QUESTION TAG

GRAMMAR

TEAM 12
RANY PUSPITA SARI PUTRI NURUS SAKINA

DYAH AYU RATNAWATI

MAULINA RAHMAWATI

MEANING
A tag question or attached question is a question that added onto the end of a sentence. In a tag question, the speaker makes a statement, but it is not completely certain of the truth, so he or she uses a tag question to verify the previous statement. The meaning of a question tag depends on how you say it. If the voice goes down, you arent really asking a question. Youre only asking the other person to agree with you. -Marry doesnt look well today, does she? -Hes got wonderful voice, hasnt he?

But if the voice goes up, it is a real question :

-You havent seen Mrs.Tiara , have you? (= Have you seen Mrs.Tiara?)

USE OF QUESTION TAG

Normally we use a positive question tag with a negative sentence Negative sentence + positive tag Example : They play football on Sundays, don't they? She plays football on Sundays, doesn't she? They played football on Sundays, didn't they? And normally we use a negative question tag with a positive sentence :

She's not French, is she? You don't remember my name, do you?

SOME IMPORTANT NOTES

Note that statements containing words such as neither, no (adjective), none, no one, nobody, nothing, scarcely, barely, hardly, hardly ever, seldom, few/little are treated as negative statements and followed by an ordinary interrogative tag : Nothing was appeared, was it? Little argument has been happened, has it? Emily barely ever goes to club, does she?
When the subject of the sentence anyone, anybody, everybody somebody, everyone, someone, we use the pronoun they as subject of the tag.
We dont suppose anyone will volunteer, will they? No one would agree, would they? Neither of them complained, did they?

SOME IMPORTANT NOTES

Note that statements containing words such as neither, no (adjective), none, no one, nobody, nothing, scarcely, barely, hardly, hardly ever, seldom, few/little are treated as negative statements and followed by an ordinary interrogative tag : Nothing was appeared, was it? Little argument has been happened, has it? Emily barely ever goes to club, does she?
When the subject of the sentence anyone, anybody, everybody somebody, everyone, someone, we use the pronoun they as subject of the tag.
We dont suppose anyone will volunteer, will they? No one would agree, would they? Neither of them complained, did they?

SOME IMPORTANT NOTES

When this and that is used in the first part of the sentence, it is used in the tag question :
This is your book, isnt it? That is your phone, isnt it? When these or those is used in the first part of the sentence, they is used in the tag question : These are Ariannes papers, arent they?

Question tags after affirmative statements

After same tenses we just put the auxiliary verb into negative interrogative : Kriss arriving tomorrow, isnt he? Clarissas heard the issue, hasnt she?

SOME IMPORTANT NOTES

Remember thats = is or has and d = had or would
Peterd phoned you before he came, hadnt he? Maryd come if you asked her, wouldnt she? Youd better change your bad habit, hadnt you? Motherd rather stay at home, wouldnt she?

After the imperative (do or dont do something) the tag is will you? Turn off the AC, will you? Dont cheat in exam, will you?

INTONATION
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) END Your name's Mary, isn't it? (falling: expresses confidence)