Question Tags

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vmbo k, g, t
• Leerjaar 2

Question Tags

= 

Korte vraagjes

Question tags (korte vraagjes)

At the end of this lesson you will know how to recognize and use question tags properly in a sentence.

What is a question tag?

Question tags are the short questions that we put on the end of sentences particularly in spoken English.

example:

She's Italian, isn't she?

Why do we use question tags?

to engage the listener

to verify that something has been understood

to confirm that an action has occurred

Dear students you are listening, aren't you?

Where do you place question tags?

At the end of the sentence instead of fullstop you put comma and then you add the question tag.

Dear students you are listening, aren't you?

How do you form a question tag? 

 if the main clause is positive, the question tag is negative

[Na een bevestigende zin (+) is de tag ontkennend (-) ]

if the main clause is negative, the question tag is positive

[Na een ontkennende zin (-) is de tag bevestigend (+)]

  Negative question tags are usually contracted: It's warm today, isn't it (not 'is it not')

How do you form a question tag? 

Tag questions are made using an modal (hulpwerkwoord) verb from the main statement

for example: be or have

+

 a subject pronoun  (persoonlijk voornaamwoord)

 for example: I, you, she 

Examples

They are working hard.

What is the auxiliary ?

What is the subject pronoun?

Examples

They are working hard.

the auxiliary is :  are

The subject pronoun is : They

Examples

They are working hard.

They are working hard, aren't they?

Examples

The students need to study this for the test.

What is the auxiliary ?

What is the subject pronoun?

Examples

The students need to study this for the test.

The auxiliary is : do

the subject pronoun is: the students -> they

Examples

The students need to study this for the test.

The students need to study this for the test, don't they?

Examples

They are working hard, aren't they?  

You can speak English, can't you? 

We need to study this for the test, don't we?  

They work together, don't they? 

She sings in that pop group, doesn't she? 

He doesn't go to school every day, does he?

Question tags

She plays the piano quite well, doesn't she?  

Karen is quite a good singer, isn't she? 

They aren't at home, are they?  

A  stray cat drank all the milk, didn't it? 

Brad and Brenda are married, aren't they? 

Carl didn't come home last night, did he?

Examples

She plays the piano quite well, doesn't she?  

Karen is quite a good singer, isn't she? 

They aren't at home, are they?  

A  stray cat drank all the milk, didn't it? 

Brad and Brenda are married, aren't they? 

Carl didn't come home last night, did he?

Examples

There is one weird exception: 

the question tag after I am is aren't I.

For example: I'm in charge of the food, aren't I?

Question Tags: Samenvatting

Na een bevestigende zin (+) is de tag ontkennend (-)  

Na een ontkennende zin (-) is de tag bevestigend (+) 

Je herhaalt de vorm van het werkwoord to be (am/is/are) of hulpww (can, have, Should, could, would).  

Geen hulpww dan do/don't, does/doesn't of did/didn't.

Je herhaalt het onderwerp. Soms moet je dit vervangen door  

he, she, it, we, you, they. 

Let's practise

choose the right answer

He is a good singer, …………?

1. is he
2. isn't he
3. he is
4. he isn't

You're a big fan,.....?

1. are you
2. aren't you
3. you are
4. you aren't

They aren't married,.....?

1. are they
2. aren't they
3. they are
4. they aren't

You walk an hour every day, ……?

1. do you
2. don't you
3. walk you
4. walken't you

He can help you,...….?

1. can he
2. can't he
3. he can
4. he can't

It's great that you're here, …..?

1. isn't it
2. is it
3. are you
4. aren't you

Harry drives an expensive car, ……….?

1. does he
2. doesn't he
3. drives he
4. drivesn't he

Janice doesn't like you, ……..?

1. does she
2. doesn't she
3. she does
4. she doesn't

You guys talked for hours last night, …..?

1. did you
2. didn't you
3. talked you
4. talkedn't you

He didn't tell you he is back, ………?

1. did he
2. didn't he
3. he did
4. he didn't

Exercise 2

write the correct tag question

Open your book! 

CB page 94

Vera is Bob's sister, ……..?

You aren't family, …….?

They could help you with that, ……?

We have told you this before,...….?

Miss Noé explains the grammar, …….?

Gerard isn't a big football fan, ………?

The cat isn't drinking the milk, ……..?

Exercise 3

Meer oefenen is belangrijk. 

Ook zeker bij het leren maken van question tags. 

Op de volgende slides vind je websites waar je meer kunt oefenen met het maken van question tags. 

Homework

Do: WB page 28 exercise 33

Are you finished go to readtheory.org in silence.

www.bastrimbos.com

www.iedereenkanengels.nl

https:

https: