Question tags - Introduction
____o0o____Question tags are short questions at the end of statements.
They are mainly used in speech when we want to:
*confirm that something is true or not
*to encourage a reply from the person we are speaking to.
Forming of question tags
____o0o____Question tags are formed with the auxiliary or modal verb from the statement and the appropriate subject.
1. A positive statement is followed by a negative question tag.
➡Jack is from Spain, isn't he?
➡Mary can speak English, can't she?
A negative statement is followed by a positive question tag.
➡They aren't funny, are they?
➡He shouldn't say things like that, should he?
2. When the verb in the main sentence is in the present simple we form the question tag with do / does.
➡You play the guitar, don't you?
➡Alison likes tennis, doesn't she?
3. If the verb is in the past simple we use did.
➡They went to the cinema, didn't they?
➡She studied in New Zealand, didn't she?
4. When the statement contains a word with a negative meaning, the question tag needs to be positive
➡He hardly ever speaks, does he?
➡They rarely eat in restaurants, do they?
Positive question tags
____o0o____a positive question tag = a negative statement + a positive question tag
Negative statementPositive tagYou ➡aren't a teacher,are you?
➡He isn't crazy,is he?
➡He wasn't relaxed,was he?
➡They weren't late,were they?
➡You don't speak English,do you?
➡You didn't study for the test,did you?
➡You haven't been here all week,have you?
➡You hadn't done it,had you?
➡You won't fail the exam,will you?
➡You can't drive a car,can you?
➡You couldn't do it for me,could you?
➡We mustn't say anything,must we?➡You shouldn't be so busy,should you?
➡You wouldn't stop me,would you?
NOTE:
The statement sentences with words such as neither no, none, no one, no body, nothing, scarcely, barely, hardly, hardly ever, seldom, etc. which are, strictly speaking, treated as negative, are followed by an ordinary positive ‘tag’.
Examples:
➡No salt is allowed, is it?
➡Nothing was lost, was it?
➡Lee hardly worked, did he?
➡Sarah seldom visits us, does she?
Negative question tags
____o0o____A negative question tag = a positive statement + a negative question tag
Positive statementNegative tag
➡You are a student,aren't you?
➡He is busy,isn't he?
➡He was happy,wasn't he?
➡They were interested,weren't they?
➡You speak English,don't you?
➡He studies English,doesn't he?
➡You studied for the test,didn't you?
➡You have studied all week,haven't you?
➡You had arrived before he left,hadn't you?
➡You will pass the exam,won't you?➡You can speak English,can't you?➡You could do it for me,couldn't you?
➡You must be patient,mustn't you?➡You should go now,shouldn't you?➡You would like a new job,wouldn't you?
BE CAREFUL:
1. AM --> AREN'T?
➡I am late, aren't I?
2. LET'S (=LET US) --> SHALL WE?
➡Let's go home, shall we?
3. Negative axiliaries and verbs in tags are usually in their contracted form (=n't)
Some notes with question tag
____o0o____Some verbs / expressions have different question tags.
1. I am => aren't
➡I am attractive, aren't I?
2. Positive imperative
➡Stop daydreaming, will / won't you?
3. Negative imperative
➡Don't stop singing, will you?
4. Let's
➡Let's go to the beach, shall we?
5. Have got (possession)
➡He has got a car, hasn't he?
6. There is / are
➡There aren't any spiders in the bedroom, are there?
7. This / that is
➡This is Paul's pen, isn't it?
8. When the subject of the main part of the sentence is anyone anybody, no one, nobody, none, neither, everyone, somebody, someone, everybody,etc.,
we use the Personal Pronoun “they” as the subject of the ‘tag’ part.
➡Neither of them explained, did they?
➡ don’t suppose anyone will help us, will they?
➡Everybody has left, haven’t they?
9. The statement sentences with words such as neither no, none, no one, no body, nothing, scarcely, barely, hardly, hardly ever, seldom, etc. which are, strictly speaking, treated as negative, are followed by an ordinary positive ‘tag’.
e.g.
➡No salt is allowed, is it?
➡Nothing was lost, was it?
➡Lee hardly worked, did he?
➡Sarah seldom visits us, does she?
10. We use won't with a polite request.
➡Open the window, won't you?
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