Using Tag Questions BY G. Javier Burgos

What is a tag question? Sentence part Tag A tag question is a sentence with a question phrase connected at the end. Example: It’s windy today, isn’t it? Sentence part Tag

Tag questions have two purposes: To clarify information (the speaker expects an answer) Example: We have a test tomorrow, don’t we? Mr. Smith is coming to the meeting, isn’t he? I’m permitted to park here, aren’t I?

Tag questions have two purposes: To agree with someone (the speaker does not expect an answer) Example: You’re falling asleep, aren’t you? The party was a lot of fun, wasn’t it? I didn’t win the lottery, did I?

Forming Tag Questions (6 easy steps) Identify the verb in the sentence. Sergio likes to eat at buffets, ______ ______? verb

Forming Tag Questions (6 easy steps) Identify the type of verb. (Is it the verb “to be”, an auxiliary verb, or the main verb?) Sergio likes to eat at buffets, ______ ______? Main verb

Forming Tag Questions (6 easy steps) Identify the tense of verb. (Is it in present or past tense?) Sergio likes to eat at buffets, ______ ______? Present tense

Forming Tag Questions (6 easy steps) Step 4: If in present tense, determine if 1st or 3rd person. If in past tense, use auxiliary “to be” or “do” in past. Sergio likes to eat at buffets , _ _ ______? Use the auxiliary verb “does”. does Third person

Forming Tag Questions (6 easy steps) Step 5: Is the verb affirmative or negative? Sergio likes to eat at buffets, __________? Write in the opposite. doesn’t Affirmative

Forming Tag Questions (6 easy steps) Add the pronoun at the end. Sergio likes to eat at buffets, doesn’t ? he Noun

Overview Step 2: Identify the type of verb. Step 1: Identify the verb in the sentence. Step 2: Identify the type of verb. Step 3: Identify the tense. Step 4: If in present tense, determine if 1st or 3rd person. If in past tense, use auxiliary “to be” or “do” in past. Step 5: Affirmative or negative? Step 6: Add pronoun.

Let’s Practice wasn’t it isn’t it didn’t it Lunch was delicious, ? Spring break is next week, _________? Class finished quickly, _________? wasn’t it isn’t it didn’t it

You’ve called the movers, They’re coming tomorrow, This isn’t going to be cheap, You haven’t finished packing, We don’t need any more boxes, Pablo is going to help us, We can put some things in storage, Jack isn’t buying our bookcases, We need to disconnect the phone, The movers aren’t packing the books for us, We can’t turn off the electricity yet, Moving is hard, can we? do we? is he? isn’t it? aren’t they? have you? isn’t he? is it? haven’t you? don’t we? can’t we? are they?

He won the prize, didn’t he? question tag 2.a. NEGATIVE QUESTION TAG: If the sentence is positive, the question tag is negative: You have seen that film, haven’t you? + - 2.b. POSITIVE QUESTION TAG: If the sentence is negative, the question tag is positive: You haven’t seen that film, have you? - + If the sentence contains a negative word (never, hardly…) the question tag is positive: Ann never goes anywhere, does she?

FORM 3. Questions tags consist of … AUXILIARY VERB + PRONOUN: I shouldn’t laugh, should I? Sarah was winning, wasn’t she? We use the auxiliary verb that is used in the previous sentence. If there is no auxiliary verb, se use “do/does” (present tense) and “did” (past tense): You live near here, don’t you? You turned left, didn’t you? The pronoun refers to the subject of the previous sentence.

FORM 4. Some verbs form question tags differently: I am  aren’t I? I’m helpful, aren’t I? There is  isn’t there? There is a chemist’s near here, isn’t there? There are  aren’t there? There are many shops in the area, aren’t there? This is / That is  isn’t it? That’s your wife over there, isn’t it?

FORM 5. When we answer question tags, we often use short answers: A: You are French, aren’t you? B: Yes, I am. / No, I’m not.  SHORT ANSWERS A: She’s got a dog, hasn’t she? B: Yes, she has. / No, she hasn’t.  SHORT ANSWERS A: You smoke, don’t you? B: Yes, I do. / No, I don’t.  SHORT ANSWERS Note: A comma is used between the main sentence and the ‘tag’ part, e.g. This is your book isn’t it?

MORE-------Tag-Questions You are my student. Statement Sentence positive You are not my student. Statement negative Are you my student? Question (interrogative) You are my student, aren’t you? Tag-question

Tag-Questions Whose books are these? – a true question These are your books, aren’t they? -Tag-question – Positive These are not your books, are they? - Tag-question -- Negative

Tag-Questions , ? Making a tag-question sentence: She is your friend isn’t she ? A positive tag-question sentence!

Tag-Questions Mary isn’t your sister, is she? subject of the ‘tag’ part is always a corresponding PERSONAL PRONOUN. e.g. Mary isn’t your sister, is she?

Tag-Questions he pronoun – male – singular – subjective case Point 2 (continued) John has gone home, hasn’t ? ‘John’ – proper noun – male – singular he pronoun – male – singular – subjective case

Tag-Question ‘Ted and Jerry’ – Proper nouns – male – plural they Point 2 (continued) Ted and Jerry got their books, didn’t ? ‘Ted and Jerry’ – Proper nouns – male – plural they Personal Pronoun – male -- plural

Tag-Questions REMEMBER--- If the verb in the main sentence is in Positive form, the verb in the ‘tag’ part will be in Negative form.

Tag-Questions isn’t – Simple present tense – NEGATIVE Point 3 (continued) She is your sister, she? “is” – main verb – Simple Present Tense –POSITIVE isn’t – Simple present tense – NEGATIVE

Tag-Questions Point 3 (continued) Brad hasn’t done his work, he? ‘hasn’t’ – Present perfect – NEGATIVE has Present perfect -- POSITIVE

Tag-Questions Point 3 (continued) Kate goes to school, she? ‘goes’ – Simple present – POSITIVE ‘does not go’ – Simple present – NEGATIVE doesn’t Point 4 The negative form of the verb in the ‘tag’ part is always contracted: does not = doesn’t; has not = hasn’t; will not = won’t

Tag-questions Point 3 (continued) James did not go to school, he? ‘did not go’ – Simple past – NEGATIVE ‘go’ – Simple past – Positive; however, in ‘tag’ part, the auxiliary (helping) verb alone is used: did

Tag-questions Point 5 -- Word order In the statement sentence (in the main sentence) the subject comes first and the verb comes next; but in the ‘tag’ part, the verb comes first and the subject comes next, just as in the interrogative sentence.

Tag-Question Subject first; verb next Verb first; subject next Point 5 – word order (continued) For example: A woman fainted, didn’t she? Main sentence ‘tag’ part Subject first; verb next Verb first; subject next

This is what we use… Shall Ex: Let’s go out for a walk, shall we? Will/ would Ex: Post this letter for me, will you? Aren’t I’m younger than you, aren’t I ?

Think about question tags for these statements: I’m right,_____________? You’ve been working late again,_____________? You haven’t got a pen by any chance,____________? Let’s have a break,_________? Sit down a moment, ________? You met your husband in N.Y,___________? We’re going to London on Saturday, ______________? You haven’t broken that as well, ____________?

Tips! In replies to question tags we use short answers. You’ve been here before, haven’t you? No, I haven’t, actually! Notice that when the information is not correct people use actually after the short answer. Notice the comma before the question tag

Thanks a bunch! G. Javier Burgos E.L.T. elt@gmx.us