QUESTION TAGS

Question Tags. It is a common practice in conversation to make a statement

and to ask the listener to confrm it.
Ex: The boy is a fool.
How do we change the above statement into a qestion! "y ptting the axiliary
verb before the sb#ect $the boy%.
Is the boy a fool?
Look at some more sentenes!
&. $I understand that he asked for more.% 'ollen
$(o I nderstand that he asked for more!%
). $*liver asks for more%
(oes *liver ask for more!
+. $The boys took their places.%
Did the boys take their places!
These sentences are changed into a qestion by placing $"o#"oes#"i"% ,
at the beginning- sch qestions are called .es/0o qestions.
$hanging statements into %es#No Questions.
"efore changing the statements into .es/0o qestions- we have to know the
strctre of statement and .es/0o qestions.
The struture of statement is!
1b#ect 2 helping verb 2 main verb
I can do this
He will do that
1he was writing a letter
.o are reading a book
The statement start with sb#ects 3non/pronon4 and ends with a fll stop 3.4
The struture of a %es#No &uestion is!
Helping verb2 sb 2 5ain verb 2 etc!
Ex: 6an I do this!
'ill he do that!
'as she writing a letter!
7re yo reading a book!
Obser'e some more E(am)les!
Ex: &. yo can drive a car.
6an yo drive a car!
). 1he has fnished her work.
Has she fnished her work!
+. He will retrn from (elhi
tomorrow.
'ill he retrn from (elhi tomorrow!
a4 If the verb is in the frst form we shold se $do% as the helping verb nee"
the main verb shold be sed in the sane form.
Ex: &. I like sweets! (o I like
sweets!
). .o write poetry! (o yo write
poetry!
+. They play cricket. (o they play
cricket!
8. 'e eat rice. (o we eat rice!
b4 If the verb in the statement is in the form of $9& 2 s/es/ies%- we shold se
$does% as the helping verb to change the statements into yes/no qestions-
and the main verb shold be changed into the frst form of the verb.
Ex: &. He likes sweets. Does he like sweets!
). 1he reads novels. Does she read
novels!
+. 1he sings songs. Does she sing songs!
8. It eats grass. Does it eat
grass!
:. 1he goes to temple. Does she go to
temple!
Ex: &. He ate sweets. 3eat , ate ; eaten4 (id he eat sweets!
). He went to pictre. 3go , went ; gone4 Did he go to a
pictre!
+. 1he drew a pictre. 3draw , drew ; drawn4 Did she
draw a pictre!
8. They paid the fees. 3pay , paid ; paid4 Did they pay
fees!
:. The police arrested the thief. Did the police
arrest the thief!
$hange the follo*ing sentenes into %es#No &uestions.
+. Oli'er *as frightene" at the sight of so many gentlemen.
7. 'as liver frightened at the sight so many gentlemen!
,. %ou are an or)han.
7. 7re yo an orphan!
+. .o say yor prayers every night.
7. (o yo say yor prayers every night!
8. .o will pick oakm tomorrow morning.
7. 'ill yo pick oakm tomorrow morning!
:. 5r. "mble rshed into the room.
7. (id 5r. "mble rsh into the room!
<. They can devor the big bowl!
7. 6an they devor the big bowl!
=. "oys have generally excellent appetites.
7. (o the boys have generally excellent appetites!
-ea" the sentene!
.%ou *ere brought u) by the )arish/ *eren0t you?1
In this sentence $weren%t yo!% at the end is called qestion tag. >estion tags
are sed to get information or confrmation. The qestion tags are positive if the
statements are negative. 7nd if the statements are positive- qestion tags are
negative. These tags are short / contracted from the qestions. If the statement
has an axiliary- the tag begins with an axiliary. In case it does not have an
axiliary- it will begin with do/does/did.
2o* to *rite &uestion tags!
a4 >estion , tag starts with the axiliary verbs 3helping verbs4 given in the
statements.
b4 If the statements contains the simple tenses which do not have any
axiliaries then the axiliaries do does or did are sed.
i. If the verb is in the form of 9& then $do% is sed as the axiliary.
Ex:I like sweets- don%t I!
ii. If the verb is in the form of $9&/s/es/ies%- then $does% is sed as the
axiliary.
Ex:1he sings songs- doesn%t she!
iii. If the verb is in the form of 9) , then $did% is sed as the axiliary.
Ex:&. He went to Tenali- didn%t he!
). They played very well- didn%t they!
iv. 7lways se the contracted forms for the >estion tags.
Ex:amn%t- aren%t- can%t- won%t etc.
c4 If the statements are positive- qestion tags are negative.
Ex: &. He likes msic- doesn%t he!
). 1he reads novels- doesn%t she!
+. He can drive a car- can%t he!
8. 1he will attend the party- won%t she!
d4 If the statements are negative- the qestions are positive.
Ex: &. He cannot speak English- can he!
). 1he does not sing songs- does she!
+. I am not a stdent- am I!
8. They will not repay money in two weeks- will they!
e4 The pronon of the sb#ect of the statement is sed at the end of the
qestion tag.
Ex: &. Shakespeare did not write novels- did he!
). Oliver asked for more- didn%t he!
+. Bumble bit *liver on his head- didn%t he!
8. Sunitha is a good teacher. Isn%t she!
f4 If the statements contain negative adverbs sch as never- hardly-
scarcely- rarely and seldom the positive tags are sed.
Ex: &. He can scarcely write his own name- can%t he!
). He rarely tells lies- does he!
+. 0obody was hrt- was anybody!
8. He hardly visits his parents- does he!
:. He never tells lies- does he!