VB035: Question tags
Seminar VIII
1. You have a best friend, ___ you?
2. You had a best friend at school, ____ you?
3. That's just the way life is, ____it?
4. You can't keep in touch with everybody, ___ you?
A) We usually put negative question tags after
affirmative sentences and affirmative tags after negative
sentences.
B) If the main sentence has an auxiliary verb, e.g. is,
can, etc., this is repeated in the question tag.
C) If the main sentence has no auxiliary, the question
tag is a form of the verb do.
Read the interview below between Simon and his boss, Jo. Three of
the question tags are incorrect. Find and correct them.
Jo: So, Simon, you've been with
the company for nearly a year,
aren't you?
Simon:Yes, that's right.
Jo: You worked for Thomson
International before then, didn't
you?
Simon: Yes, for five years.
Jo: And you feel happy here now,
don't you?
Simon: Absolutely, it's a great job
and everyone's been really
friendly.
Jo: Now, you're clear about your
targets for this year, isn't you?
Simon: Yes, I think so. We have
to increase last year sales by 15
%, don't we?
Jo: That's right. If that happens
then everyone gets a 20 % bonus
which everyone will be very
happy about, won't they?
Simon: Definitely.
Jo: Now, on the subject of your
punctuality. That hasn't been
particularly good, was it?
Simon:Ah yes, now I can explain
that . . .
1. I'm too late, ____ I?
2. Help yourself to a coffee, _____ you?
3. Let's get a sandwich, ____ we?
4. You never go to the theatre, ____ you?
5. Nothing went wrong today, ____ ?
6. Nobody has complained, ____?
A. The question tag for I am is ______.
B. After imperatives we often use the question tag _____ to
invite people to do things.
C. After Let's we use the question tag _____.
D. After negative words like never, no, hardly, etc. we use a
positive/negative question tag.
E. After nothing we use it / they in question tags.
F. After nobody, no, never, etc. we use it / they in question tags.
A. The question tag for I am is aren't I.
I'm wrong, aren't I?
B. After imperatives we often use the question tag won't you?
to invite people to do things.
Have a seat, won't you?
C. After Let's we use the question tag shall we?
Let's walk along the beach, shall we?
D. After negative words like never, no, hardly, etc. we use a
positive question tag.
You never want to go to clubs, do you?
E. After nothing we use it in question tags.
Nothing happened, did it?
F. After nobody, no, never, etc. we use they in question tags.
Nobody wants to go out tonight, do they?
She's getting very tall, ____?
They don't seem to like their present, _____?
You haven't been waiting long, _____?
We can't leave the party early, _____?
Let's go and see a film, _____?
Do sit down, _____?
Nothing seems to be going right, ____?
I'm being a bit silly, ______?
The Perry Bible Fellowship
Top 5 Facts about B.O.
1. He won a Grammy
Award in 2006 for Best
Spoken Word
Recording.
2. He hates ice-cream.
3. He loves playing
scrabble.
3. He smokes but wants
to quit.
5. He experimented
with drugs.