Tag-Questions or Question Tags

1. Tag-QuestionsorQuestion Tags • Statement Sentences with short questions at the end with a question mark!

2. Tag-Questions • A ‘tag-question’ or ‘question tag’ is not a true question. A tag question is used at the end of a Statement Sentence to get the confirmation from the listener, or just to express one’s doubt. A question sentence, on the contrary, is used to get the answer.

3. 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

4. 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

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

6. Tag-Questions • There are five simple points we should follow when we use a Tag-question: • Point 1 • A comma is used between the main sentence and the ‘tag’ part, e.g. • This is your book isn’t it? ,

7. Tag-Questions • Point 2: • Even if the subject of the main sentence is a noun – proper noun or common noun – the subject of the ‘tag’ part is always a corresponding PERSONAL PRONOUN. e.g. Mary isn’t your sister, is she?

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

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

10. Tag-Questions • Point 3 • The verb in the ‘tag’ part depends on the verb in the main sentence: • If the verb in the main sentence is in Present Tense, the verb in the ‘tag’ part will be in Present Tense; and the verb in the main sentence is in Past Tense, the verb in the ‘tag’ part will be in Past, and so on. • If the verb in the main sentence is in Positive form, the verb in the ‘tag’ part will be in Negative form.

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

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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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.

16. Tag-Question • 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

17. Tag-Questions • There are some exceptions to some of the rules (points) we have discussed so far. To understand those rules (points), first we have to master these points. • Therefore, let’s master these rules (points) now, and then we can go for those exceptions later!