Materi Questions Tag

Questions Tag

1. Definition

A tag question or question tag is a grammatical structure. It refers to a declarative statement or an imperative that are modified to become a question by adding an interrogative fragment.

2. Use Questions Tag

a. Can be considered as an indicator of politeness, emphasis, or irony.

b. They may suggest confidence or lack of confidence.

c. They may be confrontational or tentative.

d. In legal settings, tag questions can be found in leading question.

3. Form Questions Tag

Questions tag very according to different factors such as the choice of auxiliary, the negation.

The structure is generally as follows :

Affirmative statement	Negative Tag
he likes him	doesn't he?
Negative statement	Affirmative Tag
she doesn't care about him	does she?

Examples :

a. Statements

Affirmative statement	Negative tag
He is excellent at languages,	isn't he?
You were late,	weren't you?
They are working on a new project,	aren't they?
She writes good poems,	doesn't she?
We have worked hard to earn this	haven't we?
He called her,	didn't he?
You should see a doctor,	shouldn't you?
He can drive,	can't he?
You will help us,	won't you?

Negative statement	Affirmative tag
He isn't an athlete,	is he?
They weren't early,	were they?
You aren't writing a new book,	are you?
She doesn't work in a hospital,	does she?
He hasn't found the solution,	has he?
You didn't visit the museum,	did you?
We shouldn't sleep late,	should we?
You won't tell her,	will you?

b. Imperatives

Imperative	Tag
keep quiet,	won't you ? will you? would you? could you?

4. Observes these Question Tags

Examples :

a. Mr. Rudi is a doctor, isn’t he?

b. Miss. Dina  is a nurse, isn’t she?

● Meaningful sentences positive , then negative tag questions.

● Meaningful sentences negative , then positive tag questions.

Always use pronoun for tag question.

Pronoun : I, You, He, She, It, We, They

Examples :

a. Mary : she   

Mary is your sister, isn’t she?

b. Tony : he

Tony  is at home now, isn’t he?

c. Mary and Tony : they

Mary and Tony came here, didn’t they?

d. I and Tina : we

Tina and I can go now, can’t we?

e. The book : it

The book is expensive, isn’t it?

f. The books : they

The books are yours, aren’t they?

g. Ostrich: it

Ostrich is a bird, isn’t it?

h. Ostriches: they

Ostriches are birds, aren’t they?

RULES :

1. To Be (is, am, are, was, were)

a. The book is expensive, isn’t it?

b. Your mother was at the market yesterday, wasn’t she?

c. The boys were there, weren’t they?

2. Modal : can, could, will, would, may, might, shall, should, must

a. You can swim, can’t you?

b. They will come here, won’t they?

c. The boys mustn’t join the contest, must they?

Note :  a. will = won’t you

            b. would = wouldn’t

            c. can = can’t

3. Have/has if auxiliary if follows Verb 3

a. They have eaten, haven’t they?

b. She has gone, hasn’t she?

c. You haven’t finished it yet, have you?

        If sentences not have to be, modal or auxiliary have/has it requires the auxiliary verb. Auxiliary verb : do/does, did

a. You like apples, don’t you?

b. Anita goes early every morning, doesn’t she?

c. Vita visited you, didn’t she?

4. Meaningful sentences positive, then negative tag questions

a. Farma is smart, isn’t he?

b. Eni and Juna are making a bowl of noodle, aren’t they?

c. Your mother is a patient person, isn’t she?

5. Meaningful sentences negative, then positive tag questions

a. They aren’t the winners, are they?

b. Sherly isn’t smart, is she?

c. You don’t like tea, do you?

6. If the sentences use the verb, use word “do/does/did” for tag questions

a. Sinta buys Amanda cakes in Leuwiliang, didn’t she?

b. Rohan found the key on that desk, didn’t he?

7. If the sentence in the form of prohibition/command, use “will you “ for tag questions

a. Open the door, will you?
b. Don’t say that again, will you?

c. Susi will not come to the party, will she?

8. If the sentences begins the word “let’s”, use “shall we” for tag questions

a. Let’s go there, shall we?
b. Let’s forget it, shall we?

c. Let’s draw the good picture here, shall we?

9. If subject is sometimes, everything, nothing use word “it” in tag questions.

a. Something is moving, isn’t it?

b. Everything should be ready, shouldn’t it?

10. Sentences have word nobody, hardly, no one, nothing, seldom, never and have meaningful negative, then positive tag questions

a. No one come to my house, do they?

b. She never seems to care, does she?

11. If subject is somebody, everyone, someone, everybody use word “they” in tag questions.

a. Everybody went to the restaurant, didn’t they?

b. Somebody brought the Guitar to my studio last week, didn’t they?

12. If subject i am, then tag questions is aren’t i. But subject i am not , then tag questions is am i.

a. I am not rude, am i?

b. I am diligent, aren’t i?

Exercise

A. Multiple Choice                                                           

1. It won't happen, ........?

a. will it                                   b. doesn't it                                         c. yes

2. I'm not late, .....?

a. am I                                     b. am I not                                           c. is

3. The bank lent him the money, ......?

a. didn't it                                b. isn't it                                              c. yes

4. You shouldn't do that, .......?

a. shouldn't you                                   b. should you                          c. not

5. You don't take sugar in coffee, ........?

a. isn't it                                               b. do you                                 c. am not

6. She looks tired, ......?

a. does she                                           b. doesn't she                          c. is

7. He's not coming, ........?

a. isn't he                                             b. is he                                     c. am I

8. There's a cinema near the station, .......?

a. isn't it                                               b. not                                       c. isn't there

9. He arrived late, .......?

a. isn't it                                               b. didn't he                              c. yes

10.  It's time to go, .....?

a. isn't it                                               b. isn't there                             c. aren’t

11. I'm right, .......?

a. aren't I                                             b. am I                                     c. yes I

12. You had seen it before, .........?

a. hadn't you                                       b. don't you                             c.am I

13. Everybody looked so miserable, ........?

a. didn't everybody                             b. didn't they                           c. had

14.You wouldn't do that, ........?

a. would you                                       b. wouldn't you                       c. don’t you

15.  He'll be there, .......?

a. won't he                                           b. isn't he                                 c. will

16.  Everybody will be there, .......?

a. won't it                                            b. won't they                           c. not

17. She's had too much to do lately, .......?

a. isn't she                                            b. hasn't she                             c. am I

18.They should be here soon, ......?

a. shouldn't they                                  b. shan't they                           c. hasn’t

19. I'm not intruding, .......?

a. aren't I                                             b. am I                                     c. does it

20. Nobody has arrived yet, .......?

a. have they                                         b. haven't they                         c. didn’t

B. Essay

1. She is a nurse,………..?
2. They are doctors,…………?
3. Andi is sick,………….?
4. This car is very expensive,…………….?
5. Martha and his sister are beautiful,……… ?
6. We can do it by ourselves,…………?
7. Your father will fly to Medan,………..?
8. You were my school friend,…………….?
9. I am right,…………?
10. The cat is hungry,……………..?

11. You are an engineer,…………….?

12. Mrs. Desty lives in Serang,…………?

13. Agus and Dian are “The Twin Siblings”,………..?

14. Septiyani came to class yesterday, ………….?

15. My mom is at home,………….?

Answer Key

A. Multiple Choice

1. A                                                                             11. A

2. A                                                                             12. A

3. A                                                                             13. A

4. A                                                                             14. A

5. B                                                                             15. A

6. B                                                                             16. B

7. B                                                                             17. B

8. C                                                                             18. A

9. B                                                                             19. B

10. A                                                                           20. C

B. Essay

1. Isn’t she?                                                                 6. Can’t we?

2. Aren’t they?                                                            7. Won’t he?

3. Isn’t he?                                                                  8. Weren’t you?

4. Isn’t it?                                                                    9. Aren’t i?

5. Aren’t they?                                                            10. Isn’t it?

11. Aren’t you ?

12. Doesn’t she ?

13. Aren’t they ?

14. Didn’t she ?

15. Isn’t she ?