Most Welcome To
Grammar Class
By Eng Auzobillah "Ahamdzai"
TAG QUESTION
• The Word “TAG” means a piece of metal or
plastic at the end of something like at the end
of a shoelace.
• “TAG” has some other meanings as well.
Ex: Label, mark, a sharp pointed end.
By Eng Auzobillah "Ahamdzai"
TAG QUESTION
• Tag Question: (Confirmatory Question).
• Tag Question is a short question that comes at
the end of a statement to show confirmation
or agreement.
• Ex: She is intelligent, isn’t she?
• Ex: She isn’t intelligent, is she?
• Ex: He won the match, didn’t he?
• Ex: They haven’t gone to Kabul, have they?
By Eng Auzobillah "Ahamdzai"
Usage 1
• Tag Question is used for two purposes.
• To seek agreement. (When we already know
the answer and we just want someone to
agree with us).
• Note: In this case the voice goes down at the
end of the question.
Ex: I teach English, don’t I?
By Eng Auzobillah "Ahamdzai"
Analysis of Tag Question
• Tag question has two parts.
They invited us, didn’t they?
Statement Tag Ending
• Note: If the statement is positive tag ending
must be negative and if the statement is
negative tag ending must be affirmative.
By Eng Auzobillah "Ahamdzai"
TAG QUESTION
Examples:
• I studied English, didn’t I?
• I did not study English, did I?
• He is sick, isn’t he?
• He is not sick, is he?
• I am respectful, aren’t I?
By Eng Auzobillah "Ahamdzai"
Some points are important to be
remembered about tag questions:
• Firstly; the statement which comes before tag
question can’t be interrogative ( can’t begin with an
auxiliary) , but the sentence which comes before tag
question is always a declarative statement which
can be affirmative or negative.
EX: Can you play soccer, can’t you? (Incorrect)
EX: Doesn’t she swim in the pool, does she? (Incorrect)
By Eng Auzobillah "Ahamdzai"
Continued…
• Secondly: we can’t use names in the second part
of a tag question, and we use only pronouns.
EX: Farhad saw the entire incident, didn’t farhad?
EX: Abdullah wasn’t present at the party, was Abdullah?
By Eng Auzobillah "Ahamdzai"
Continued…
• Thirdly: we must use the contracted form of not
and auxiliary in the second part. Full form is
possible, but that is very formal.
EX: Bilal can pass the test with good marks, can’t he?
EX: Muhammad was present yesterday, wasn’t he?
However, we can use full form in formal English for
emphasis.
Abdullah was present yesterday, was he not?
By Eng Auzobillah "Ahamdzai"
Continued….
• Fourthly: A comma is used to separate the
statement from the tag question. We must write a
small letter after comma and not capital.
Examples:
The bus was crowded, wasn’t it? ( Not…, Wasn’t it?
The new president should amend the law,
shouldn’t he? ( Not…, Shouldn’t he?
By Eng Auzobillah "Ahamdzai"
Here are some rules for making tag
questions in different situations:
1. We repeat the same auxiliary which has been
used in the statement in the question tag. The
auxiliary verb can be ( BE, Modals, HAVE and
DO)
Ex: They can speak English flawlessly, Can’t They?
Ex: Hena would play skipping rope when she was
eight when she was eight, wouldn’t she?
Ex: Khyber isn’t in class today, is he?
Ex: Adnan has asked us in, hasn’t he?
By Eng Auzobillah "Ahamdzai"
Continued…
2. If the statement to which a tag question is
appended doesn’t have an auxiliary, then we use
(do, does and do) in question tag.
Ex: You work here, don’t you?
Ex: He went to HLC, didn’t he?
If the statement has Have/has and had as main
verbs, then we use a form of do in the tag question.
Ex: She has a very cute baby son, doesn’t she?
Ex: We had some problems yesterday, didn’t we?
By Eng Auzobillah "Ahamdzai"
Continued…
However, we can use a form of have in the tag question
in British English.
Ex: She has a very cute baby son, hasn’t she?
Ex: We had some problems yesterday, hadn’t we?
We use form of do both in British and American English
when the statement contains the semi-auxiliaries has to,
have to or had to.
Ex: Mudasir has to meet me on Eid day, doesn’t he?
Ex: We have to answer all the questions, don’t we?
Ex: Ali had to play a key role in the development of
Afghanistan, didn’t he?
By Eng Auzobillah "Ahamdzai"
Continued…
3. If the statement has more than one auxiliary, then
we use the auxiliary which comes first in the
statement.
Ex: We ‘ll have gone before they come, won’t we?
Ex: Farhad hadn’t been invited to the party, had he?
4. If the statement has am, then we use aren’t in the
tag question for am in informal English because am
not doesn’t have a contracted form.
However, we can use am I not? In formal English
By Eng Auzobillah "Ahamdzai"
Continued…
I’m your best friend, aren’t I? (Informal)
I’m your best friend, am I not? (Formal)
I’m your lover, aren’t I? (Informal)
I’m your lover, am I not? (Formal
By Eng Auzobillah "Ahamdzai"
Continued…
5. If the statement which comes before the tag
question has singular demonstrative adjectives
(This, That), then we use it in the tag questions
instead of this or that.
This is an interesting book, isn’t it?
That isn’t a tall building, is it?
By Eng Auzobillah "Ahamdzai"
Continued…
6. Similarly, if the statement which comes before the
tag question has plural demonstrative adjectives
(These, Those) then we use (they) instead of them
in the tag question.
Ex: These sweaters are lovely, aren’t they?
Ex: Those aren’t our students, are they?
By Eng Auzobillah "Ahamdzai"
Continued…
7. If the statement which comes before the tag
question has the expletive there, we can also use
(There) in the question Tag.
Ex: There isn’t a museum in Ningarhar, is there?
Ex: There are many teachers in HLC, aren’t there?
By Eng Auzobillah "Ahamdzai"
Continued…
[Link] the statement has here, we also use here in the
question tag.
Here is your umbrella, isn’t here?
Here aren’t your keys, are here?
[Link] the statement has the neutral pronouns it, we
also use it in the tag ending.
It’s raining cats and dogs, isn’t it?
It was me who helped you in the wedding party,
wasn’t it?
By Eng Auzobillah "Ahamdzai"
Continued…
10. If the statement has negative words like (seldom, barely,
never, rarely, nothing, no, no one, nobody, little, etc.) then
tag question must be affirmative because the statement has
negative meaning.
Examples:
I seldom watch horror movies, do I?
They can never do it, can they?
Nothing came true, did it?
Abdullah has no money today, does he?
There is little water in the thermos, is there?
By Eng Auzobillah "Ahamdzai"
Types of Tag Question
Imperatives in tag questions:
We can use tag question after an imperative sentence. The
subject is usually (You) because imperative sentences have
an understood subject and that is (you). Tags like will you?
Won’t you? Can you? Can’t you? Could you? and would you?
Ex: Go off, will/won’t/can’t you?
Ex: Stop making noise, will /won’t/ can’t you?
Note: We can use can you? For friendly request but we can
could /would you? For a polite.
Ex: Bring me a glass of water, can you?
Ex: Please fill the Thermos for, Could you?/ Would you?
By Eng Auzobillah "Ahamdzai"
Continued…
Let’s + verb: After let’s + verb we use shall we?
Ex: let’s watch TV, shall we?
Note: When let shows permission will you or won’t
you is used to make tag question.
Ex: Let her join the dance club, will/won’t you?
Ex: Lets go to park, shall we?
Ex: Lets study at ATTA, shall we?
Ex: Open the door, will you?
Ex: Bring me a glass of water, will you?
Ex: Take out your books, will you?
By Eng Auzobillah "Ahamdzai"
Idiosyncratic tag question
We can use some other tag questions after statements and
exclamation in order to invite the listener’s response. They
have the same forms whether the statement is positive or
negative.
They have a rising tone.
John resigned/didn’t resign, am I right?
He resigned/didn’t resign, don’t you think?
He didn’t resign/didn’t resign, isn’t that so?
He didn’t resign/didn’t resign, right? (Informal)
He resigned/didn’t resign, ok? (Informal)
He didn’t resign/resigned, eh? (Impolite)
By Eng Auzobillah "Ahamdzai"
Tentative() امتحانى/Sarcastic Tag
questions
We use this kind of tag questions to express
sarcasm. We repeat the subject and auxiliary in the
tag question. They generally say with a rising tone.
We also use tentative /Sarcastic tag questions to
threaten someone (not) to do something. The
statement which is appended to tag question is
usually positive in this case.
Positive statement +, subject + auxiliary, + auxiliary + subject
You have insulted me, you have, have you?
You will kill me, you will, will you?
By Eng Auzobillah "Ahamdzai"
Continued…
However, Negative statement is also possible with
tentative / sarcastic tag questions.
Negative statement +, subject + auxiliary + not, + auxiliary +not
subject
You won’t sign this document, you won’t, won’t you?
She didn’t invite me to the party, she didn’t, didn’t she?
By Eng Auzobillah "Ahamdzai"
Echo tags/ Same-way tags
An echo tag is a response, in tag form, to an
affirmative or negative statement by which we may
or may not request further information depending
on the intonation we use. we use a positive tag
after a positive statement and a negative tag after
a negative statement.
Khyber will come here soon, will he?
Shaheer left his job, did he?
By Eng Auzobillah "Ahamdzai"
Continued…
Negative----------negative combinations may be used
to express anger or menace. However, they are not
common in everyday English.
Samim won’t come here, won’t he?
You can’t use my computer anymore, can’t you?
Echo tags can be formed with there
There will be demonstration tomorrow, will there?
There wasn’t a meeting yesterday, wasn’t there?
By Eng Auzobillah "Ahamdzai"
Reinforcement tags
Reinforcement tag is similar to echo tags. They
emphasize the speaker’s point of view. They are usually
affirmative------affirmative and are typical of colloquial
English. We don’t use a question mark at the end of a
reinforcement tag question. The tag has a positive order
and the auxiliary is used after the subject .We use
reinforcement tags for emphasis because the tag repeats
the idea of the main clause.
You are going to Australia, you are.
Abdullah has passed all the tests, he has.
You are really clever, you are.
By Eng Auzobillah "Ahamdzai"
?
THE END
By Eng Auzobillah "Ahamdzai"
Thank you!
By Eng Auzobillah "Ahamdzai"
