Tag Question

Rules to remember for Tag Questions:

1. Positive question – negative tag
   Negative sentence – positive tag
2. Tag question of Auxiliary verb will be same Auxiliary verb
   for example: she is writing, isn’t she?
3. Tag question of Main verb will be started from do/did/does
   v1= do                      They go to Pokhara, don’t they?
   v2= did                    He ate his dinner, didn’t he?
   v5=does                   She drinks wine, doesn’t she?
4. We cannot write capital letters. (But, I will be capital always)
5. We always put question mark at last. (?)
6. We use pronouns for nouns
   for example: Ram = he, Sita = she, Ram and Sita = they
7. for example: cow = it, cows = they, pen = it, pens =they
8. We use contracted not for example:
   is not   isn’t

9. Some contracted not are different, for example
   willn’t = won’t
   shalln’t = shan’t

10. Tag question of
    I am = aren’t I?
    I am not = am I?

11. Tag question of
    Let = will you?
    Let’s = shall we?

12. If there is “please” in the sentence tag question will be ‘will you?’
13. If sentence starts with v1 tag question will be ‘will you?’
14. ‘s
    ‘s+ v4 = is
    ‘s+ v3 = has   (Active)
    ‘s + been = has (Passive)
    ‘s+ v3 = is (if by+subject is given at last; Or, in passive)
    #note: Check whether the sentence is active or passive. In active it is ‘has’ in passive; if there is been it is ‘has’ or if been is absent in passive it is ‘is’.

15. ‘d
    ‘d+ rather= would
    ‘d+ v1 = would
    ‘d+ better = had
    ‘d+ v3  = had

16. Question tag for the proverbs = ‘isn’t it?’
17. Negative adverbials will have positive tag
    No/not
    Never/ seldom/ hardly/ rarely/ barely/ scarcely etc.
    Nobody/ no one/ none/ neither of + plural nouns or pronouns
    [Note: if the above words are in statements, tag must be positive.]
    i.e. Samjhana scarcely writes her class works, does she?

18. Pronoun of SENA will be ‘they’ so that we should also change the agreement of the subject. ‘SENA’ come upon singular and take singular verbs whereupon ‘they’ comes upon plural. Therefore we must arrange the verb agreement.
    (in V² we can easily use ‘did’ but in case of V^1/5)
    i. Someone is dancing, isn’t they? (we cannot use ‘is’ for the pronoun ‘they’, so the correct form is ‘are’)
    ii. Someone is dancing, are they?
    iii. Someone gives me note, doesn’t they? (wrong)
    iii. Someone gives me note, don’t they? (right)
19. Have verbs
    They function in two different ways
    If they are followed by V³ they function as Auxiliary verb
    ii. If they are not followed by V³ they function as main verb
    Have = do
    Had = did
    Has = does
    – Let’s observe the examples
    I had gone to Pokhara, hadn’t I?
    I had my dinner, didn’t I?
    
    But?
    IF these ‘have’ verbs are functioning to address possessions then we don’t have to use ‘do’ verbs (do/does/did) for tag we can use same ‘have’ verbs
    Like;
    I have a laptop, haven’t I?/ don’t I?
    She has a car, hasn’t she?/ doesn’t she?

20. ‘All’ as subject
    All+ singular = it
    All+ plural = they
    All is well, isn’t it?
    All are working, aren’t they?

21. Pronouns for ‘One’ and ‘There’ will be the same ‘one’ and ‘there’
    There is a cat, isn’t there?
    One should be hygienic, shouldn’t one?
22. A sentence having two clauses starting from I (don’t) think/suppose we write tag with second clause
    but if the sentence is with relative clause we give tag to first clause

# Note: We can change the meaning of a tag question with the musical pitch of our voice. With rising intonation, it sounds like a real question. But if our intonation falls (Falling Intonation), it sounds more like a statement that doesn’t require a real answer:

A. Study the following examples.

1. You are tired, aren’t you?
2. He left Kathmandu, didn’t he?
3. Your father never touched alcoholic drinks, did he?
4. I am fine, aren’t I?
5. You are doing great, aren’t you?
6. They were not playing football, were they?
7. Ram plays badminton, doesn’t he?
8. Cat is running, isn’t it?
9. Cats are snoring, aren’t they?
10. Someone is searching you, aren’t they?
11. Nobody heard my yelling, did they?
12. She rarely speaks with me, does she?

B. Rewrite the following sentences adding appropriate question tag.

1. Gill does not know Ann,……………………?
2. I’m very patient,………..….?
3. They’d never met me before,……..……?
4. Listen carefully,…………….?
5. Let’s have a break,…………….?
6. Let us invite them,………………?
7. Hari used to live in France as a boy, ………..…?
8. You’d better not take a hard drink,……..…..?
9. Sheep eat grass,…………..?
10. Pande can speak nine languages, …………..….?
11. She’s finished her classes, ……………..……?
12. She barely managed to reach the goal,………….….?
13. Don’t let him swim in that pond, ………..…….?
14. There are lots of people here,…………….…..?
15. She has her meal in the morning,…………….…..?
16. Nobody heard a sound,…………….…..?
17. One shouldn’t lie,…………….…..?
18. Barsha hardly lies in her conversations,…………….…..?
19. Honesty is the best policy,…………….…..?
20. Football’s played by the students,…………….…..?
21. Someone is looking after her,…………….…..?
22. Barking dog seldom bites,…………….…..?
23. I shall have provided his demands to him,…………….…..?
24. She’s a lier,…………….…..?
25. We had better understand these in early life that study is always mandatory,…………….…..?
26. I don’t think he is laughing,…………….…..?
27. Story’s been told to us,…………….…..?
28. Copy’s checked,…………….…..?
29. She’s been given a book,…………….…..?
30. She’s introduced her friend,…………….…..?
31. The dress’s damaged,…………….…..?

B. Read the following situations. What do you say in these situations? Use question tags.

1. The sky is full of cloud. You can see lightning and hear thunder.
   – It’s going to rain soon,………………………..…..…….?
2. You want to pay the taxi fare but you are short by 100 rupees.
   – Shyam, you …………………………..…,…………………..…….?
3. You have met a stranger at a party and you want to have a chat with him/ her.
   – …………………..………………………………,……………………..….?
4. You came out of the film hall with your friend. You enjoyed the film.
   – The film ………………………..…….,………………………..………?
5. You and your friend listened to a comedian on the stage and felt spellbound by his/her performance
   – He gave an excellent………………………………..…,..………………………..…..?
6. You think your friend’s father has arrived from the US but you are not sure.
   – Your father…………………………..,………………………..……………?
7. You think Susan will join the new job tomorrow but you are not sure.
   – Susan……………………………….………………..….,…………….?
8. Your friend’s hair looks too short.
   – You have got ……………………………,……………………..…………?
9. You want to go for a picnic with your friends in class.
   – Let’s …………………………….,………………..… …………….?
10. You want permission from your father to go for a walk.
    – Let……………………, ……………………………..………..?
11. You have lost your pen and you want another one from your friend.
    – …………………………………………….,………………..………………?
12. You want to borrow some money from your brother.
    – …………………………………………….,………………………..………?