Lecture 22 Tag Question Objectives: 1. The formation of question tag when the same operator used in the tag as in the main clause. 2.The formation of question

Lecture 22 Tag Question

• Objectives:• 1. The formation of question tag when the

same operator used in the tag as in the main clause.

• 2.The formation of question tag when the different operator used in the tag as in the main clause.

Tag question is extensively used in spoken Language.

A tag question generally consists of two parts:

statement + question tag.


Lecture 22 Tag Question1. The formation of question tag when the same

operator used in the tag as in the main clause.

• The subject and verb in the question tag generally correspond with those in the statement.

• If the subject of the statement is a noun phrase, the tag usu. takes a corresponding pronoun as subject.


1. The formation of question tag when the same operator used in the tag as in the main clause.When the statement comprises a linking-verb,

an auxiliary or a model, the same operator is used in the tag and the verb is in the

same tense as in the statement.

---- You’ve already got our invitation, ____?A. don’t you B. won’t you

C. haven’t you D. aren’t you

2.The formation of question tag when the different operator used in the tag

There are a few points to be noticed concerning the formation

of question tags.1) With a personal compound as subject

in the statementPersonal pronoun: everybody, everyone,

someone ,no one, nobody , somebody



• 1) With a personal compound as subject in the statement

• -- Someone borrowed my pen yesterday, didn’t they /he?

• -- Everybody knows what he has to do ,

• doesn’t he?

2) When the subject is negative words: nobody, no one , the subject

is usu.“he” in positive -- - Nobody wants to go there, does he?

-- None of the boys can do it, can he?



• 3) When the subject in the statement is • “this”, “that”, the subject in the tag is “it”• “these, those”----“they”

• --This is important, isn’t it?

• --These are not books, are they?

4) When everything, anything, something, nothing Is used as the subject in the main clause, tag is only

singular neutral “it”

-- Nothing could make me give it up, could it?-- Everything is ready, isn’t it?-- Everything seems all right, doesn’t it?


3) With an existential sentence as the statement, the tag still Keeps “there” as.

formal subject --There are some difficulties in your work,

aren’t there?

--There’s no help for it , is there?

--There’s something wrong, isn’t there?

--There won’t be any trouble, will there?


4) When the statement contains such negative words as “seldom, hardly, never, rarely, few, little, nowhere, nothing” the tag is usu. the positive-- He had little work that day, had he / did he?

Few people know him, do they?

He scarcely cares for anything ,does he?



• 5) If the negative element in the statement is only a negative prefix, the tag is negative.

• --She dislikes it • --She disbelieves it , doesn’t she?

• -- He was unsuccessful, wasn’t he?

6) With “I am” in the statement, the tag is “aren’t I ”

-- I am late , aren’t I?

7) With indefinite pron. “one” as subject in the statement, the subject in the tag is one or he (formal style) or you (informal style)

One can’t be too careful, can one? can he? can you ?


8) When the statement is an SVO construction with a that—clause as object, the tag normally mirrors the subject and operator of the main clause

--You think he is funny, don’t you?-- She said I did it, didn’t she ?

-- He thinks she is going to become a doctor, doesn’t he?-- She says he hasn’t finished the work, doesn’t she?


9) However, when the main clause is “I suppose， believe， suspect， imagine” the tag mirrors the subject and operator of that—clause. Pay attention to the shift of the negative word.

--I suppose that he is serious, isn’t he? --I suppose you are not serious, are you?


10) With the verb “have” (in the sense of possession) as operator in the statement, the tag admits of either the “have--form” or the “do--form”.

--You have an English class ,

haven’t you? /don’t you?

--He hasn’t a lot of time to spare, has he?


-- If the verb “have” in the statement is used in its dynamic sense, the tag invariably takes the do—form.

--He has hair cut every month, doesn’t he?

--You had breakfast at seven, didn’t you?


11) With “ought to” as operator in the statement, the tag includes “ought” in British English or “should” in American English.

--The child ought to be punished, oughtn’t he?

-- We ought to go there, shouldn’t we?


12) With “used to” as operator in the statement,

the tag either takes “used—form” or “did—form”.

--The Aliens used to live in the country, usedn’t they?

-- He used to smoke fifty cigarettes a day, didn’t he?


13) With “need” as operator in the statement, the tag generally includes “need”.

--You needn’t go yet, need you?



• 14) With must as operator in the statement • expressing “obligation”, the tag usu. • includes “must”

• --You must work hard next term, • mustn’t you?• --You mustn’t walk on grass, • must you?

14) With must as operator in the statement

But when must is used in the sense of “to be necessary”, the tag may include either

“mustn’t” or “needn’t”.

--You must go home right now,

mustn’t/ needn’t you?


Lecture 22 Tag Question14) With must as operator in the statement • When “must” is used in the sense of probabil

ity” or “certainty”, the tag may include “must or other operators”

• --He must be very tired, mustn’t he?• --He must be very tired, isn’t he?• --He must have waited here for a long time, • hasn’t he?• --You must have seen the play last week, • didn’t you?

15) When the statement is an imperative

sentence, the tag is generally will you/ won’t you/ would you?

--Don’t move the chair, will you? --Be quiet, would you?



• 16) If the statement is a first person in

• imperative sentence , the tag is “shall we?”

• Let’s go camping, shall we?

17) When the subject in the tag is “to do” “--ing” form or a subject- clause in the tag , the subject is “it”.

--To master a foreign language is no easy matter, is it? -- Writing the book has taken up all her spare time, hasn’t it?-- What you need is more practice, isn’t it?


18) When the main clause includes a relative clause or an adverbial, the subject in the tag agrees with the subject of the main clause.

-- You know the girl who came to see him yesterday, don’t you?-- Since no one is against it, we’ll adopt the proposal, won’t we?


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Lecture 22 Tag Question Objectives: 1. The formation of question tag when the same operator used in the tag as in the main clause. 2.The formation of question