Question Tags in English | Learn English Grammar | English Question Tags Explained

Summary

This video provides a comprehensive guide to using question tags in English. It explains that question tags are short questions added to statements to seek confirmation or agreement. The tutorial covers forming tags with the verb 'to be,' auxiliary verbs, modal verbs, and normal verbs, highlighting rules for positive and negative statements. Special cases like 'I am,' negative words, imperatives, and 'let’s' statements are addressed. The video also explains intonation differences—rising for uncertainty and falling for confirmation. Practical examples and clear rules help learners understand how to construct question tags correctly and confidently in various contexts.

Takeaways

• 😀 A question tag is a short question added at the end of a statement to ask for agreement or confirmation.
• 😀 Positive statements are followed by negative question tags, and negative statements are followed by positive question tags.
• 😀 The auxiliary verb, modal verb, or form of 'to be' is used in forming question tags, followed by a subject pronoun.
• 😀 For statements with 'I am' in the positive form, the irregular negative question tag is 'aren't I?'
• 😀 Rising intonation in a question tag indicates uncertainty and a desire to know the answer.
• 😀 Falling intonation in a question tag indicates confidence and is often used to check or confirm information.
• 😀 Normal verbs (not 'to be', auxiliary, or modal verbs) use 'do/does' in the present tense and 'did' in the past tense to form question tags.
• 😀 Negative words such as nobody, none, nothing, no, neither, hardly, barely, and seldom make the statement negative, requiring a positive question tag.
• 😀 Imperatives use 'will you' as the question tag, and statements starting with 'Let's' use 'shall we' as the question tag.
• 😀 When a statement contains a noun subject, the question tag replaces it with the appropriate subject pronoun.
• 😀 'There are' or 'There is' statements use the same forms in the question tag, e.g., 'There aren't any spiders, are there?'

Q & A

What is a question tag and what is its primary purpose?

A question tag is a short question added at the end of a statement. Its primary purpose is to ask for agreement, confirmation, or clarification from the listener.

How do you form a question tag for a positive statement?

For a positive statement, the question tag is negative. For example, 'You are a student, aren't you?' Here, 'aren't you?' is the negative question tag.

How do you form a question tag for a negative statement?

For a negative statement, the question tag is positive. For example, 'Mary isn't a teacher, is she?' Here, 'is she?' is the positive question tag.

What role do subject pronouns play in question tags?

Subject pronouns replace the noun in the original statement to avoid repetition. For example, in 'Mary isn't a teacher, is she?', 'she' replaces 'Mary'.

What is the difference between rising and falling intonation in question tags?

Rising intonation indicates uncertainty and a desire to know the answer, e.g., 'John doesn't speak Spanish, does he?' Falling intonation indicates confirmation or agreement, e.g., 'John doesn't speak Spanish, does he?' with a falling tone.

How are question tags formed with the verb 'TO BE'?

The tense of 'TO BE' in the statement is maintained in the question tag. For example, 'She was happy, wasn't she?' uses past tense in both the statement and the tag.

How are question tags formed with auxiliary and modal verbs?

The question tag uses the corresponding auxiliary or modal verb in negative or positive form. For example, 'You can speak two languages, can't you?' or 'You should go now, shouldn't you?'

How do you form question tags with normal verbs that are not 'TO BE', auxiliary, or modal verbs?

For positive statements, use 'do/does/did' in the question tag, matching the tense. For example, 'He speaks Spanish, doesn't he?' or 'She studied for the test, didn't she?'

What special exception exists for 'I am' statements?

For statements beginning with 'I am', the negative question tag uses 'aren't I?' instead of 'am I?', e.g., 'I am late, aren't I?'

How are statements with negative words like 'nobody', 'nothing', or 'hardly' treated in question tags?

Statements containing negative words are treated as negative statements and take a positive question tag. For example, 'Nobody went to the meeting, did they?' or 'Nothing is ready, is it?'

What is the question tag for statements starting with 'Let's'?

Statements starting with 'Let's' use 'shall we?' as the question tag. For example, 'Let's go to the beach, shall we?'

What question tag is used for negative imperatives?

Negative imperatives normally use 'will you?' as the question tag. For example, 'Don't forget, will you?'