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Question Tags

The document discusses question tags, which are questions formed by adding a question word to a statement. It provides examples of question tags and outlines rules for forming them correctly based on whether the original statement is positive or negative. It discusses matching the subject and verb form between the statement and question tag. It also addresses how to answer question tags and whether to use rising or falling intonation. Finally, it provides practice examples of question tags.

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200gatinhos123
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23 views

Question Tags

The document discusses question tags, which are questions formed by adding a question word to a statement. It provides examples of question tags and outlines rules for forming them correctly based on whether the original statement is positive or negative. It discusses matching the subject and verb form between the statement and question tag. It also addresses how to answer question tags and whether to use rising or falling intonation. Finally, it provides practice examples of question tags.

Uploaded by

200gatinhos123
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Question Tags

• Look at these questions:


• Gordon Lam is dead, isn’t he?
• The police don’t know who killed Mr Lam, do
they?

What sort of questions are they?

They are Question Tags (Tag


questions).
Forming tag questions
Tag questions are formed by a statement and a
question tag.

• Jack isn’t your brother, is he?


• Mabel lives in Central, doesn’t she?
• They have finished their homework, haven’t they?
Question tags
Formed by an auxiliary verb and a pronoun

• Jack isn’t your brother, is he?


• Mabel lives in Central, doesn’t she?
• They have finished their homework, haven’t they?
Question Tag - Rules

Add a negative question tag to a positive


statement
• We get too much homework, don’t we?

Add a positive question tag to a negative


statement.
• The police don’t have many clues, do they?
Question Tag - Rules

The subject of the question tag (always a pronoun)


must also match the subject in the statement.

• Jack isn’t your brother, is he?


• Mabel lives in Central, doesn’t she?
• Those students have finished their homework,
haven’t they?
Question Tag - Rules
The form of the verb in the question tag must be the
same as that in the statement.

1) Question tags with verb “to be”


• You aren’t feeling well, are you?
• The police were investigating the murder, weren’t
they?

2) Question tags with verb to do (does, did)


• Dennis saw Mr Wong yesterday, didn’t he?
• The police don’t have many clues, do they?
• Jimmy likes eating chocolate, doesn’t him?
Question Tag - Rules

3) Question tags with modal verbs


• We should write our report today, shouldn’t we?
• We can’t take pictures of the room, can we?
• John mustn’t be late, must he?

(4) After an order or request with imperatives


• Close the door, will you?
• Don’t make so much noise, will you?
Question Tag - Rules

(5) After let’s, we use shall we? to make suggestions


• Let’s go for a swim, shall we?
• Let’s get something to eat, shall we?

(5) Negative words


• We will never arrive on time, will we?
• The teacher hardly ever looks at them, does he?
Some Special Cases:
I am right, aren't I? aren't I (not amn't I)
You have to go, don't you? you (do) have to go...
I have been answering, haven't I? use first auxiliary
treat statements with nothing,
Nothing came in the post, did it? nobody etc like negative
statements
Let's go, shall we? let's = let us
Be here tomorrow, will you? Imperative = WILL YOU
There wasn’t rain at night, was There to be is the auxiliary
there?
He'd better do it, hadn't he? he had better (no auxiliary)
Answering tag questions

• You have coffee every morning, don’t you?

Agree Disagree
Yes, I do. No, I don’t.

• You don’t like classical music, do you?

Agree Disagree
No, I don’t. Yes, I do.
Rising / falling tone?

Voice goes down: You are sure about the answer and
want the other person to agree with you
• The weather is fine today, isn’t it?

Voice goes up: It’s a real question


• You haven’t seen my keys, have you?
Practice

You’re a doctor, aren’t you?

Jean is exercising, isn’t she?


I have a fever, don’t I?
Tim eats healthy food, doesn’t he?
Practice

They saw a nurse, didn’t they?

You’ll take the medicine, won’t you?


You aren’t sick, are you?
Tim isn’t here now, is he?
Practice

They don’t like apple juice, do they?

Monica doesn’t smoke, does she?


You didn’t bring extra pen, did you?
They can’t play tennis, can they?
Practice

There is an answer, isn’t there?

They’ve lived in China, haven’t they?


She’s put on weight, hasn’t she?
I would never lie, would I?
Practice

Your brother could sing, couldn’t he?

There’s been no snow, has there?


We flew in the morning, didn’t we?
Theresa must have left, mustn’t she?
Practice

I am nice, aren’t I?

Let’s search, shall we?


Don’t say that, will you?
Write it down, will you?

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