UNIT 5: superstition, horoscope, supernatural phenomena, lucky, beliefs, fears Tag Questions / Question Tags

Question tags are the short questions that we put on the end of sentences particularly in spoken English. There are lots of different question tags but the rules are not difficult to learn. Positive/negative If the main part of the sentence is positive, the question tag is negative. Example: Hes a doctor, isnt he? If the main part of the sentence is negative, the question tag is positive. Example: You havent met him, have you? With auxiliary verbs The question tag uses the same verb as the main part of the sentence. If this is an auxiliary verb (have, be) then the question tag is made with the auxiliary verb.

Theyve gone away for a few days, havent they? They werent here, were they? He had met him before, hadnt he? This isnt working, is it? Without auxiliary verbs If the main part of the sentence doesnt have an auxiliary verb, the question tag uses an appropriate form of do.

I said that, didnt I? You dont recognise me, do you? She eats meat, doesnt she? With modal verbs If there is a modal verb in the main part of the sentence the question tag uses the same modal verb.

They couldnt hear me, could they? You wont tell anyone, will you?

With I am Be careful with question tags with sentences that start I am. The question tag for I am is arent I?. Example: Im the fastest, arent I?
Questions tags Special Cases A) Although the negative word not is not in the sentence, the sentence can be negative. Then we use the "positive" question tag. Example: He never goes out with his dog, does he? (Note that the meaning of the sentence is negative!) B) We have a car, _____? have is a main verb in the sentence -> two possibilities We have a car, haven't we? mostly British English We have a car, don't we? mostly American English

C) We use will/would with the imperative (Simple Present). Open the window, will you? Open the window, would you? Don't open your books, will you?

C) We use won't with a polite request. Open the window, won't you? D) We use shall after Let's. Let's take the next bus, shall we?

There + be
We use there as a dummy subject with part of the verb be followed by a noun phrase. Especially to indicate that something "exists" or is in a certain location. to introduce a new topic: There is a meeting this evening. It will start at seven. There has been an accident. I hope no one is hurt. with numbers or quantities: There was a lot of rain last night. There must have been more than five hundred in the audience. to say where something is: There used to be a playground at the end of the street. There are fairies at the bottom of the garden. I wonder if there will be anyone at home. with an indefinite pronoun or expressions of quantity and the to-infinitive:

There is nothing to do in the village. There was plenty to read in the apartment There was nothing to watch on television. There is a lot of work to do If we want to show the subject of the to-infinitive we use for: There is nothing for the children to do in the village. There was plenty for us to read in the apartment There was nothing for them to watch on television. There is a lot of work for you to do. with an indefinite pronoun or expressions of quantity and an -ing verb: There is someone waiting to see you. There were a lot of people shouting and waving. We use a singular verb if the noun phrase is singular: There is a meeting this evening. It will start at seven. There was a lot of rain last night. There is someone waiting to see you. We use a plural verb if the noun phrase is plural: There are more than twenty people waiting to see you. There were some biscuits in the cupboard. There were a lot of people shouting and waving.

Common mistakes
Since the expression there is/are usually has no equivalent in other languages, students sometimes use have instead. Have a lot of food on the table. It has a lot of food on the table. There have a lot of food on the table. There is a lot of food on the table. (Incorrect) (Incorrect) (Incorrect) (Correct)