GRAMMAR

TOPIC : QUESTION TAG

presented by
Teacher: Mr.Brito Raj.A
 QUESTION TAG

• It is a type of question form which is added

to a statement to invite / captivate / arrest the
attention of the listener.

• The whole sentence is a "Tag question", and

the mini-question at the end is called a
"Question tag".
You're coming to my party, aren't you?
 TWO TYPES OF QUESTION TAGS

POSITIVE TAG Negative tag

 GENERAL RULES FOR THE QUESTION TAG

RULE : 1 & 2
 QUESTION TAG

Rule -3
Question tags are always in the contracted form of anomalous with “NOT”

Am+ not= aren’t Can + not = can’t

Is + not = isn’t Could + not = couldn’t
Are + not = aren’t May + not = mayn’t
Might+ not = mightn’t
Has + not = hasn’t
Shall + not = shan’t
Have + not = haven’t
Should + not = shouldn’t
Had + not = hadn’t Will + not = won’t
Do + not = don’t Would + not = wouldn’t
Does+ not = doesn’t Was + not = wasn’t
Did + not = didn’t Were+ not = weren’t
 QUESTION TAG

Rule- 4
If the subject of proper sentence is personal pronoun ( I, we, you, he, she,
it, they)then the subject of question tag will be same.
Ex. They are coming, aren't they?
She reads English, doesn't she?

Rule - 5
If the subject of the sentence is noun (PROPER, COMMON NOUN) then in
question tag we use personal (I, we, you, he, she, it, they) pronoun according to
the number, gender, and person of the subject of the statement. The subject in
the statement matches the subject in the tag.
Rani is a nice girl, isn't she?
They went to Bali, didn't they?
 1.Question Tag For The Statement

Rule- 1
Statements with auxiliaries (Primary Auxiliary + Modal Auxiliary + Semi-modal Auxiliary = Repeat The Modal)
Tony can run really fast, can't he?
The twins aren’t very nice, are they?
Football is n’t a great game, is it?
Snow is white, isn't it?
EXCEPTIONAL : I am a teacher, aren't I? / I am not a singer, am I?
I will do it , won’t I? / I shall go there, shan’t I ?
I used to sleep for a long time, didn’t I?

Rule – 2
Statements without auxiliaries (“DO FAMILY “)
The cuckoo sings beautifully, doesn’t it? Singular subject – present tense – use – “does”
Tenzing conquered the Everest, didn’t he? Plural subject – present tense – use –“do”
The sun shines hot in the summer, doesn’t it? Singular and plural – past tense- use –“did”
Rivers flow towards the sea, don’t they?
Sachin broke the world record, didn’t he?
Rule: 3
A. STATEMENTS USING “HAS/HAVE/HAD” AS AUXILIARIES
If the verb have is used as an auxiliary verb, then the tag is [have /
haven’t + pronoun]
EX: I have paid the fees, haven’t I?
The bell has rung, hasn’t it?
The school bus had started in time, hadn’t it?

B. STATEMENTS USING “HAS/ HAVE/ HAD” AS THE MAIN VERB – USE “DO/ DOES/ DID”

1. If the verb “HAVE” is used as the main verb then use do/don’t for the subjects “I,WE,YOU,THEY.”
EX: I have a car, don’t I?
Indians have great respect for traditions, don’t they?
2. If the verb is “HAS” then we use does/doesn’t for the subjects “HE, SHE, IT.”
EX: He has a pen, doesn’t he?
The tiger has sharp teeth, doesn’t it?
3. If the main verb is “HAD” then “we use “did / didn’t.”
EX: I had a dream, didn’t I?
Little Rosy had fever, didn’t she?
Rule: 4
Statements with “negative words” use positive tag
If the sentence has a negative expressions such as “Nobody, not, No, Never, Nothing, None, No one, Nowhere,
Hardly, Scarcely, Rarely, Barely, Seldom, Little, few”. Then the tag will be positive.
EX: Nothing happened, did it?
You had little hope, do you?
My grandfather never smokes, does he?
Sheela is not going to come today, is she?
The cuckoo has no care for its eggs, does it?
She rarely comes, does she?

Rule: 5
If the subject of the sentence is “THAT/THIS” then the pronoun in the tag is “IT”. If the
subject of the sentence is ”THESE / THOSE”. Then the tag will be ”THEY”.
EX: That is strange, Isn’t It?
These are our students, aren’t they?
Rule: 6
If the subject of the is “EVERYTHING,ANYTHING,SOMETHING,NOTHING the pronoun in
the tag is ”IT”.
EX: Everything is used, Isn’t It?
Rule: 7
If the subject of the sentence “Everyone, Everybody, Anybody, Anyone, Somebody,
Nobody, No one”, the pronoun in the tag will be ”THEY”.
EX: Somebody cried, Didn’t they?
Everybody cheered, didn’t they?
Nobody was injured, were they?
Someone can do it, can’t they?
Anybody will take up the challenge, won’t they?
Rule: 8
If “THERE / It (dummy subject)” is used as the subject of the sentence the same there
is used in the tag.
EX: There was a lot of fun, wasn’t there?
Rule: 9
“One / one of ……” is a singular subject hence the question tag is always singular He or
she
EX: One can do it easily, Can’t You?
 QUESTION TAG FOR IMPERATIVE SENTENCES

Rule- 1
• If the sentence begins with “Let / Let us” the tag should be “SHALL WE”.
EX: Let us eat now, shall we?
Rule:2
• If the sentence begins with “ Let me” the tag is “SHALL I”.
EX: Let me have a glass of water, shall I?
Rule:3
• After Negative Imperative sentences (Don’t) the tag/ Please + v-1 is “WILL
YOU” as the tag.
EX: Don’t sit here, will you?
Please come here, will you?
 QUESTION TAG FOR IMPERATIVE SENTENCES

Rule- 4
• After positive imperatives, we use ‘will you’, ‘won’t you’, ‘can you’, ‘can’t you’,
‘could you’, etc.
Open the door, will you?
• For invitation / offer / urgency
Join us for lunch tomorrow, won’t you? (invitation)
Come and visit again , won’t you?
Have one more chappathi , won’t you? (offer)
Open the emergency door, won’t you?(urgency)
• Expression of impatience
Answer patently and politely ,can’t you?
 EXERCISES:

1. They are not here, ___________? Are they / have they / will they
2. She was very late, _____________? Was she / wasn’t she / will she
3. I am confident, _____________? Are you / are they / aren’t i
4. Let us go for walk, _____________? Shall we / may we / will we
5. They are sure, _____________? Can they / aren’t they / will they
6. You are a Bengali, ____________? Aren’t you / can you / may you
7. They will catch the train, ________? Will they / won’t they / shall they
8. They went to Japan, __________? Did they / didn’t they / must they
9. He does his work properly, ______? Does he / doesn’the / will he
10. They do not waste their time, _________? Do they/ don’t they / will they