English Grammar Rules for QUESTION TAG

English Grammar Rules for QUESTION TAG

What is a tag question?

A tag question is a statement followed by a small-question. We use tag questions to ask for confirmation. In a tag question a statement is made and a question is asked after that.

For an example-

1. a) You are busy, Aren’t you?
2. b) Pinnacle is the best institute for preparing for government jobs, isn’t it?

Four basic rules have to be kept in mind while making question tags-

1  The sentence and the question tag will be in the same tense.

2  If the sentence is an affirmative sentence, the question tag will be negative.

If the sentence is a negative sentence the question tag will be positive.

3  The pronoun is always used in the question tag.

4  In negative question tags we use the contracted form of the helping verb and not Eg- Hasn’t , couldn’t etc.

Rules & Explanations  along with Application / Examples.

RULE 1  In affirmative sentence the Tag question will be negative.

Examples -

A teacher goes to school daily, doesn’t he?

Madhu plucks flowers, doesn’t she?

You appeared at the SSC examination, didn’t you?

Helmet makes driving safe, doesn’t it?

RULE 2  In Negative Sentence the Tag question will be Positive.

Examples - All the children were not present, were they?

Dogs cannot fly, can they?

Everybody cannot be clever, can they?

RULE 3   For sentences having modal Auxiliary (can, could, will, would, may, might, must, shall, should, ought to, need, would rather, had better, dare) Tags will be shall n’t , will not,  won’t , can’t etc depending on whether positive or negative is needed.

Examples: A healthy body can achieve the impossible, can’t it?

A student should be regular in studies, shouldn’t he?

Everybody cannot drive, can they?

Everbody should wear a seat belt while driving , shouldn’t they?

Water animals can breathe under water, can’t they?

RULE 4  Everybody, everyone ,  no one, no body are singular. So we use a singular verb and singular pronoun with them. But in the question tag a plural verb and a plural pronoun will be used.

Examples – Everybody has to pay his own bill, Haven’t they?

None of your friends has arrived yet, Have they?

RULE 5   For Affirmative Imperative sentence we use will you or won’t you in the question tag.

Examples –Be assured of all co-operation, will you?

Switch on the cooler, will you?

Please give me the documents ,wont you?

Kindly take a seat, will you?

RULE 6 For Negative Imperative sentence we use will you as the question tag.

Examples – Don’t touch the wire, will you?

Don’t litter here, will you?

Don’t make a noise in the class, will you?

RULE 7  For Imperative sentences beginning with let us , when a suggestion or proposal is being made the question tag will be shall we.

Examples –Let us go for a movie ,shall we?

Let us help her to complete the work , shall we?

Let us go to meet her, shall we?

RULE 8 For Imperative sentences beginning with let but not followed by us , the question tag will be will you.

Examples –Let Madhu go, will you?

Let them do their homework, will you?

Let the labourer go, will you?

RULE 9 For imperative sentences having nothing, anything, everything, something as the subject the question tag will have it as the pronoun.

Examples – Everything has gone bad today, hasn’t it?

Everything is clear, isn’t it?

Nothing can revive this worse situation, can it?

RULE  10  If any sentence has used to in it then the question tag will be usedn’t/didn’t.

Examples – He used to come here, usedn’t he?

He used to play the guitar very well, didn’t he?

RULE 11 Never, no, nobody, hardly, seldom, scarcely, few, little, not ,none ,rarely etc. are negative words. So the question tag will not be negative.

Examples –  A barking dog seldom bites, does it?

My son never stands still, does it?

He hardly does his duties, does he?

RULE 12 In exclamatory sentences the question tag will contain the auxiliary verbs.

Examples – How beautiful the garden is, isn’t it?

How big the slide is, isn’t it?

How nicely the bird sings, isn’t it?

RULE 13  Moon, earth, river, motherland, country, ship, train are treated as feminine gender. In the tag question the Pronoun used will be “she”. Instead of she ' it' can also be used.

Examples – The Titanic was thought to be unsinkable, wasn’t she?

India has never attacked any country, has she?

RULE 14 There is no contracted form of am not. So in question tags aren’t is used.

Examples - I am a little late today, aren’t I?

I am confident, aren’t I?

Note : But if the question tag to be used is not in contracted form then ‘Am I’ can be used.

Examples - I am not late today, Am I?

I am not busy, Am I?

RULE 15   If the subject of a sentence is there/one/this/that/these/those then the question tag will contain there/one/this etc as the pronoun.

Examples -  There is a book on the table, Isn’t there?

One cannot find a solution to this problem, Can one?

RULE 16  Collective nouns are used in singular forms so the question tag will have a singular verb and a singular pronoun.

Examples -   The class has selected its monitor, hasn’t it?

The team has played very well, hasn’t it?

But if the collective noun is not treated as one unit, we use the plural verb and the plural pronoun.

Example - The team have to arrange for their own shoes , haven’t they?

GIVE THE CORRECT QUESTION TAG FOR THE FOLLOWING

1. Cricket is more popular today, __________?
2. Every action has an opposite reaction,______?
3. I am a student of Pinnacle, _______?
4. I had a bad headache yesterday, __________?
5. It is an important matter, __________?
6. I am happy, _______?
7. The jury gave different opinions, _______?
8. The kid is crying, _______?
9. It was a terrible accident, __________?
10. We must eat vegetables, _______?
11. Love the poor, _______?
12. I am taking tea, _______?
13. We should love country, _______?
14. Everything was alright, __________?
15. We were warned of the danger, _______?
16. I am innocent, _______?
17. Neither of them were responsible, __________?
18. Man is mortal, _______?
19. I am tired, _______?
20. Either you or your brother came here, __________?
21. Frankel cast his magic spell in the laboratory, _____?
22. Nobody cheated on the exam, ________?
23. Ice touches cold, _______?
24. Nobody dared to do it ________?
25. It is an important matter, _______?
26. Nobody believes you, ________?
27. Somebody will say so, ________?
28. It hardly rains during the dry ________?
29. There are many mistakes in his composition,________?
30. It is easy to say, _______?
31. There are some problems here, ________?
32. There is a little water in the pot, ________?
33. It is quite a big garden, _______?
34. There are six seasons in Bangladesh, ________?
35. There has been an accident, ________?
36. She needs to buy a pen, _______?
37. Nobody believes a liar, ________?
38. One of the legs of the table has been broken, ___?
39. She has been fasting, __________?
40. The poor are born to suffer, __________?
41. Someone went there, _______?
42. Sultan thanked the Quazi, _______?
43. Nobody called me, ________?
44. Nobody came, ________?
45. Hasan earned very little money, __________?
46. The baby is innocent, _______?
47. To err is human __________?
48. We had better discuss something else, __________?
49. The baby is playing, _______?
50. It was a good tiffin, _______?
51. Grandmother can tell good stories, __________?
52. Nothing is impossible in this world, __________?
53. The book is rare now, _______?
54. The fishermen catch fishes, _______?
55. She is happy, _______?
56. She does not like bad films, __________?
57. She has never visited the TajMahal, __________?
58. You are not my friend, __________?
59. He sat by me, __________?
60. Kindly do me a favour, __________?
61. Let a sleeping dog sleep, __________?
62. Let her come in, __________?
63. She is pretty, _______?
64. Tareq came from Gazipur, _______?
65. Nothing can satisfy him, __________?
66. Hasan put the book on his reading table, _______?
67. You need not depend on others, __________?
68. Blind men cannot see anything, __________?
69. We should love country, __________?
70. You dare not drive at night, __________?
71. You must do it, __________?
72. Blind men can't read, __________?
73. Don't boil rice, __________?
74. Get out, __________?
75. Give me a glass of water, __________?
76. Let us go home, __________?
77. Let us go out for a walk, __________?
78. Let us have a cup of tea, __________?
79. Nothing can concern you, ________?
80. He has a few friends, ________?
81. Don't bother him, __________?
82. He has little idea about it, ________?
83. Nothing can help you now, ________?
84. Close the window, __________?
85. Come and see me again, __________?
86. Do sit down, __________?
87. There is little water in the jar, ________?
88. Don't be late, __________?
89. My friends and I hardly go there, ________?
90. My friends and I hardly go there, ________?
91. My friends hardly come here, ________?
92. He hardly realizes it, ________?
93. How sweetly the bird sings, ________?
94. He hardly studies, ________?
95. Grandmother can tell good stories, ________?
96. Her mother couldn't walk,________?
97. Laila knows you, ________?
98. How nicely she writes, ________?
99. Pinnacle conducts classes early in the morning________?
100. We are your well wishers________?

Fill in the blanks with the correct question tag.

1  It'll rain soon, ………………………..

(A) won't it

(B) bought it

(3) isn’t it

(4) may it

2 They needn’t worry ………………………..?

(A) isn’t it

(B) doesn’t it

(C) don’t it

(D) need they

3 None of the food was wasted ,…………………….?

(A)wasn’t

(B) was it

(C) weren’t

(D) were it

4 The hotel was not too expensive …………………………..

(A)was it?

(B) wasn’t it?

(C) is it ?

(D) isn’t it?

5 Your father used to be the principal of this college, ……………………………

(A)did he?

(B) does he ?

(C) didn't he?

(D) doesn’t he?

6 I am very happy today,………………

(A) Arent’t I

(B) Are I

(C) Am I

(D) Are not I

7 They fought bravely for the freedom of the country………………..

(A) did not they

(B) don’t they

(B) didn’t they

(D) does he

8 The mob has killed the thief,………………………..

(A) haven’t it

(B) hasn’t it

(C) has it

(D) isn’t it

9  Somebody has paid the bill for you……………………

(A) haven’t they

(B) is it

(C) Have they

(D) Haven’t they

10  I didn’t go for the classes yesterday ,………………………..

(A) didn’t I

(B) did I

(C) Do I

(D) Isn’t it