Tag-Questions or
Question Tags
Prepared by : Kani Mohammad & Shapol Abdullah
Supervised by : Mr. Hersh
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 Tag-question:
Point 1
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 2 : (Continued)
John has gone home, hasn’t he?
‘John’ – proper noun – male – singular
( he ) – pronoun – male – singular – subjective case
Tag-Questions
Point 3
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 3 (continued)
Kate goes to school, doesn’t she?
‘goes’ – Simple present – POSITIVE
‘does not go’ – Simple present – NEGATIVE
Tag-questions
Point 3 (continued)
James did not go to school, did he?
‘did not go’ – Simple past – NEGATIVE
Tag-questions
Point 4 :
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
Tag-questions
Point 5: ( Modal )
AUXILIARY VERB + PRONOUN:
I shouldn’t laugh, should I?
We use the auxiliary verb that is used in the previous
sentence. If there is no auxiliary verb, we use “do/does”
(present tense) and “did” (past tense):
You live near here, don’t you?
You turned left, didn’t you?
The pronoun refers to the subject of the previous sentence.
Tag-questions
Point 6: (Exception)
Some verbs form question tags differently:
I am aren’t I?
I’m helpful, aren’t I?
There is isn’t there?
There is a chemist’s near here, isn’t there?
There are aren’t there?
There are many shops in the area, aren’t there?
This is / That is isn’t it?
That’s your wife over there, isn’t it?
Exercise: (Make a correct tag questions of each sentence)
1. This campus is so great,....................?
2. He can speak Sundanese well, .....................?
3. Students did their mid test a few months ago,..........?
4. The price of petrol (BBM) has been decided, .........?
5. Indonesia is not a part of East Asian, ..............?
6. There are some factors to increase productivity,...........?
7. You should obey the regulation of your campus,........?
