Tag Question

In modern English grammar tag question is an important topic. To make our language more smart we have to learn tag question so in this chapter I have given all the rule of making tag question.

Definition: Tag questions are short additions to sentences. This is used frequently in conversation to encourage agreement or to verify a statement.

Examples: I write a letter, don’t I? They can read, can’t they?

Kinds Of Tag Question: 

(i) Question Tag. [You went there, didn't you?]
(ii) Comment Tag. [You went there, did you?]

Note: Question tag is a short question but Comment tag is a kind of comment on statement.

Short forms of Auxiliary Verb: 

(am= aren’t, is= isn’t, are= aren’t, was= wasn’t, were= weren’t, do= don’t, does= doesn’t, Did= didn’t, have= haven’t, has= hasn’t, had= hadn’t, shall= shan’t, will= won’t, can= can’t, Could= couldn’t, must= mustn’t, might= mightn’t, dare= daren’t)

Auxiliary Verbs: 

Primary Auxiliary: am, is, are, was, were, have, has, had, do, does, did.
Modal Auxiliary:  can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, etc.

Pronouns: 

I, me, my, we, us, our, you, your, he, him, his, she, her, they, them, their, it etc.

Structure of Tag Question:   

Auxiliary Verb + (n’t) + Pronoun +?

Rules For Making Tag Question:

Rule 1: If statement is affirmative then the tag is negative.

Examples: I can go there, can’t I ? He reads in this school, doesn’t he ?        

Rule 2: If statement is negative then the tag is affirmative.

Examples: He has no cow, has he ? You are not intelligent, are you ?

Rule 3: If we get any primary or modal auxiliary verb in the statement then we have to use those auxiliary verbs.

Examples: Roy is going there, isn’t he  ? You can do it, can’t you  ?

             

Rule 4: If we do not find any Auxiliary Verb in the statement then we have to use do, does (for present statement) & did (for past statement).

Examples: They go to the school, don’t they ? He plays football, doesn’t he ?

Rule 5: If we get ‘let us’ (let’s) in the statement then we have to use ‘Shall we’ as a tag question.

Examples: Let us go home, shall we  ? Let’s go for a walk, shall we ?

        

Rule 6: If a statement begins with ‘It’ or ‘There’ then as a pronoun of the tag, ‘it’ or ‘there’ is used.

Examples: There is no pond in this village, is there ? It is a good idea, isn’t it ?

         

Rule 7: If we find neither, none, no one, nobody, anyone, anybody, no, not, nothing, scarcely, barely, hardly, seldom, hardly ever etc. in the statement then the tag is affirmative, because those word give a negative meaning.

Examples: Nothing was done, was it ?  None can do this, can they ?

Rule 8: If we find everyone, everybody, someone, and somebody etc. in the Statement, then the tag is negative and ‘they’ is used as a pronoun of the tag.

Examples: Everybody saw you, didn’t they ? Someone has stolen his pen, hasn’t they ?

Rule 9: If there is the word ‘nothing’ in the statement then as a pronoun of the tag ‘It’ is used. Because the word ‘nothing’ indicate inanimate object.

Examples: Nothing is possible without hard work, is it ?   

               

Rule 10: If the statement is imperative sentence and affirmative then the tag is- won’t you.

Examples: Sit down, won’t you ?  Have it, won’t you ?

Rule 11: If the statement is imperative sentence and negative then the tag is- will you.

Examples: Don’t shut up, will you ?  Don’t spit in the class room, will you ?

          

Rule 12: If the statement is a complex sentence, then we have to make Tag Question

from the principal clause.

Examples: It was found, that David walked at the age of two, wasn’t it ?