Tag questions

A – DEFINITION : A tag / a question tag is a short question that follows a statement.

B – Usage : We use the question tags into three types of sentences, which are :

I - Affirmative sentences

II - Negative sentences and

III - Impearative sentences

Tag with affirmative sentences

Rule: when you have affirmative sentence the tag must be negative and the affirmative answer is expected. Follow this structure to give : Sentences, tags and answers.

Ferme_retiens

Structure :

SENTENCE	TAG	ANSWER
Subject +verb +object	Auxiliary + n’t + subject pronoun ?	Yes, Pro + object.

Example : a- She is my friend isn’t she ? Yes, she is.

(Sentence) (Tag) (Answer)

b- We had good news this morning Hadn’t we ? Yes, we had.

C – Alio u could come here Couldn’t he ? Yes, He could.

USAGE OF PRONOUNS INTO SENTENCES , TAGS AND ANSWERS

SENTENCES	TAGS	ANSWERS
I	I	YOU
YOU	YOU	I
HE/SHE/IT	HE/SHE/IT	HE/SHE/IT
WE	WE	WE/YOU
YOU	YOU	WE
THEY	THEY	THEY

NOTE : When we have ‘’ I AM ‘’ as pronoun into affirmative sentence, the tag expected must be ‘’ aren’t I ? ‘’ and the ‘’ Yes, you are as answer.

Example : I am very happy today aren’t I ? Yes, you are. ,k

NOTE : When we have ordinary verbs like (to go, to take, to jump…), we use the auxiliary ‘’ do ‘’ to ask question tags and to give answers. Use the following rules for evidence :

Verbs in simple present

Verbs in simple past

Use : doesn’t for (He /She/ It and singular subjects)

Example :

She cooks the cassava doesn’t she ? Yes, she does.

The cat drinks the milk doesn’t it ? Yes, it does.

Use : didn’t for all (I, you, he, she , it, we, you, they, singular and plural subjects)

Example :

You drove a car didn’t you ? Yes, I did.

She slept well didn’t she ? Yes, shed id.

I knew that boy didn’t I ? Yes, You did.

His lion ate the meat didn’t it ? Yes, it did

All the children came together didn’t they ? Yes, they did.

The students solved their maths problem didn’t they ? Yes, they did.

We called them didn’t we ? Yes, we did.

Use : don’t for ( I, You, We , They and plural subjects)

Example :

I understand what you say don’t I ? Yes,you do.

Students speak Spanish don’t they ? Yes, they do.

II – Tags with negative sentences :

Rule: when we have negative sentence, the tag must be affirmative and the negative answer is expected. Follow this structure to give : Sentences, tags and answers.

Ferme_retiens

Structure :

SENTENCE	TAG	ANSWER
S + AUX + NOT + OBJECT	AUX + PRO ?	NO, PRO + AUX + NOT.

EXAMPLE : a) - She is not my friend is she ? No, she is not.

b - They won’t come tomorrow will they ? No, they will not.

c – She did not love it did she ? No, shed id not.

NOTE : When we have negation words, like (No, not, none, never, neither, rarely, scarecely, seldom, nothing, noone, nobody, …) in a particular sentence, we consider it as a negative sentence.

EXAMPLE : 1- He never comes here with his children does he ? No, he does not.

2- Nothing is in the bottle is it ? No, it is not.

NOTICE

Whenever we have the pronoun ( Someone, somebody, anyone, everybody, everyone, anybody, noone, nobody) as subject, we use ‘’ they’’ as pronoun into tags and answers.

Example :

1- Someone is calling you my dear aren’t they ? Yes, they are.

2 – Nobody could call me that day could they ? No, they could not.

III – TAGS WITH IMPERATIVE SENTENCES

There are two types of imperative sentences, which are :

Imperative inclusive : Where the one giving the order or the piece of advice is part of it. We always find the word ‘’ Let’s’’ at the beginning of the sentence, and the tag is ‘’ shall we ?’’

Example :

1- Let’s go shall we ?

2- Let’s write shall we ?

Imperative exclusive : Where the one giving order or advice is not part of it. Here the notice that there is no ~~subject~~ into the sentence.

EXAMPLE :

Stop talking will you ?

Call them for me will you ?

2024-02-27 11:10:27

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