Tag-Questions or Question Tags • Statement Sentences with short questions at the end with a question mark! Tag-Questions • A ‘tag-question’ or ‘question tag’ is not a true question A tag question is used at the end of a Statement Sentence to get the confirmation from the listener, or just to express one’s doubt A question sentence, on the contrary, is used to get the answer Tag-Questions  You are my student Statement Sentence positive You are not my student Statement negative Are you my student? Question (interrogative)  You are my student, aren’t you? Tag-question   Tag-Questions  Whose books are these? – a true question  These are your books, aren’t they? -Tag-question – Positive These are not your books, are they? - Tag-question Negative Tag-Questions • Making a tag-question sentence: • She is your friend , isn’t she ? A positive tag-question sentence! Tag-Questions  There are five simple points we should follow when we use a Tagquestion:  Point  A comma is used between the main sentence and the ‘tag’ part, e.g  This is your book isn’t it? , Tag-Questions ► Point 2: ► Even if the subject of the main sentence is a noun – proper noun or common noun – the subject of the ‘tag’ part is always a corresponding PERSONAL PRONOUN e.g Mary isn’t your sister, is she? Tag-Questions Point (continued) J ohn has gone home, hasn’t ? ‘John’ – proper noun – male – singular he pronoun – male – singular – subjective case Tag-Question  Point (continued)  Ted and J erry got their books, didn’t ? ‘Ted and J erry’ – Proper nouns – male – plural they Personal Pronoun – male plural Tag-Questions  Point  The verb in the ‘tag’ part depends on the verb in the main sentence: If the verb in the main sentence is in Present Tense, the verb in the ‘tag’ part will be in Present Tense; and the verb in the main sentence is in Past Tense, the verb in the ‘tag’ part will be in Past, and so on If the verb in the main sentence is in Positive form, the verb in the ‘tag’ part will be in Negative form   Tag-Questions • Point (continued) • She is your sister, she? “is” – main verb – Simple Present Tense – POSITIVE isn’t – Simple present tense – NEGATIVE Tag-Questions  Point (continued)  Brad hasn’t done his work, he? ‘hasn’t’ – Present perfect – NEGATIVE has Present perfect POSITIVE Tag-Questions Point (continued)  Kate goes to school, she? ‘goes’ – Simple present – POSITIVE ‘does not go’ – Simple present – NEGATIVE doesn’t Point The negative form of the verb in the ‘tag’ part is always contracted:  does not = doesn’t; has not = hasn’t; will not = won’t Ta g-questions  Point (continued)  James did not go to school, he? ‘did not go’ – Simple past – NEGATIVE ‘go’ – Simple past – Positive; however, in ‘tag’ part, the auxiliary (helping) verb alone is used: did Tag-questions • Point Word order • In the statement sentence (in the main sentence) the subject comes first and the verb comes next; but in the ‘tag’ part, the verb comes first and the subject comes next, just as in the interrogative sentence Tag-Question  Point – word order (continued) For example: A woman fainted, didn’t she? Main sentence ‘tag’ part Subj ect f irst; verb next Verb f irst; subj ect next Ta g-Questions  There are some exceptions to some of the rules (points) we have discussed so far To understand those rules (points), first we have to master these points  Therefore, let’s master these rules (points) now, and then we can go for those exceptions later! .. .Tag- Questions • A ? ?tag- question? ?? or ? ?question tag? ?? is not a true question A tag question is used at the end of a Statement Sentence to get... aren’t you? Tag- question   Tag- Questions  Whose books are these? – a true question  These are your books, aren’t they? -Tag- question – Positive These are not your books, are they? - Tag- question. .. are they? - Tag- question Negative Tag- Questions • Making a tag- question sentence: • She is your friend , isn’t she ? A positive tag- question sentence! Tag- Questions  There are five simple points