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Tag-Questions. Toomas Runtal Form 11 2013. 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.
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Tag-Questions Toomas Runtal Form 11 2013
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.
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 • There are four 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?
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?
Tag-Question • 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 • 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.
Tag-Questions • Point 3 (continued) • Brad hasn’t done his work, he? ‘hasn’t’ – Present perfect – NEGATIVE has Present perfect -- POSITIVE
Tag-questions • Point 4 -- 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 • Point 4 – word order (continued) For example: A woman fainted, didn’t she? Main sentence ‘tag’ part Subject first; verb next Verb first; subject next
Exercises MrMcGuinness is from Ireland,? The car isn't in the garage,? You are John,? She went to the library yesterday,? He didn't recognize me,? Cars pollute the environment, ? Mr. Pritchard has been to Scotland recently,? The trip is very expensive,? He won't tell her,? Hugh had a red car,?
Key MrMcGuinness is from Ireland, isn't he ? The car isn't in the garage, is it ? You are John, aren't you ? She went to the library yesterday, didn't she ? He didn't recognize me, did he ? Cars pollute the environment, don't they ? Mr. Pritchard has been to Scotland recently, hasn't he ? The trip is very expensive, isn't it ? He won't tell her, will he ? Hugh had a red car, didn't he?
References • http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/grammar/qu_tags.htm • http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/question-tags