Question Tag-English Grammar

Tag questions

Tag questions (or question tags) turn a statement into a question. They are often used for checking information that we think we know is true.

Tag questions are made using an auxiliary verb (for example: be or have) and a subject pronoun (for example: I, you, she). Negative question tags are usually contracted: It’s warm today, isn’t it (not ‘is it not’)

Usually if the main clause is positive, the question tag is negative, and if the main clause is negative, it’s positive. For example: It’s cold (positive), isn’t it (negative)? And: It isn’t cold (negative), is it (positive)?

If the main clause has an auxiliary verb in it, you use the same verb in the tag question. If there is no auxiliary verb (in the present simple and past simple) use do / does / did (just like when you make a normal question).

page(453-460)

Chapter 21
Question Tag

In grammar, a question tag is a very short clause at the end of a statement which changes the statement into a question. For example, in ‘She said half price, didn’t she?’, the words ‘didn’t she’ are a question tag.

A tag question is a special construction in English. It is a statement followed by a mini-question. We use tag questions to ask for confirmation. They mean something like: “Is that right?” or “Do you agree?” They are very common in English.

Question Tag       Question Tag
Quest – Question Tag

: He is a singer, isn’t he ?

She can do this work, cannot she ?

Joe writes her name, doesn’t she ?

Daeng ate a mango, didn’t he ?

(Question)

He is not a singer, is he ?

She cannot do this work, can she ?

Joe doesn’t write her name, does she ?

Daeng didn’t eat a mango, did he ?
(Question Tag)

Question Tag
Question Tag

comma Question Tag
Question Tag

1. comma Question
2. Question Tag
   3. Question Tag
   4. 24 (Helping Verb) (453)
   Question Tag5. Question Tag verb to do
3. Tense Question tag TenseQuestion TagHe is a student of this university, isn’t he?

   He is not a doctor to do here, is he ?

   I am not a teacher of this school, am I ?

   I am the owner of this house, aren’t I ?

   (aren’t amn’t  Question Tag)
   Manit works hard every day, doesn’t he ?

   – Nounn Question Tag  (Pronoun)

   Ladda wrote a letter to her friend, didn’t she ?
   He has a lot of friends in Bangkok, hasn’t he?

   Verb to have

   1. = possess
   2. Receive
   3. eat
   4. experience
   have  Question Tag  Verb to do

   She has a car at home, doesn’t she. ?

   Margaret had a letter this morning, didn’t she ?

   We have our lunch at school, don’t we ?   (Page 454)

They have a good time at Bangsaen, don’t they?

I shall go to see you tomorrow, shan’t I ?

Panni will let you stay with her, won’t she?
Prasert ought to start his working tomorrow, oughtn’t he ?

She need not go to the party, need she?

He dare swim across the Mekong River, daren’t he ?

need  dare  (ordinary verb)   Verb to do
Question Tag

She needs to learn sewing, doesn’t she?

He dared to fight with you, didn’t he ?

She doesn’t dare to live here alone, does she?

Used to : Question Tag used

not used
He used to go to live in Tokyo, didn’t he ?

I didn’t use to study Chinese, did 1 ?

Question Tag
Question Tag

: Question Tag       Structure

…………………..will you ?
Open the door of this house, will you ? (Page 455)

 

Stop smoking in the bus, will you ?
Come and see us tomorrow, will you?
Question Tag Let’s, Let me

Question Tag
Let’s  Let me
Let us Question
Tag Let’s  Structure :

Let’s……………… shall we ?
Let’s go for a walk this evening, shall we ?
Let’s go to the cinema tonight, shall we ?
Let’s sing the national song, shall we ?

Let me  Let + object  Question Tags
Let me……………………………,

will you?
Let +object……………………..,
Let me go home now, will you ?
Let him do this for me, will you
Let that man be free, will you ?

Let James Smith speak first, will you ?

Question Tag
(Question Tag
* Question Tag    (Page 456)

 

1).Question Tag     (Positive Statement)   “yes”
Question Tag เป็นปกเสบ (Negative Statement)  NO

Dr Sukhum is the rector of Ramkhamhaeng University, isn’t he? Yes, he is.

Kukrit is not the Prime Minister of Thailand. he 2.No, he isn’t

London isn’t the capital of England, is it2
London
Yes, it is

Error in Question Tag
Question Tag

1). there is, there are, there was, there were  Question Tag  Verb to be  + there

There is a cat in the kitchen, isn’t there?

There are not many people at the party, are there?

There was much rain in Bangkok, wasn’t there ?

2) This is, That is  Question Tag  isn’t it ?

is it ?

This is my table, isn’t it?

That isn’t her book, is it?

3/  Those are, These are Question Tag       aren’t they are they  (Page 457)

 

These are my trousers, aren’t they ?

Those are not her belongings, are they?

4).  few, little, never, seldom, hardly, rarely
scarcely, neither, none, nobody, nothing
Question Tag

Few people went to the cinema yesterday, did they ?

She has scarcely free time, does she?

Nothing is new, is it?

None of the girls liked him, did they ?

Little progress has been made, has it ?

5) . one Question Tag  one

One wants to be a good person, doesn’t one ?

One shouldn’t be selfish, should one ?

One can’t be too greedy, can one ?

6)  no one, nobody, everyone, anyone, anybody, neither of Question Tag    they

Nobody saw it, did they ?

Everyone wants to be happy, don’t they ?

Neither of them arrive here, do they ? (Page 458)

 

7) None of + ………..Question Tag

(a) none of +  Question Tag  they
None of the workers came on time, did they?

(b) none of us + Question Tag  we
None of us knew him, did we?
8). Question tag main Clause
He said he could do this, didn’t he ?

He talks as if he were a doctor, doesn’t he ?

Question Tag  Main Clause     Subordinate Clause
I think he has gone there, hasn’t he ?

We thought she was sick, wasn’t she ?

Choose the best answer for each of the following sentences

1. She goes to school every day,………………………………………….?
a. does not she
b. doesn’t she

1. doesn’t she go
2. does she
   2. He never used to give sweet words………………………………..he ?
   a. usedn’t
   b. didn’t
   c. did
3. never used
   3. My car needs cleaning every morning…………………………………?
   a doesn’t it
4. needsn’t it
5. isn’t it
6. needs it
   4. I am a teacher by profession,………………………………………………?a. aren’t I
7. amn’t I
8. am I
   c. are I
   5. Let’s sing a national song……………………………………………….?
   a. don’t we
9. don’t you
   c. shall we
10. shan’t we
    6. Please come and see me at home tomorrow, ……………………?
11. won’t you
12. will you
    c. don’t you
13. do you7. We have our lunch at school every day,…………………………?
    a. don’t we
14. do you
    c. don’t you
15. don’t you have (Page 459)
16. You’d better finish your report this week,.
    a. hadn’t you b. don’t you
    c. do you
    9. That job is hardly suitable for Peter
    a. isn’t it
    b. is it
    c. hardly it
    10. Nothing else was done, .
    a. wasn’t it
    b. was it
    c. wasn’t else
    11. She rarely goes to the cinema,………………..?
    a. does she
    b. rarely she
    c. doesn’t she
17. doesn’t rarely
    12. These are my belongings……………………………..?
    a. are they
    b. aren’t they
    c. aren’t these
18. are these
    13. Nobody liked him………………………………………….?
    a. didn’t they
19. didn’t he
    c. didn’t nobody
20. did they
    14. None of us loved her,……………………..…………….?
    a. did none
21. did they
22. did we
23. did her
    15. I think he is a doctor………………………………….?
    a. isn’t he

b . is he
c. don’t I

1. doesn’t he1. B 2. C 3. A 4. A 5. C
   6. B 7. A 8. A 9. B 10. B
   11. A 12. B 13. D 14. C 15. A (Page 460)