Tag-Questions or

Question Tags

Prepared by : Kani Mohammad & Shapol Abdullah

Supervised by : Mr. Hersh
 Statement Sentences with short questions at
the end with a question mark ?
 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 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?
 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-Questions

 Point 2 : (Continued)

 John has gone home, hasn’t he?

‘John’ – proper noun – male – singular
( he ) – pronoun – male – singular – subjective case
 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)

 Kate goes to school, doesn’t she?

‘goes’ – Simple present – POSITIVE

‘does not go’ – Simple present – NEGATIVE

 Tag-questions

 Point 3 (continued)

 James did not go to school, did he?

‘did not go’ – Simple past – NEGATIVE

 Tag-questions

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
 Tag-questions
Point 5: ( Modal )
AUXILIARY VERB + PRONOUN:
I shouldn’t laugh, should I?
We use the auxiliary verb that is used in the previous
sentence. If there is no auxiliary verb, we use “do/does”
(present tense) and “did” (past tense):
You live near here, don’t you?
You turned left, didn’t you?
The pronoun refers to the subject of the previous sentence.
 Tag-questions
Point 6: (Exception)
Some verbs form question tags differently:
I am  aren’t I?
I’m helpful, aren’t I?
There is  isn’t there?
There is a chemist’s near here, isn’t there?
There are  aren’t there?
There are many shops in the area, aren’t there?
This is / That is  isn’t it?
That’s your wife over there, isn’t it?
 Exercise: (Make a correct tag questions of each sentence)

1. This campus is so great,....................?

2. He can speak Sundanese well, .....................?
3. Students did their mid test a few months ago,..........?
4. The price of petrol (BBM) has been decided, .........?
5. Indonesia is not a part of East Asian, ..............?
6. There are some factors to increase productivity,...........?
7. You should obey the regulation of your campus,........?