1. TAG QUESTIONS – Tags are used to turn affirmative/declarative sentences into questions. – Tags usually employ the same auxiliary or modal used in the main clause.

2. BALANCING TAGS – RULE OF THUMB If the main clause is negative, the tag is positive. If the main clause is positive, the tag is negative. – You can break this rule, can’t you? (+, -) + - – You can’t break this rule, can you? (-, +) - +

3. TAGS AND AUXILIARY VERBS The tag should agree in tense (past and present) with the remainder of the sentence when using the auxiliary verbs do, be or have. Raise your intonation if you seek information. Lower your intonation if you expect the listener to agree with the information in the stem.

4. TO BE – PROGRESSIVE ASPECT – Are you completing your assignment? – You are completing your assignment, aren’t you? – Were you completing the lesson? – You were completing the lesson, weren’t you?

5. TO BE – SIMPLE ASPECT If the main verb is “to be” in the simple aspect, then the tag question uses the verb “to be”. – Is it another English lesson? – It is another English lesson, isn’t it? – Was it another lecture in Japanese? – It was another lecture in Japanese, wasn’t it?

6. TO DO – SIMPLE ASPECT – Do you run marathons? – You run marathons, don’t you? – Did you complete your assignment? – You completed your assignment, didn’t you? Remember that do is omitted in the affirmative simple sentence unless it used for emphasis. – COMPARE: You did complete your assignment, didn’t you?

7. TO HAVE – PERFECT ASPECT – Have you completed your assignment? – You haven’t completed your assignment, have you? – Had you travelled to Miami? – You had travelled to Miami, hadn’t you?

8. TO HAVE – MAIN VERB You can either use “do” or “have” if the main verb is “have”. Do is more common in Canada, so try using “do”! – Do you have a car? – You have a car, don’t you? – You have a car, haven’t you?

9. TAGS AND MODAL VERBS

10. CAN/COULD (ability) – Can you type a letter in Chinese? – You can type a letter in Chinese, can’t you? – Could you run 100 kilometres when you were young? – You could run 100 kilometres when you were young, couldn’t you?

11. WILL/WOULD – Will you answer my question? – You will answer my question, won’t you? AVOID using “will not” in a tag question. Use “won’t”! Would you go on welfare if you lost your job? You would go on welfare if you lost your job, wouldn’t you?

12. SHOULD Should you shower every day? You should shower every day, shouldn’t you?