Tag Questions

You speak English, don't you? A tag question is a special construction in English. It is a statement followed by a miniquestion. The whole sentence is a "tag question", and the mini-question at the end is called a "question tag". A "tag" is something small that we add to something larger. For example, the little piece of cloth added to a shirt showing size or washing instructions is a tag. We use tag questions at the end of statements to ask for confirmation. They mean something like: "Am I right?" or "Do you agree?" They are very common in English. The basic structure is:

+ Positive statement,
Snow is white,

negative tag?
isn't it?

Negative statement,
You don't like me,

+ positive tag?
do you?

Look at these examples with positive statements: positive statement [+] subject auxiliary main verb negative tag [-] auxiliary not personal pronoun (same as subject) you? we? you? you? they? I?
You (do) like... won't = will not notes:

You We You You They I

are have do

coming, finished, like like coffee, coffee,

are have do do wo can

n't n't n't n't n't 't

will can

help, come,

We He You John

must should

go, try are was harder, English, there,

must should are was

n't n't n't n't

we? he? you? he?

no auxiliary for main verb bepresent & past

Look at these examples with negative statements: negative statement [-] subject auxiliary main verb positive tag [+] auxiliary personal pronoun (same as subject) it? we? you? they? they? I? we? he? you? he?

It We You They They I We He You John

is have do will wo can must should

n't never n't not n't never n't n't

raining, seen like help, report do tell drive are was n't not us, it right, her, so fast, English, there, that, coffee,

is have do will will can must should are was

Some special cases: I am right, aren't I? You have to go, don't you? I have been answering, haven't I? Nothing came in the post, did it? Let's go, shall we? aren't I (not amn't I) you (do) have to go... use first auxiliary treat statements with nothing, nobody etc like negative statements let's = let us

He'd better do it, hadn't he? Here are some mixed examples:

he had better (no auxiliary)

But you don't really love her, do you? This will work, won't it? Well, I couldn't help it, could I? But you'll tell me if she calls, won't you? We'd never have known, would we? The weather's bad, isn't it? You won't be late, will you? Nobody knows, do they?

Notice that we often use tag questions to ask for information or help, starting with a negative statement. This is quite a friendly/polite way of making a request. For example, instead of saying "Where is the police station?" (not very polite), or "Do you know where the police station is?" (slightly more polite), we could say: "You wouldn't know where the police station is, would you?" Here are some more examples: You don't know of any good jobs, do you? You couldn't help me with my homework, could you? You haven't got $10 to lend me, have you?

Intonation
We can change the meaning of a tag question with the musical pitch of our voice. With rising intonation, it sounds like a real question. But if our intonation falls, it sounds more like a statement that doesn't require a real answer: intonation You don't know where my wallet is, It's a beautiful view, do you? isn't it? / rising \ falling real question not a real question

Answers to tag questions

A question tag is the "mini-question" at the end. A tag question is the whole sentence. How do we answer a tag question? Often, we just say Yes or No. Sometimes we may repeat the tag and reverse it (..., do they? Yes, they do). Be very careful about answering tag questions. In some languages, an oposite system of answering is used, and non-native English speakers sometimes answer in the wrong way. This can lead to a lot of confusion! Answer a tag question according to the truth of the situation. Your answer reflects the real facts, not (necessarily) the question. For example, everyone knows that snow is white. Look at these questions, and the correct answers:

tag question Snow is white, isn't it? Snow isn't white, is it? Snow is black, isn't it? Snow isn't black, is it?

correct answer Yes (it is). the answer is the same in both cases - because snow IS WHITE! but notice the change of stress when the answerer does not agree with the questioner

Yes itis! No itisn't! the answer is the same in both cases - because snow IS NOT BLACK!

No (it isn't).

In some languages, people answer a question like "Snow isn't black, is it?" with "Yes" (meaning "Yes, I agree with you"). This is the wrong answer in English! Here are some more examples, with correct answers: The moon goes round the earth, doesn't it? Yes, it does. The earth is bigger than the moon, isn't it? Yes. The earth is bigger than the sun, isn't it? No, it isn't! Asian people don't like rice, do they? Yes, they do! Elephants live in Europe, don't they? No, they don't! Men don't have babies, do they? No. The English alphabet doesn't have 40 letters, does it? No, it doesn't.

Question tags with imperatives

Sometimes we use question tags with imperatives (invitations, orders), but the sentence remains an imperative and does not require a direct answer. We use won't for invitations. We use can, can't, will, would for orders. imperative + question tag invitation order Take a seat, won't you? Help me, can you? Help me, can't you? Close the door, would you? Do it now, will you? Don't forget, will you? notes: polite quite friendly quite friendly (some irritation?) quite polite less polite with negative imperatives only will is possible

Same-way question tags

Although the basic structure of tag questions is positive-negative or negative-positive, it is sometime possible to use a positive-positive or negative-negative structure. We use sameway question tags to express interest, surprise, anger etc, and not to make real questions. So you're having a baby, are you? That's wonderful! She wants to marry him, does she? Some chance! So you think that's amusing, do you? Think again.

Negative-negative tag questions usually sound rather hostile: So you don't like my looks, don't you?

http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verbs-questions-tag.htm

Tag question
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved. (December 2006)

A question tag or tag question is a grammatical structure in which a declarative statement or an imperative is turned into a question by adding an interrogative fragment (the "tag"). The term "question tag" is generally preferred by British grammarians, while their American counterparts prefer " tag question".

Contents
[hide]

1 Forms and uses 2 Tag questions in English

o o o o o

2.1 Auxiliary 2.2 Negation 2.3 Intonation 2.4 Emphasis 2.5 Variant forms

2.5.1 False tag in Welsh English

3 Tag questions in the Celtic languages 4 See also 5 References

[edit]Forms

and uses

In most languages, tag questions are more common in colloquial spoken usage than in formal written usage. They can be an indicator ofpoliteness, emphasis, or irony. They may suggest confidence or lack of confidence; they may be confrontational or tentative. In legal settings, tag questions can be found in leading question. Some examples showing the wide variety of structure possible in English are:

Open the window, will you? She doesn't really want those apples, does she? You'd better stop now, hadn't you? So you thought it would be a good idea to reprogram the computer, did you? It's quite an achievement, isn't it, to win a Nobel prize! Oh I must, must I? I just adore Beethoven, don't you? I'm coming with you, all right? You've been there, right? Easier said than done, eh? You went there, no?

Some languages have a fixed phrase for the tag question, such as Russian ? (not true?), French n'estce pas? ("is it not?") and German (known as "Refrainfrage") such as "nicht wahr?", "ne?", "gell?", or "oder?" . Some

languages (notably English and the Celtic languages) construct their question tags to match the preceding clause for every sentence, and are therefore quite variable: you've been here before, haven't you? You didn't buy it, did you? etc. [edit]Tag

questions in English

English tag questions, when they have the grammatical form of a question, are atypically complex, because they vary according to four factors: the choice of auxiliary, the negation, the intonation pattern and the emphasis. According to a specialist children's lawyer at theNSPCC, children find it difficult to answer tag questions other than in accordance with the expectation of questioner . [edit]Auxiliary The English tag question is made up of an auxiliary verb and a pronoun. The auxiliary has to agree with the tense, aspect and modality of the verb in the preceding sentence. If the verb is in the present perfect, for example, the tag question uses has or have; if the verb is in a present progressive form, the tag is formed with am, are, is; if the verb is in a tense which does not normally use an auxiliary, like the present simple, the auxiliary is taken from the emphatic do form; and if the sentence has a modal auxiliary, this is echoed in the tag:
[1]

He's read this book, hasn't he? He read this book, didn't he? He's reading this book, isn't he? He reads a lot of books, doesn't he? He'll read this book, won't he? He should read this book, shouldn't he? He can read this book, can't he?

A special case occurs when the main verb is to be in a simple tense. Here the tag question repeats the main verb, not an auxiliary:

This is a book, isn't it?

(Not doesn't it?, as the normal rules for present simple would suggest.) If the main verb is to have, either solution is possible:

He has a book, hasn't he? He has a book, doesn't he?

[edit]Negation

English tag questions may contain a negation, but need not. When there is no special emphasis, the rule of thumb often applies that a positive sentence has a negative tag and vice versa:

She is French, isn't she? She's not French, is she?

These are sometimes called "balanced tag questions". However, it has been estimated that in normal conversation, as many as 40%-50% of tags break this rule. "Unbalanced tag questions" (positive to positive or negative to negative) may be used for ironic or confrontational effects:
[2]

Do listen, will you? Oh, I'm lazy, am I? Jack: I refuse to spend Sunday at your mother's house! Jill: Oh you do, do you? We'll see about that! Jack: I just won't go back! Jill: Oh you won't, won't you?

Patterns of negation can show regional variations. In North East Scotland, for example, positive to positive is used when no special effect is desired:

This pizza's fine, is it? (standard English: This pizza's delicious, isn't it?)

Note the following variations in the negation when the auxiliary is the I form of the copula:

England (and America, Australia, etc.): Clever, aren't I? Scotland/Northern Ireland: Clever, amn't I? nonstandard dialects: Clever, ain't I?

[edit]Intonation English tag questions can have a rising or a falling intonation pattern. This is contrasted with Polish, French or German, for example, where all tags rise. As a rule, the English rising pattern is used when soliciting information or motivating an action, that is, when some sort of response is required. Since normal English yes/no questions have rising patterns (e.g. Are you coming?), these tags make a grammatical statement into a real question:

You're coming, aren't you? Do listen, will you? Let's have a beer, shall we?

The falling pattern is used to underline a statement. The statement itself ends with a falling pattern, and the tag sounds like an echo, strengthening the pattern. Most English tag questions have this falling pattern.

He doesn't know what he's doing, does he?

This is really boring, isn't it?

Sometimes the rising tag goes with the positive to positive pattern to create a confrontational effect:

He was the best in the class, was he? (rising: the speaker is challenging this thesis, or perhaps expressing surprised interest)

He was the best in the class, wasn't he? (falling: the speaker holds this opinion) Be careful, will you? (rising: expresses irritation) Take care, won't you? (falling: expresses concern)

Sometimes the same words may have different patterns depending on the situation or implication.

You don't remember my name, do you? (rising: expresses surprise) You don't remember my name, do you? (falling: expresses amusement or resignation) Your name's Mary, isn't it? (rising: expresses uncertainty) Your name's Mary, isn't it? (falling: expresses confidence)

It is interesting that as an all-purpose tag the London set-phrase innit (for "isn't it") is only used with falling patterns:

He doesn't know what he's doing, innit? He was the best in the class, innit?

On the other hand, the adverbial tag questions (alright? OK? etc.) are almost always found with rising patterns. An occasional exception issurely. [edit]Emphasis English tag questions are normally stressed on the verb, but the stress is on the pronoun if there is a change of person.

I don't like peas, do you? I like peas, don't you?

This is often a rising tag (especially when the tag contains no negation), or the intonation pattern may be the typically English fall-rise. In French, this would be expressed with et toi?, which is also a tag question. [edit]Variant

forms

There are a number of variant forms that exist in particular dialects of English. These are generally invariant, regardless of verb, person or negativity. The tag right? is common in a number of dialects across the UK and US.

The tag eh? is of Scottish origin, and can be heard across much of Scotland, New Zealand, Canada and the NorthEastern United States. In Central Scotland (in and around Stirling and Falkirk), this exists in the form eh no? which is again invariant. [edit]False tag in Welsh English It is often erroneously assumed that Welsh speakers of English use a tag question to make an emphatic statement, eg: Lovely day, isn't it? However, this is instead a cleft sentence of the form: Lovely day, is in it. This has its roots in the Welsh language, and this type of cleft features in all extant Celtic languages. The lack of verb at the start of this construction coupled with the lack of rising intonation mark this as distinct from tag questions, which are used in Welsh English in the same manner as the majority of the UK. [edit]Tag

questions in the Celtic languages

Like English, the Celtic languages form tag questions by echoing the verb of the main sentence. The Goidelic languages, however, make little or no use of auxiliary verbs, so that it is generally the main verb itself which reappears in the tag. Some examples from Scottish Gaelic:

Is toil leat fon, nach toil? - You like wine, don't you? Tha i breagha an diugh, nach eil? - It's nice today, isn't it? Chunnaic mi e, nach fhaca? - I saw him, didn't I?

(Here, eil and fhaca are dependent forms of the irregular verbs tha and chunnaic.) In Welsh, a special particle is used to mark tag questions, which are then followed by the inflected form of a verb. With the auxiliary bod, it is the inflected form of bod that is used:

Mae hi'n bwrw glaw heddiw, on'd ydy? - It's raining today, isn't it?

With inflected non-preterite forms, the inflected form of the verb is used:

Doi di yfory, on' doi? - You'll come tomorrow, won't you?

With preterite and perfect forms, the invariable do (also the affirmative answer to these questions) is used:

Canodd y bobl, on' do? - The people sang, didn't they? Mae hi wedi ei weld o, on'do? - She's seen him, hasn't she?

When a non-verbal element is being questioned, the question particle ai is used:

Mr Jones, on'dai? - Mr Jones, isn't it?

[edit]See

also

High rising terminal

[edit]References

1. 2.

^ BBC Television News 24 May 2010[specify] ^ Geoff Parkes et al., 101 Myths about the English Language, Englang Books, 1989, ISBN 1 871819 10 5, p. 38

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tag_question

tag question
By Richard Nordquist, About.com Guide

1. 2.

Filed In: Grammar & Rhetoric Glossary > Taboo - Zimbabwean English

Sponsored Links English Grammar CheckerCorrect All Errors In Your English! Write Like A Qualified Professionalwww.Grammarly.com/Grammar_Check UK University Studyby online distance learning Browse courses online now!www.rdihongkong.com The TESOL Training CentreSingapore Most Established TESOL Providerwww.teachtesol.org Sponsored Links Real English Conversation7 Steps To Powerful English Conversation. Guaranteed Results.LearnRealEnglish.com Teach English to ChildrenAnaheim University Teaching English to Young Learners Online Cert.www.anaheim.edu Definition: A question added to a declarative sentence, usually at the end, to engage the listener, verify that something has been understood, or confirm that an action has occurred. Common tags include won't you? wasn't it? don't you? haven't you? okay?and right? See also:

Declarative Question Narrative Eh Negation Queclarative Twelve Types of Questions in Casablanca

Examples and Observations:

"If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?" (Albert Einstein)

"There's nothing more exhilarating than pointing out the shortcomings of others, is there?" (Randal Graves in Clerks)

"I like New York in June, How about you? I like a Gershwin tune, How about you?" (B. Lane and Ralph Freed, "How About You")

"A toothbrush is a non-lethal object, isn't it?" (Morgan Freeman as Red in The Shawshank Redemption, 1994)

"This time we almost made the pieces fit, didn't we? This time we almost made some sense of it, didn't we? (Jim Webb, "Didn't We?")

"Now eventually you might have dinosaurs on your dinosaur tour, right?" (Jeff Goldblum as Dr. Malcolm in Jurassic Park, 1993)

"To actually see inside your ear canal--it would be fascinating, wouldn't it?" (Letter from Sonus, a hearing-aid company, quoted in The New Yorker, Mar. 24, 2003)

"I warned you, but did you listen to me? Oh, no, you knew, didn't you? Oh, it's just a harmless little bunny, isn't it?" (Tim in Monty Python and the Holy Grail)

"Question tags are not independent clauses, but they do require a response, and are highly interactive. Structurally, interrogatives are abbreviated yes/no interrogatives consisting of an operator (either positive or negative) and a pronoun, which repeats the subject or substitutes for it. Question tags are attached to one of the following clause types: a declarative clause: It was quiet in there, wasn't it? an exclamative clause: How quiet it was in there, wasn't it? an imperative clause: Be quiet for a moment, will you? Of these, the declarative is by far the most common." (Angela Downing, English Grammar: A University Course. Taylor & Francis, 2006)

Commas with a tag question "Place a comma between a statement and the brief question that follows it when thesubject of the statement and the subject of the question is

the same entity (example 1). When they have different subjects, the statement and the question must be punctuated as separate grammatical elements (example 2). Examples 0. George was not there, was he? 1. I will never stay in that hotel again. Will you? (David K Woodroof, Woodroof's Quotations, Commas and Other Things English . iUniverse, 2005) Also Known As: tag declarative, question tag (chiefly British)

http://grammar.about.com/od/tz/g/tagqueterm.htm

What is a tag question?

Definition A tag question is a constituent that is added after a statement in order to request confirmation or disconfirmation of the statement from the addressee. Often it expresses the bias of the speaker toward one answer. A tag question often includes a

be verb predicate meaning true, and negative.

Examples (English, German, French)

The English isnt he?, as in the following sentence: Hes a pleasant fellow, isnt he?

The German nicht wahr? not true? The French nest ce pas? is it not? Sadock and Zwicky 1985 183

Source: Generic

A tag question is a kind of

What is a question?

Sources Crystal 1985 304 Hartmann and Stork 1972 233 Quirk, Greenbaum, Leech, and Svartvik 1985 811

Mish 1991 1201 Sadock and Zwicky 1985 182183

http://www.sil.org/linguistics/GlossaryOfLinguisticTerms/WhatIsATagQuestion.htm