Using Tag Questions

By SYAMSIAH,S.PD

What is a tag question? question?

question ( ex: Youve done a lot of travelling, havent you? you? by a negative or positive question tag. ( ex: tag. Your father works in Canada, doesnt he? / Canada, doesn There arent any theatres in the city, are city, there? there?
A positive or negative statement followed A positive statement followed by a short

What is a tag question? question?

A tag question is a sentence with a question phrase connected at the end. Example: Its windy today, isnt it?

Sentence part

Tag

question ( ex: Youve done a lot of travelling, havent you? you? by a negative or positive question tag. ( ex: tag. Your father works in Canada, doesnt he? / Canada, doesn There arent any theatres in the city, are city, there? there?
A positive or negative statement followed

A positive statement followed by a short

Tag questions have two purposes:

1. To clarify information (the speaker expects an answer)
Example:
We have a test tomorrow, dont we? Mr. Smith is coming to the meeting, isnt he? Im permitted to park here, arent I?

Tag questions have two purposes:

2. To agree with someone
(the speaker does not expect an answer) Example:
Youre falling asleep, arent you? The party was a lot of fun, wasnt it? I didnt win the lottery, did I?

Forming Tag Questions

(6 easy steps) Step 1: Identify the verb in the sentence.
Sergio likes to eat at buffets, ______ ______?

verb

Forming Tag Questions

(6 easy steps) Step 2: Identify the type of verb.
(Is it the verb to be, an auxiliary verb, or the main verb?) Sergio likes to eat at buffets, ______ ______?

Main verb

Forming Tag Questions

(6 easy steps) Step 3: Identify the tense of verb.
(Is it in present or past tense?) Sergio likes to eat at buffets, ______ ______?
Present tense

Forming Tag Questions

(6 easy steps) Step 4: If in present tense, determine if 1st tense, or 3rd person. If in past tense, use tense, past. auxiliary to be or do in past.
does Sergio likes to eat at buffets , _ _ ______?
Third person

Use the auxiliary verb does. does.

Forming Tag Questions

(6 easy steps) Step 5: Is the verb affirmative or negative?
Sergio likes to eat at buffets, doesnt __________?
Affirmative

Write in the opposite.

Forming Tag Questions

(6 easy steps) Step 6: Add the pronoun at the end.
Sergio likes to eat at buffets, doesnt he ?
Noun

Overview
Step 1: Step 2: Step 3: Step 4:
Identify the verb in the sentence. Identify the type of verb. Identify the tense. If in present tense, determine if 1st or 3rd person. If in past tense, use auxiliary to be or do in past. Step 5: Affirmative or negative? Step 6: Add pronoun.

Outstanding exceptions: exceptions:

What do you use after. after.

Lets imperatives .. and after Im ?

Here are we use

Shall

Ex: Lets go out for a walk, shall we? walk, we?

Will/ would Will/

Ex: Post this letter for me, will you? you?

Arent

Im younger than you, arent I ? you,

Lets Practice
Lunch was delicious, wasnt it ? isnt it Spring break is next week, _________? didnt it Class finished quickly, _________?

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

Youve called the movers, Theyre coming tomorrow, This isnt going to be cheap, You havent finished packing, We dont need any more boxes, Pablo is going to help us, We can put some things in storage, Jack isnt buying our bookcases, We need to disconnect the phone, The movers arent packing the books for us, We cant turn off the electricity yet, Moving is hard,

a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. j. k. l.

can we? do we? is he? isnt it? arent they? have you? isnt he? is it? havent you? dont we? cant we? are they?

Think about question tags for these statements: statements:

Im right,_____________? Youve been working late again,_____________? You havent got a pen by any chance,____________? Lets have a break,_________? Sit down a moment, ________? You met your husband in N.Y,___________? Were going to London on Saturday, ______________? You havent broken that as well, ____________?