Academic Hour - Delhi

Posted ON: 08 MAY 2019

Tag Question is a form of short question added after a sentence. Tag question is used to get the confirmation from the listeners. 

Auxiliary verb + not (if sentence is affirmative) + Pronoun of Subject?

Instructions:

1. We use Auxiliary Verbs to make a sentence Negative of Interrogative. So, To make a tag question we use Auxiliary Verbs . They are different in different tenses.

Tense - Auxiliary Verbs

Present Indefinite - Do/Does / don’t  /doesn’t

Past Indefinite - Did / didn’t

Future Indefinite - Shall/ Will / shan’t / won’t

Present Continuous - Am/ Is/ Are / aren’t  / isn’t

Past Continuous - Was/ Were / wasn’t  / weren’t

Future Continuous - Shall /  Will shan’t / won’t

Present Perfect - Have/ Has / haven’t  / hasn’t

Present Perfect - Had / hadn’t

Future Perfect - Shall / Will / shan’t  / won’t

2. We also use Modal Verbs as Auxiliary verbs. Some Modal Verbs are can, could, will, would, shall, should, need to, ought to, dare to,  etc.

3. Always a question is formed with the help of Auxiliary Verb. If the sentence is affirmative, Tag question is negative.

- I know nothing about this, do I?  (Present tense and negative so tag question is affirmative)

- You studied hard, didn’t you? (Past tense and affirmative, so tag question is negative)

4. We say ‘let us’ to express proposal but say let me, let him, let them to express request.

- Let us /Let’s do the work, shall we?  [Proposal]

- but, Let me /Let him /Let them do the work, will you? [Request]

5. When main verb is Have, Has, Need, you should use do/does as auxiliary verb in present tense and did in Past Tense.

- He has some books, doesn’t he?    (Has is the main verb in present tense) 

but, He has finished the task, hasn’t he?  (Has is the auxiliary verb in present perfect tense)

- He had some books, didn’t he?   (Had is the main verb in past tense)

but, He had finished the task, hadn’t he?  (Had is the auxiliary verb in past perfect tense)

- I need a pencil to write with, don’t I? (Need is the main verb)

- I need to wait for an hour, needn’t you? (Need is auxiliary verb)

6. If subject is plural, the pronoun of subject is always ‘They’

- The books are very interesting, aren’t  they?

7. When Subject is nobody, everybody, none, everyone, the pronoun can be ‘Anybody’ or  ‘They’

- Nobody loves a liar, do they?/ does anybody?

8. The words ‘seldom, rare, hardly, few, little, scarcely, no sooner are negative.  Then question tag should be affirmative.

There is no alternative to practice. So practice the following sentences yourselves. Please don’t forget to write a comment here. You may ask any question you want to know.

Tag question exercise

1.    Nothing is impossible.   ——–?

2.    I think everybody knows it. ——–?

3.    The idle always lag behind.  ——–?

4.    Let’s motivate them. ——–?

5.    Motivation seldom goes in vain. ——–?

6.    Congratulations, you have made an excellent result. . ——–?

7.    Thanks. But my parents and teachers also deserve the credit. ----?

8.    We ought to remain grateful them. ——–?

9.    You studied hard. ——–?

10.   It is our duty to study in a disciplined way. ——–?

11. Let us start our journey.  ——–?

12.  They used to play football in the afternoon. ——–?

13. Nobody should laugh at the blind.  ——–?

14. There is nothing for her to eat. ——–?

15.  Mina had better to stay at home. ——–?

16.  You aren’t doing the work. ——–?

17.  Somebody left there house yesterday. ——–?

18. What a beautiful day it is. ——–?

19.  A cat catches a mouse. ——–?

20. Bangladesh is our motherland. ——–?

21.  Something is burning. ——–?

22.  Rahim as well as his friends was present. ——–?

23.  He did it. ——–?

24.  I know nothing about him. ——–?

25.  Let’s arrange a class party. ——–?

26. The moon shines at night. ——–?

27.  Everybody loves flower. ——–?

28.  Nothing can satisfy him. ——–?

29.  He has few reasons for waiting. ——–?

30.  That was my pen. ——–?

31.  Nobody believes a liar. ——–?

32.  We have to study English. ——–?

33.  Let her solve the matter. ——–?

34. You had better leave now. ——–?

35.  We ought to love our motherland. ——–?

36.  Look at this paper. ——–?

37.  Let’s phone. ——–?

38.  It is a beautiful afternoon. ——–?

39.  Let’s go out for a walk. ——–?

40.  The police arrested him. ——–?

41.   Both are responsible. ——–?

42.  Let’s take an oath today. ——–?

43.  This is the right way to do it.——–?

44.  Life is very busy in the big cities. ——–?

45. We needed a change in thoughts. ——–?

46.  Let us make them realize it. ——–?

47. Man is a social being. ——–?

48.  He cannot live alone. ——–?

49.  It is man who pollutes his environment. ——–?

50.  Every mother loves her child. ——–?

51.  Don’t forget me.——–?

52. My father and I are happy. ——–?

53.  Men should not tell a lie.——–?

54.   We live in Bangladesh. ——–?

55.   The weather was fine yesterday. ——–?

Answer of Tag questions

 01. Nothing is impossible, is it?

02. I think everybody knows it, don’t they?

03. The idle always lag behind, don’t they?

04. Let’s motivate them, shall we?

05. Motivation seldom goes in vain, does it?

06. Congratulations, you have made an excellent result, haven’t you?

07. Thanks. But my parents and teachers also deserve the credit, don’t they?

08. We ought to remain grateful them, oughtn’t we?

09. You too studied hard, didn’t you?

10. It is our duty to study in a disciplined way, isn’t it?

11. Let us start our journey, shall we?

12. They used to play football in the afternoon, didn’t they?

13. Nobody should laugh at the blind.  Should they?

14. There is nothing for her to eat, is there?

15. Mina had better to stay at home, hadn’t she?

16. You aren’t doing the work, are you?

17. Somebody left their house yesterday, didn’t they?

18. What a beautiful day it is, isn’t it?

19. A cat catches a mouse, doesn’t it?

20. Bangladesh is our motherland, isn’t she?

21. Something is burning, aren’t they?

22. Rahim as well as his friends was present, wasn’t he?

23. He did it, didn’t he?

24. I know nothing about him, do I?

25. Let’s arrange a class party, shall we?

26. The moon shines at night, isn’t it?

27. Everybody loves flower, don’t they?

28. Nothing can satisfy him, can it?

29. He has few reasons for waiting, hasn’t he?

30. That was my pen, wasn’t it/ that?

31. Nobody believes a liar, do they?

32. We have to study English, haven’t we?

33. Let her solve the matter, will you?

34. You had better leave now, hadn’t you?

35. We ought to love our motherland, oughtn’t we?

36. Look at this paper, will you?

37. Let’s phone, shall we?

38. It is a beautiful afternoon, isn’t it?

39. Let’s go out for a walk, shall we?

40. The police arrested him, didn’t they?

41. Both are responsible, aren’t they?

42. Let’s take an oath today, shall we?

43. This is the right way to do it, isn’t this?

44. Life is very busy in the big cities, isn’t it?

45. We needed a change in thoughts, didn’t we?

46. Let us make them realize it, shall we?

47. Man is a social being, isn’t he?

48. He cannot live alone, can he?

49. It is man, who pollutes his environment, isn’t it?

50. Every mother loves her child, don’t they?

51. Don’t forget me, will you?

52. My father and I are happy, aren’t we?

53. Men should not tell a lie, should they?

54. We live in Bangladesh, don’t we?

55. The weather was fine yesterday, wasn’t it?

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