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GRAMMAR
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Tag question
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Question: What is tag question? T
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Answer: Tag question is a short addition at the end of sentence, asking for agreement or confirmation.
Why do we use tag question?
It is a common conversational practice to make use of tags in conversational English for making sure whether the listeners
listen or not, whether they agree or disagree
Rules on forming tag questions
1. A positive sentence takes a negative tag question. Ex: He is an intelligent boy, isn’t he?
2. A negative sentence takes a positive tag question. Ex: You are not a lazy student, are you?
3. Any auxiliary used in the sentence, is repeated in the tag part. Ex: She can speak French, can’t she?
4. The tag part of a sentence is made of two parts Ex: This is a class, isn’t it?
Which are tag pronoun and auxiliary. Ex: Dan will come in Afghanistan, won’ he?
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5. Sentence beginning with {let’s} takes {shall we} as a tag question. Ex: let’s go home, shall we?
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6. Imperative sentences take {will you} as a tag question. Ex: close the door, will you?
7. Sentences which have the request form take {won’t you} as a tag [Link]: have a cold drink please, won’t you?
8. Sentence beginning with {I am…} takes {aren’t I} as a tag question. Ex: I am an Afghan, aren’t I ?
9. In the tag part always use pronoun never a noun. Ex: Frank is here, isn’t he? {not isn’t Frank}
10. If the sentences don’t contain auxiliaries. According to their tenses Ex: she toke my pen, didn’t she?
Use auxiliaries in the tag question. Ex: we study English, don’t we?
11. Sentences, which contain some near negative words like {never, neither, Ex: he never goes there, does he?
None……etc.} are considered negative and take positive tag question. Ex: none of them are clever, are they?
12. When the subject of the sentences is {anybody, nobody, everybody...etc.} Ex: everybody came to course,
didn’t they?
13. The subject pronoun {they} is used as a tag question pronoun. Ex: nobody had exam, did they?
14. If a sentence is formed with the structure Ex: he is too small to study, is he?
{s+tobe+too+adjective+full infinitive} take a positive tag question. Ex: I was too small to fight, was I?
15. The sentence is parted with a comma {,} from the tag part. Ex: she was cooking, wasn’t she?
Add a proper tag question to each of the following sentences.
1. He is a good boy,………….….? 19-He had been driving whole night,……………?
2. She is going to school,……..……? 20-Let’s go and have a cup coffee,………………?
3. They are working hard,………..…..? 21-You can’t leave the class,…………………….?
4. I am teaching grammar,……………..? 22-He could dance in Noori’s wedding,…………?
5. Tom works in a factory,………………? 23-She can even wash the dishes,………………..?
6. You study English in ESA,…………...? 24-You should not speak Persian in the class,……..?
7. She went to her father-in-law’s house,…………..? 25-you must come on time,………………………?
8. He did not buy anything,…………………? 26-Nobody had made absent,……………………..?
9. He will marry after Ramadan,………………? 27-Everybody has gone home,…………………….?
10. I shan’t be in the next level with you,…………..? 28-Give me your note book,………………………..?
11. She was cleaning the house,………………………? 29-Please marry me,………………………………..?
12. They were looking for a house,………………….…? 30-I am not too hungry but too thirsty,…………….?
13. He will be working tomorrow,……………………..? 31-Mary is as tall as Golmakaiy,………………….?
14. We will be discussing on Thursday,………………..? 32-Nobody is as cute as me,……………………….?
15. Frank has finished his job,………………………….? 33-Qasim married with Golmakaiy last year,……...?
16. We have studied level one,………………………….? 34- I am too small to marry,………………………..?
17. She has been cooking since two o’clock,………? 35-None of them are your classmates,……………..?
18. They have been dancing for three hours,…………..? 36-I wish a sympathetic mother-in-law for all of you,
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