PPT on QUE TAGSubmitted byMrs Poonam DuaA.P in English

Tag-Questions

• A ‘tag-question’ or ‘question tag’ is not atruequestion.A tag question is used at the end of aStatement Sentence to get theconfirmation from the listener, or just toexpress one’s doubt.A question sentence, on the contrary, isused 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 – PositiveThese are not your books, are they?

- Tag-question -- Negative

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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 shouldfollow when we use a Tag-question:Point 1A comma is used between the mainsentence and the ‘tag’ part, e.g.This is your book isn’t it?

,

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Point 2: Even if the subject of the main sentence is anoun – proper noun or common noun – thesubject of the ‘tag’ part is always acorresponding PERSONAL PRONOUN. e.g.

Mary isn’t your sister, is she?

Tag-QuestionsPoint 2 (continued) John has gone home, hasn’t ?

‘John’ – proper noun – male – singularhepronoun – male – singular – subjective case

Tag-Question

Point 2 (continued) Ted and Jerry got their books, didn’t ?

‘Ted and Jerry’ – Proper nouns – male – pluraltheyPersonal Pronoun – male -- plural

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Point 3 The verb in the ‘tag’ part depends on the verb inthe main sentence:If the verb in the main sentence is in PresentTense, the verb in the ‘tag’ part will be in PresentTense; and the verb in the main sentence is inPast Tense, the verb in the ‘tag’ part will be inPast, and so on.If the verb in the main sentence is in Positiveform, the verb in the ‘tag’ part will be in Negativeform.

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Point 3 (continued)She is your sister, she?

“is” – main verb – Simple Present Tense –POSITIVE

isn’t– Simple present tense – NEGATIVE

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Point 3 (continued) Brad hasn’t done his work, he?‘hasn’t’ – Present perfect – NEGATIVEhas

Present perfect -- POSITIVE

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Point 3 (continued)Kate goes to school, she?

‘goes’ – Simple present – POSITIVE‘does not go’ – Simple present – NEGATIVE

doesn’tPoint 4

The negative form of the verb in the ‘tag’ part isalways contracted:

does not = doesn’t; has not = hasn’t; will not = won’t

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Point 3 (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) verbalone is used:did

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Point 5 -- Word order In the statement sentence (in the mainsentence) the subject comes first and theverb comes next; but in the ‘tag’ part, theverb comes first and the subject comesnext, just as in the interrogative sentence.

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Point 5 – word order (continued)For example:A woman fainted, didn’t she?

Main sentence‘tag’ partSubject first; verb nextVerb first; subject next

Tag-Questions

There are some exceptions to some of the rules(points) we have discussed so far. To understandthose rules (points), first we have to master thesepoints.Therefore, let’s master these rules (points) now, andthen we can go for those exceptions later!