Andhra Pradesh BIEAP AP Inter 1st Year English Study Material Intermediate 1st Year English Grammar Question Tags Questions and Answers.
AP Intermediate 1st Year English Grammar Question Tags
Question Tags are different from Wh’ questions and ‘yes/no’ questions. These are part of the conversational English and make non-formal English natural.
Please look at the following examples :
- When did you have lunch ?
- Did you have your lunch ?
- You had your lunch, didn’t you ?
The first question is a Wh’ question which requires a complete sentence as an answer. The second question can be answered by just saying Yes’ or No’ or Yes’ or No’ followed by a sentence. The third one, a tag question, may just receive a nod in agreement or disagreement. These questions are also used in informal letters between friends where conversational style is used. These are often Wrongly used by appending “Isn’t it ?” to every sentence. It is essential for students to learn correct use of question tags.
• In the above sentences you have seen that a positive statement You had your lunch” is followed by a comma and a negative tag and a question mark. These are the main points : a positive statement takes a negative tag and a negative statement takes a positive tag.
Examples :
- It is very hot, isn’t it ?
- It is not very warm today, is it ?
- We have enough food at home, haven’t we ?
- We haven’t enough food, have we ?
• A negative statement does not mean one with a negative verb, It can have a positive verb, with a negative subject, object or complement. It may also have a negative adverb that modifies the verb. If the sentence carries a negative idea, it carries a positive tag.
- None of the water was wasted, was it ?
- You met no – one we knew in Kashmir, did you ?
- A small cut like that is nothing, is it ?
- Money goes now here these days, does it ?
• For the purpose of making tags, semi-negatives such as little, few, hardly, scarcely, rarely, seldom are treated as negatives. They take positive tags.
- Few students took the test, did they ?
- Little progress has been made, has it ?
- The old man could scarcely hear what the doctor said, could he ?
- We seldom see Guptas these days, do we ?
• In contrast a few and a little are positive and so take a negative tag.
- A few student took the test, didn’t they ?
- A little progress has been made, hasn’t it ?
• If any personal pronoun is the subject of the statement then the same is repeated as the subject in the tag. The personal pronoun, referring to anyone, is the subject of the statement, the same occurs in the tag but not he or she. But if a noun is the subject of the statement, the tag has he, she, they or you.
- He is nice, isn’t he ?
- She is smart, isn’t she ?
- Kamala isn’t very attractive, is she ?
- One can’t be too alert while travelling, can one ?
• If the verb of the statement is a simple tense form of to be or to have (possession), the same is used in tag.
- Suresh has flue, hasn’t he ?
- I am taller, than you, aren’t I ?
• If the verb of the statement has compound form, only auxiliary occurs in the tag. Can, may, must, ought and the anomalous need are treated as auxiliaries.
- They have just begun the match, haven’t they ?
- My house is being white-washed, isn’t it ?
- You can shout louder than most boys, can’t you ?
- We must be late for the train, must we ?
Verbs in imperative sentences are quite different. If they are requests, Will you ? appears in the tag. If they are suggestions, then also Will you ? is the choice. But in case a sense of urgency is to be denoted Won’t you ? is used.
- Pass me the salt, will you ?
- Have another Dosa, will you ?
- Have another cup of tea, won’t you ?
Sentences with let’s (let us)take Shall we ? in the tag and imply a suggestion.
Let’s go to a movie now, shall we ?
An imperative sentence that denotes sense of impatience or anger uses Can’t you ? in the tag whatever may be the verb in the main statement.
Sit quietly, can’t you ?
Task
Choose the correct sentence from the pairs given below,
e.g.:
Prasanthi will be 16 next week, don’t she ? (✗)
Prasanthi will be 16 next week, won’t she ? (✓)
1. There’s no place like home, is it ? (✗)
There’s no place like home, is there ? (✓)
2. I think she’s from EFLU, doesn’t she ? (✗)
I think she’s from EFLU, isn’t she ? (✓)
3. Don’t talk to him during the lesson, will you ? (✗)
Don’t talk to him during the lesson, won’t you ? (✓)
4. Let’s see how things turn out, aren’t we ? (✗)
Let’s see how things turn out, shall we ? (✓)
5. Pass me the salt, aren’t you ? (✗)
Pass me the salt, won’t you ? (✓)
6. Anything will happen now, willn’t it ? (✗)
Anything will happen now, won’t it ? (✓)
7. I am going to find wuch a why, aren’t I ? (✗)
I am going to find such a way, amn’t I ? (✓)
8. We must be at college at 9 O’ clock, must we ? (✗)
We must be at college at 9 O’ clock, mustn’t we ? (✓)
9. The show was amazing, isn,’t it ? (✗)
The show was amazing wasn’t it ? (✓)
10. Nobody cares how I feel, don’t they ? (✗)
Nobody cares how I feel, do they ? (✓)
Exercise 1
Add the tag questions to the following statements.
E.g. We haven’t had our dinner yet.
We haven’t had our dinner yet, have we ?
Question 1.
Tigers are ferocious animals.
Answer:
Tigers are ferocious animals, aren’t they ?
Question 2.
There haven’t been any showers this monsoon.
Answer:
There haven’t been any showers this monsoon, Have there ?
Question 3.
You have two cars.
Answer:
You have two cars, haven’t you ?
Question 4.
We mustn’t forget to pay taxes.
Answer:
We mustn’t forget to pay taxes, must we ?
Question 5.
Few athletes have sponsors in AP.
Answer:
Few athletes have sponsors in AP., have they?
Question 6.
A few tennis players could get sponsors.
Answer:
A few tennis players sponsors in A.P. have they ?
Question 7.
You needn’t leave early.
Answer:
You needn’t leave early, need you ?
Question 8.
You can make quick money in business, if you have capital.
Answer:
You can make quick money in business, if you have capital, can’t you ?
Question 9.
No-one should drive on the right side of the road.
Answer:
No-one should drive on the right side of the road, should they ?
Question 10.
The fishermen need new nets this season.
Answer:
The fishermen need new nets this season, needn’t they ?
Exercise 2
Fill in the blanks with suitable words/forms of verb in the following sentences.
(Admire, look, go, sleep, quite, talk, arrest, discuss, rise, wait, strike, need, are,)
E.g. : The journey not an easy one, was it ?
The journey was not an easy one, was it ?
1. Let’s ____ for a swim, shall we ?
Answer:
go
2. The walls in every town ____ very attractive now, don’t they ?
Answer:
look
3. You ____ for long, haven’t you ?
Answer:
have waited
4. The car ____ re-painting, needn’t it ?
Answer:
needs
5. The town clock ___ only 12 O’ clock, doesn’t it ?
Answer:
strikes
6. Temperatures ____ abnormally aren’t they ?
Answer:
are rising
7. The players _____ to each other in the field, aren’t they ?
Answer:
are talking
8. The chief guest ____ the importance of learning languages, didn’t he ?
Answer:
discussed
9. John and Mary ____ each other, don’t they ?
Ans. admire
10. Govind ____ for drunken driving,, isn’t he ?
Answer:
is arrested
11. Due to menace of mosquitoes, none of us ____ well last night, did we ?
Answer:
slept
12. Keep ____ can’t you ?
Answer:
keep
Exercise 3
Match the sentences below in column – A with their Question Tags in Column – B.
Answers :
1) f
2) e
3) i
4) g
5) b
6) d
7) j
8) a
9) c
10) h
Exercise 4
Add the correct question tags to the following statements.
Question 1.
It is raining, ____ ?
Answer:
isn’t it ?
Question 2.
You’ve finished the work, ____?
Answer:
haven’t you ?
Question 3.
We can go home now, ____?
Answer:
can’t we ?
Question 4.
Reshmi works at the art theatre, ____?
Answer:
doesn’t she ?
Question 5.
Rishitha came home late, ____ ?
Answer:
didn’t she ?
Question 6.
It’s colder today, ____ ?
Answer:
isn’t it ?
Question 7.
Rishi’s poems are religious and secular, ‘___ ?
Answer:
aren’t they ?
Question 8.
That was awesome, ____?
Answer:
wasn’t it ?
Question 9.
I,m late today, ____?
Answer:
aren’t I ?
Question 10.
Anyone could wish for such an honour, ___?
Answer:
couldn’t they ?
Question 11.
You haven’t broken that glass, ___?
Answer:
have you ?
Question 12.
We’ve had no information yet, ____?
Answer:
have we ?
Question 13.
You must tell me, ____?
Answer:
mustn’t you ?
Question 14.
Let’s have a break now, ____?
Answer:
shall we ?
Question 15.
My brothers can’t swim, ____ ?
Answer:
can they?
Question 16.
That was fun, ___?
Answer:
wasn’t it ?
Question 17.
Sangamithra isn’t coming, ____?
Answer:
is she ?
Question 18.
Dr. Sumegha will join the research team, ___?
Answer:
won’t she ?
Question 19.
Sreshta draws pictures, ____?
Answer:
doesn’t she ?
Question 20.
They went to London last year, _____?
Answer:
didn’t they?
Question 21.
Be quiet, ____?
Answer:
will you ?
Question 22.
He shouldn’t say things like that, ____?
Answer:
should he ?
Question 23.
You won’t be home till midnight, ____?
Answer:
will you ?
Question 24.
Let’s go to the beach, ____?
Answer:
shall we ?
Question 25.
There aren’t any spiders in the bedroom, ____?
Answer:
are there ?
Question 26.
This is Paul’s doctrine, ____ ?
Answer:
isn’t it ?
Question 27.
Dannie plays guitar well, ____?
Answer:
doesn’t he ?
Question 28.
Akshara writes short stories, ____ ?
Answer:
doesn’t she ?
Question 29.
Open the door, ____ ?
Answer:
will you ?
Question 30.
Children often play video games on smart phones, ___?
Answer:
don’t they ?