Negative Yes/No Questions and Tag Questions

This Isn’t Dangerous, Is It?

3

Focus on Grammar 4Part III, Unit 7By Ruth Luman, Gabriele Steiner, and BJ WellsCopyright © 2006. Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

“This isn’t dangerous, is it?”

“This isn’t dangerous, is it?”

Isn’t this fun?Isn’t this fun?

These parachutes work, don’t they?These parachutes work, don’t they?

We won’t get hurt, will we?We won’t get hurt, will we?

You haven’t done this before, have you?

You haven’t done this before, have you?

UseUse

Use negative yes/no questions and tag questions to: check information you believe to be true OR comment on a situation.

In both sentences the

speaker believes that he should pull the blue

cord and wants to check this information.

In both sentences the

speaker believes that he should pull the blue

cord and wants to check this information.

Don’t I pull the blue cord?

Don’t I pull the blue cord?I pull the blue

cord, don’t I?I pull the blue cord, don’t I?

Isn’t the view great?

Isn’t the view great?

The view is great, isn’t it?

The view is great, isn’t it?

In both sentences the

speaker is commenting on the view.

In both sentences the

speaker is commenting on the view.

Negative Yes/No QuestionsNegative Yes/No Questions

Like affirmative yes/no questions, negative yes/no questions begin with a form of be or an auxiliary verb, such as have, do, will, can, or should.

Aren’t sharks vegetarians?

Aren’t sharks vegetarians?

Haven’t you had lunch

yet?

Haven’t you had lunch

yet?

Can’t you swim somewhere else?

Can’t you swim somewhere else?

Didn’t you see the shark

warning sign?

Didn’t you see the shark

warning sign?

Tag Questions 1Tag Questions 1

Form tag questions with statement + tag. The statement expresses an assumption. The tag means Right? OR Isn’t that true?

It’s a long way down, isn’t it?It’s a long way down, isn’t it?

StatementStatement

TagTag

I went the wrong way, didn’t I?I went the wrong way, didn’t I?

StatementStatement

TagTag

You won’t talk for too long,

will you?

You won’t talk for too long,

will you?

This rope will hold me, won’t it?

This rope will hold me, won’t it?

Tag Questions 2Tag Questions 2

If the statement verb is affirmative, the tag verb is negative. If the statement verb is negative, the tag verb is affirmative.

NegativeNegative

AffirmativeAffirmative

AffirmativeAffirmative

NegativeNegative

He isn’t joking, is he?

He isn’t joking, is he?

He has done this before, hasn’t he?

He has done this before, hasn’t he?

Tag Questions 3Tag Questions 3

Form the tag with a form of be or an auxiliary verb, such as have, do, will, can, or should. Use the same auxiliary that is in the statement.

You bought life insurance,

didn’t you?

You bought life insurance,

didn’t you?

Be Careful!Be Careful!

In the tag, only use pronouns. When the subject of the statement is that, the subject of the tag is it.

That wasn’t my parachute, was it?

That wasn’t my parachute, was it?

Tom isn’t enjoying this, is Tom?

Tom isn’t enjoying this, is Tom?he?

Practice 1Practice 1Complete the tag questions with the correct tag.

Example: You can swim, … can’t you?

1.This is high enough, …

2.The rope won’t break, …

3. We don’t have enough food, …

4. He didn’t bring the helmets, …

5. She hasn’t given us the right parachutes, …

6. We should check the map, …

7. Our guide, Bob, does this all the time, …

isn’t it?

will it?

do we?

did he?

has she?

shouldn’t we?

doesn’t he?

Intonation 1Intonation 1

Use tag questions in conversations when you expect the other person to agree with you. In this type of tag question, the voice falls on the tag.

You didn’t wear a seatbelt, did you?You didn’t wear a seatbelt, did you?

The speaker is checking information he believes is correct. He expects the listener to answer

(and agree).

The speaker is checking information he believes is correct. He expects the listener to answer

(and agree).

You’re right. I didn’t wear a

seat belt.

You’re right. I didn’t wear a

seat belt.

Uh-huh.Uh-huh.

That hurts, doesn’t it?That hurts, doesn’t it?

This type of tag question is more like a statement than a question. The listener can just nod or say uh-huh to

show that he or she is listening and agrees.

This type of tag question is more like a statement than a question. The listener can just nod or say uh-huh to

show that he or she is listening and agrees.

That’s what they told us in the

skydiving class.

That’s what they told us in the

skydiving class.

Intonation 2Intonation 2

Tag questions can be used to get information. This type of tag question is more like a yes/no question. Like a yes/no question, the voice rises at the end, and you usually get an answer.

The speaker wants to confirm his information because he is not sure

it is correct.

The speaker wants to confirm his information because he is not sure

it is correct.

Well, sometimes there are sharks.

Well, sometimes there are sharks.

This parachute will open before

we land, won’t it?

This parachute will open before

we land, won’t it?

This isn’t dangerous,

is it?

This isn’t dangerous,

is it?

AnswersAnswers

Answer negative yes/no questions and tag questions the same way you answer affirmative yes/no questions.

There’s a hospital nearby, isn’t there?

There’s a hospital nearby, isn’t there?

Yes, there is.Yes, there is.

The answer is yes, if the information is

correct.

The answer is yes, if the information is

correct.

Doesn’t your parachute work?

Doesn’t your parachute work?

No, it doesn’t.No, it doesn’t.

The answer is no, if the information is

not correct.

The answer is no, if the information is

not correct.

Practice 2Practice 2Write dialogues for each picture using tag questions or negative yes/no questions, and answers for each picture.

Example:Eels don’t bite,

do they?Eels don’t bite,

do they?No, we don’t. We just like to hug.

No, we don’t. We just like to hug.

1. 2.

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education and its licensors. All rights reserved.

ReferencesReferences