were sourced from a collection of short stories by Raymond Carver. Our analysis begins by looking at negative interrogatives that do not contain interrogative pronouns – more precisely, those introduced by isn’t, don’t and didn’t. Then, we focus our attention on wh-questions introduced by the interrogative pronoun why. Finally, we look at tag questions: this allows us to anchor our work in a place that accords primary importance to the interlocutor in the construction of linguistic messages. As far as this is concerned, we redefine the interlocutor’s role in this process by considering them a co-constructor of the linguistic message
