Tags Questions

 

Tag Questions: A Tag question is a special construction in English. It is common in English to make a statement followed by a small question to it in order to confirm what is being said in the main sentence. These small questions which follow the main statement are called tag questions. They mean something like:

“Is that right?” or

 “Do you agree?”

The basic structure of a tag question is : Positive statement ------- negative tag. For example:

Mili is an intelligent girl, isn’t she?

 Kulbir is a very compassionate person, isn’t he?

Negative statement: positive tag. For example:

 Usha has not forgotten me, has she?

 You don’t like me, do you?

Note that the tag repeats the auxiliary verb (or the main verb when “be”) from the statement and changes it to negative or positive.

In the case of imperative sentences, we normally use ‘will you?’ as the tag, regardless of the subject is a positive or a negative one:

Give me your book, will you?

 Don’t insult your sister, will you?

The tag ‘won’t you?’ suggests urgency. For example:

 Read the suggestions carefully, won’t you?

In the case of suggestions beginning with ‘let's, the tag, ‘shall we?’ is used:

 Let’s go to our old school, shall we?

 

Exercise:

Add appropriate tags to the following sentences. (Please remember that when a tag is added, the full stop is changed to a comma.)

 I do not like tea.

 The team reached the ground on time.

 We are always expected to do our duty.

 My journey to London was not an easy one.

There is no point in crying over spilled milk.

 Let’s go to watch a movie.

 That was not a very warm welcome indeed.

 Most of us do not like getting up early in the morning.

 Nisha loses her temper so often.

 None of the delegates liked our work.

 You needn’t worry all the time.

 Some of us could tell us the correct answer to the question.

Everybody can’t afford to go abroad.

 We shouldn’t forget that we are guests here.

 The shopkeeper wouldn’t allow us to buy in bulk.

Answers:

 I do not like tea, do I?

 Virat Kohli reached the ground on time, didn’t he?

 We are always expected to do our duty, Aren’t we?

 My journey to London was not an easy one, was it?

 There is no point in crying over spilled milk, isn’t it?

 Let’s go to watch a movie, shall we?

 That was not a very warm welcome indeed, was it?

 Most of we do not like getting up early in the morning, do we?

 Nisha loses her temper so often, isn’t it?

 None of the delegates liked our work, did they?

You needn’t worry all the time, do you?

 Some of us could tell us the correct answer to the question, could we?

 Everybody can’t afford to go abroad, can they?

 We shouldn’t forget that we are guests here, should we?

The shopkeeper wouldn’t allow us to buy in bulk, did he?