TAG QUESTIONS

Tag questions

Inglés IV

Tag questions are grammatical elements that are placed at the end of a sentence in the form of a short question and whose structure is opposed to the previous sentence.

Notice that the tag repeats the auxiliary verb (or main verb when be) from the statement and changes it to negative or positive.

Main uses

The tags question in English are used mainly in these three situations: 1. When you want to inquire about a certain topic that you want more information about. 2. To refute or reaffirm something that you have previously expressed 3. When you want to know the opinion of the other person.

Structure

When the sentence is affirmative, then the verb of the “question tags” will be negative. Thus, if the sentence is negative, then the verb of the “question tags” will be affirmative. Affirmative sentence ➡ negative verb ➡ You are happy, aren't you? Negative sentence ➡ affirmative verb ➡ Laura isn’t happy, is she?

Positive Statement Tag Questions

Look at these examples with positive statements. You will see that most of the time, the auxiliary verb from the positive statement is repeated in the tag and changed to negative. Notice: - The use of do in the two coffee questions. Remember that in Present Simple, do is optional in positive statements (You like coffee/You do like coffee). But the do must appear in the tag. The same applies to Past Simple did. - In last two questions, no auxiliary for main verb be in Present Simple and Past Simple. The tag repeats the main verb.

Negative Statement Tag Questions

Look at these examples with negative statements. Notice that the negative verb in the original statement is changed to positive in the tag. Notice: - Won't is the contracted form of will not - The tag repeats the auxiliary verb, not the main verb. Except, of course, for the verb be in Present Simple and Past Simple.

Answering Tag Questions

How do we answer a tag question? Often, we just say Yes or No. Sometimes we may repeat the tag and reverse it (They don't live here, do they? Yes, they do). Be very careful about answering tag questions. In some languages, an opposite system of answering is used, and non-native English speakers sometimes answer in the wrong way. This can lead to a lot of confusion!

Examples

2. To refute or reaffirm something that you have previously expressed - You don't eat fish, do you? - She can play the guitar can’t she? - He has a big dog, doesn’t he?

1. When you want to inquire about a certain topic that you want to obtain more information about - You are his best friend, aren't you? - He won’t tell us, will he? - You can study from home, can't you?

3. When you want to know the opinion of the other person - He was handsome, wasn't he? - I'm a bit noisy, aren't I? - You're coming to the party, aren't you?

Practice Activity