ENGLISH TRAINING TUTORIALS

Lesson: Tag Questions

Question tags are the small questions that come at the end of sentences. We use question tags to check
whether something is true or to ask for agreement.
Now look at the following examples of question tags to get more ideas about them:
1. You don't like me, do you?
2. It isn't raining, is it?
3. You've done your homework, haven't you?
4. I'm not late, am I?
5. You like Chinese food, don't you?
6. You remembered to feed the cat, didn't you?
7. There's a problem here, isn't there?
8. You think you're clever, don't you?
Some Basic Rules for Tag Questions:
• Question tags are used after affirmative and negative sentences, but not after questions.
• We most often put negative tags after affirmative sentences, and non-negative tags after negative
sentences. Examples:
We are busy, aren’t we?
You haven’t done your assignment, have you?
• Negatives are usually contracted, but full forms are possible in formal speech.
Example: They promised to repay us by the end of this month, did they not?

If the main sentence has an auxiliary verb (or non-auxiliary be), this is repeated in the question tag.
• If the main sentence has no auxiliary, the question tag has do.
Non-auxiliary has may have both forms.
Examples:
John has passed the exam, hasn’t he? You smoke, don’t you?
Linda has a set of blue eyes, hasn’t she? You have a car, don’t you?

Some Basic Rules for Making Tag Questions:

 Positive/negative
Usually, if the main clause is positive, the question tag is negative, and if the main clause is negative, the
tag question is positive. For example:
It's cold (positive), isn't it (negative)? And: It isn't cold (negative), is it (positive)?
He’s a doctor, isn’t he? You work in a bank, don’t you?
You haven’t met him, have you? She isn’t coming, is she?
- With/without auxiliary verbs:
If the main clause has an auxiliary verb in it, we use the same verb in the tag question. If there is no
auxiliary verb (in the present simple and past simple), do / does / did is used (just like when you make a
normal question).
There is one exception: the question tag after I am is aren't I.
For example: I'm in charge of the food, aren't I?
They’ve gone away for a few days, haven’t they? They weren’t here, were they?
He had met him before, hadn’t he? This isn’t working, is it?
I said that, didn’t I? You don’t recognise me, do you?

- With modal verbs

If there is a modal verb in the main part of the sentence, the question tag uses the same modal verb.
They couldn’t hear me, could they? You won’t tell anyone, will you?
Examples:
Positive sentences with negative tags:
Present simple 'be': She's Italian, isn't she?
Present simple other verbs: They live in London, don't they?
Present continuous: We're working tomorrow, aren't we?
Past simple 'be': It was cold yesterday, wasn't it?
Past simple other verbs: He went to the party last night, didn't he?
Past continuous We were waiting at the station, weren't we?
Present perfect: They've been to Japan, haven't they?
Present perfect continuous: She's been studying a lot recently, hasn't she?
Past perfect: He had forgotten his wallet, hadn't he?
Past perfect continuous: We'd been working, hadn't we?
Future simple: She'll come at six, won't she?
Future continuous They'll be arriving soon, won't they?
Future perfect: They'll have finished before nine, won't they?
Future perfect continuous: She'll have been cooking all day, won't she?
Modals: He can help, can't he?
Modals: John must stay, mustn't he?

Negative sentences with positive tags:

Present simple 'be:' We aren't late, are we?
Present simple other verbs: She doesn't have any children, does she?
Present continuous: The bus isn't coming, is it?
Past simple 'be': She wasn't at home yesterday, was she?
Past simple other verbs: They didn't go out last Sunday, did they?
Past continuous: You weren't sleeping, were you?
Present perfect: She hasn't eaten all the cake, has she?
Present perfect continuous: He hasn't been running in this weather, has he?
Past perfect: We hadn't been to London before, had we?
Past perfect continuous: You hadn't been sleeping, had you?
Future simple: They won't be late, will they?
Future continuous: He'll be studying tonight, won't he?
Future perfect: She won't have left work before six, will she?
Future perfect continuous: He won't have been travelling all day, will he?
Modals: She can't speak Arabic, can she?
Modals: They mustn't come early, must they?

Imperatives
After imperatives, won’t you? is often used to invite people to do things, and will/would/can/can’t/could
you? to tell or ask people to do things.
Do sit down, won’t you? Shut up, can’t you?
After a negative imperative, we use will you? Don’t forget, will you?
Let’s
Let’s have a party, shall you?
There’s
There’s something wrong, isn’t there?
There weren’t any problem, were there?

Negative adverbs
The adverbs never, rarely, seldom, hardly, barely and scarcely have a negative sense. Even though they
may be in a positive statement, the feeling of the statement is negative. We treat statements with these
words like negative statements, so the question tag is normally positive.
You never care for people, do you? (Not, don’t you?)
There’s little we can do about it, is there?
Nobody phoned, did they?
I barely know you, do I?
You hardly ever came late, did you?
Exercise 1: Identify and change the passive voice verbs to active voice.
1. The gun was shot by Tina.
2. The soup was prepared by the cook.
3. The empty house will be torn down by the city.
4. Tony has been shocked by that wire twice today.
5. Her new car was stolen right out of the garage.
6. The team was given a standing ovation.
7. The horse was being ridden by Julia when I drove up.
8. The moving van was loaded by four perspiring men.
9. A tray of glasses was dropped by the new waiter.
10. A bomb was found in the suitcase by airport security.
11. The widow’s groceries are paid for by her neighbors.
12. His right leg was broken in two places.
13. Every garment is inspected by a supervisor.
14. My house was vandalized last night.
15. Jeff is often irritated by his neighbor’s noisy parties.

Exercise 2: Use appropriate tag questions in the following sentences:

1. None can do it, …………?
2. Neither of them went there, ……….?
3. Nobody went there, ………..?
4. Everybody saw you, ………….?
5. There is no pond in this village, ……..?
6. It is good idea, ……….?
7. We ought to love our country, ………..?
8. He is a brilliant student, …………?
9. I am not ready, ………..?
10. I am well, …………?

Exercise 3: Add question tags to the following sentences.

1. It’s very hot today, ………..?
2. You like him, ………….?
3. Kamal will come, …………?
4. We must hurry, ………….?
5. He will never give up, …………….?
6. Your father is a doctor, ……………..?
7. You have tea for breakfast, …………….?
8. I didn’t hurt you, ………………?
9. You aren’t going out, …………….?
10. They have sold the house, …………..?
11. I needn’t get up early tomorrow, …………..?
12. It isn’t ready yet, ……………?
13. Hasan hasn’t passed the examination, ……………?
14. They will go home soon, ………………?
15. He didn’t paint it himself, …………….?

Exercise 4: Complete the following sentences with appropriate tag questions:

1. She is collecting stickers, ________?
2. We often watch TV in the afternoon, __________ ?
3. You have cleaned your bike, __________?
4. John and Max don't like maths, _________?
5. Peter played handball yesterday, __________?
6. They are going home from school, __________?
7. Mary didn't do her homework last Monday, _________?
8. He could have bought a new car, ___________?
9. Kevin will come tonight, ____________?
10. I'm clever, _________?
11. He won't mind if I use his phone, __________?
12. She is enjoying herself, _________?
13. You weren't listening, _________?
14. I'm too impatient, _________?
15. Tom knows that his father is in the hospital, _________?

Exercise 5. Complete these sentences in the reported speech. ____

Example: "I went to shops." - John said he had gone to shops.
"It is so sad."
I said ..........................................................................................................................................................
"I've already done it."
He claimed that .........................................................................................................................................
"I saw you at the station."
Kim told me ..............................................................................................................................................
"I can't help you."
Dan explained that ....................................................................................................................................
"I could fail the exam."
He was afraid that .....................................................................................................................................
"The Amazon is the biggest river."
He knew that .............................................................................................................................................
"I may come a bit late."
Bill told me that ........................................................................................................................................
"I've been reading a book."
He replied that ...........................................................................................................................................
"David must be on a diet."
The doctor said ..........................................................................................................................................
"You haven't written the essay."
The teacher thought that ............................................................................................................................
"I was with her."
Jim admitted that .......................................................................................................................................
"I'm texting my boyfriend."
She said .....................................................................................................................................................
"I will finish the picture."
Marion promissed .....................................................................................................................................
"I would accept it."
She said ...............................................................................................................................