Question Tags
A question tag is a very short form of a question used for the confirmation of the state
Simple Rules:
1. All the letters except the pronoun 'I' in the question tag must be written in small letters.
2. The statement and question tag is separated with a comma(,).
3. An auxiliary verb with 'not' is normally written in contracted form.
4. Don't forget to write a question mark at the end of the question tag.
5. The subject of the question tag can be anyone these nine pronouns: I, we, you, he, she, it, they, one, there.
The affirmative statement has a negative question tag:
Eg. He is going to school, isn't he?
The negative statement has an affirmative question tag:
Eg. She has not painted a picture, has she?
The words (adj, adv., and pronoun) that make a sentence negative are:
not, no (one, nobody, nothing, no money)
none, never, seldom, hardly, rarely
scarcely, barely, little, neither-nor
Examples :
(i) I have no money, have I? or do I?
(ii) They never walk in the morning, do they?
(iii) A barking dog seldom bites, does it?
(iv) There's little we can do about it, is there?
(v) Neither he nor I opened the window, did I?
(vi) I could hardly believe my eyes, could I?
Short/contracted form of some auxiliary verbs:
is not -- isn't
were not--weren't
are not -- aren't
do not-- don't
was not- wasn't
does not - doesn't
have not- haven't
did not - didn't
has not - hasn't
had not- hadn't
dare not- daren't
must not- mustn't
could not - couldn't
Should not -shouldn't
ought not to - oughtn't to
might not- mightn't
would not- wouldn't
may not-mayn't
need not - needn't
Special contracted form:
am not - aren't
cannot - can't
will not - won't
shall not- shan't
The question tag for 'I am' is 'aren't I?
Eg.
I am happy, aren't I?
I am not a student, am I?
Use of do/does/did:
(i) If there's the main verb without aux.
-She ate rice, didn't she?
-Mr. Rai goes there, doesn't he?
(ii) "Have, has, had," as main verbs:
-Kamala has her breakfast, doesn't she?
-We had a meal, didn't we?
But, I have a new pen, don't I? or haven't I? (because here 'have' means 'own; possess')
(iii) With the aux. -have to, has to, had to, used to:
-You have to write an essay, don't you?
-Her father has to buy a new bike, doesn't he?
-My dog used to bark at the stranger, didn't it?
Tense Rules
i. Sub's = is + V-ing (active)/V3 (passive) = has + V3 (active)
E.g
-He's writing now, isn't he?
(here, writing is V-ing,So 'is')
-She's written an essay, hasn't she? (active)
(here ,written is V3 ,So 's is 'has')
ii. Sub'd =had + better/v3 = would + rather/v1
[had -better
would- rather]
Eg.
-You'd better leave this place, hadn't you?
-She'd rather go swimming, wouldn't she?
-He'd seen him, hadn't he?
-He'd see him, wouldn't he?
The subject is to be changed into a personal pronoun (he, she, it, they).
Eg.
-This is my school, isn't it? [This-it]
-Those are his goats, aren't they?[Those-they]
-Her name is Sabina, isn't it?[Her name-it]
But - there, one remains the same:
-There's a cow in the shed, isn't there?
-One should speak the truth, shouldn't one?
None, No one, Nobody, someone, somebody, everyone, everybody, anyone, and anybody change into them. Then singular verb is changed into the plural:
-Nobody knows the way, do they?
-Everyone was running away, weren't they?
-Someone has stolen my purse, haven't they?
Something, Anything, Everything, and Nothing changes into it:
Eg.
-Something will appear there, won't it?
-Nothing is good, is it?
Questions for practice :
Rewrite the following sentences as directed in the brackets:(question tag) (1) Everything is perishable, -----? (question tag) (2) I'm tired and hungry, ------? (3) I'm all right, ------? (4) Let's do our homework, ------? (5) Gopal and Krishna will finish the work, ----? (6) Niru never gets angry, -----? (7) No one solved the problem, . -----? (8) I'm a nurse, ------? (9) You are very foolish, ------? (10) Everyone will be satisfied with it, -----? (11) Let me open the door, -----? (12) None helped me last week, ------? (13) Now I must escape from this town at once, ----? (14) Sheela, bring me your pen,-----? (15) He's singing a song, -----? (16) Please, sit down, -----? (17) Students do not go to school on Saturdays,-----?
Have some questions or confusion?
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