2. What are Tag Questions?
Tag questions (or question tags)
turn a statement into a question.
They are often used for checking
information that we think we know is
true.
They are made using an
auxilaiary verb and a subject
pronoun.
3. The Rule
Usually if the main clause
is positive, the question tag is
negative, and if the main clause
is negative, it's positive.
4. Positive to Negative
• She has a car, doesn’t she?
• She has got a car, hasn’t she?
• She has had a car, hasn’t she?
• She had a car, didn’t she?
• She will have a car, won’t she?
• I’m right, aren’t I?
5. Negative to Positive
• Steve didn’t go on holiday last
summer, did he?
• The country isn’t in a very healthy
state, is it?
• Roberta couldn’t complete her
education in
Switzerland, could she?
6. Present modal
• Present modal
• They must work a
lot, mustn’t they?
• He should follow a
diet, shouldn’t he?
• Had better ...
• She’d better see a
doctor, hadn’t she?
7. Past modal
• They must have worked a
lot, mustn’t they?
• He should have followed a
diet, shouldn’t he?
8. There is/There are
• There are two big cars in the
garage, aren’t there?
• There was a palm tree in our
garden, wasn’t there?
• There used to be a deep well in our
village, didn’t there?
9. This … / That ... + ... it? / These … /
Those … + … they?
• This / That car belongs to you,
doesn’t it?
• These/Those pencils belong to them,
don’t they?
• Those are your sandals, aren’t they?
• That’s a good one, isn’t it?
10. Let’s…
• Let’s go bowling tonight, shall we?
• Let’s hire a DVD, shall we?
• Let’s not fall in love, shall we?
• Let’s not go jumping to conclusions,
shall we?
11. Imperatives
• Speak up, will you?
• Fasten your seat belt, will you?
• Don’t sleep late, will you?
• Don’t rush, will you?
12. One/body Words
• Everybody / everyone, somebody /
someone, nobody / no one, etc.
Pronoun – they
• Something, everything, nothing,
etc.
Pronoun - it
13. One/body Words
• Everybody is coming, aren’t they?
• No one has finished the
project, have they?
• Everything is ready, isn’t it?
• Nothing was said yesterday, was it?
14. Negative Patterns
• No / Neither / None / Never / Hardly
(Barely,Scarcely) / Rarely (Seldom)
etc. + Positive tag question
• Neither of your parents will approve
of your marriage, will they?
• They hardly ate anything, did they?
15. Negative Patterns
• He seldom does his
homework, does he?
• Our neighbours never fail to go on
holiday, do they?
• None of the demonstrators were
arrested, were they?
• Nobody will support the president
again, will they?
16. Noun Clauses
• Verb is the determiner here.
• Dennis claimed that he had been
tortured, didn’t he?
• It is apparent that they will suffer
from hot weather during the
holiday, isn’t it?
• She didn’t know that her
husband would resign, did she?
17. Noun Clauses
• If the sentence begins with I think, I
believe, I suppose, I’m afraid, etc.
then the noun clause verb will
determine the tag question.
• I think Bill will resign, won’t he?
• I suppose she is right, isn’t she?
• I’m afraid there will be riots in the
streets, won’t there?
18. Noun Clauses
• I suppose you aren’t serious,
are you?
• I think there was nobody in the
car, was there?
• I believe they won’t come to the
party, will they?
19. Relative Clause
• Main clause will determine the tag
question.
• Mehmet is the sort of man who
would do anything to help people in
trouble, isn’t he?
• The equipment which the climbers
had taken with
them proved unsuitable, didn’t it?
20. Main Clause + Adverbial Clause
• Main clause will determine the tag
question.
• Adverbial clauses are the ones
including the adverbial expressions
such as although, since, as, after,
when, if, unless, in case, etc.
21. Main Clause + Adverbial Clause
• Yunus went swimming although it
was raining, didn’t he?
-Although it was raining, Yunus went
swimming, didn’t he?
• After we finish taking the test, we are
going out to eat something, aren’t we?
-We are going out to eat something after we
finish taking the test, aren’t we?
• If the paperwork arrives on time, your
cheque will be mailed on Thursday, won’t it?
22. Main Clause + Conjunctions
• If there is comma (,), semi-colon (;)
or full-stop (.) on the left side of the
conjunction. The sentences
following the conjunction will be
considered as the main clause. And
that sentence will determine the tag
question.
23. Main Clause + Conjunctions
• Ceyhan was cold, SO she put on a
coat, didn’t she?
• Julie has a
guitar; HOWEVER, she can’t play it
really well, can she?
24. Main Clause + Conjunctions
• Latife tried to read a novel in
French, BUT it was too
difficult, wasn’t it?
• The waiter is not very
nice; FURTHERMORE, the
food tastes awful, doesn’t it?
25. Example Questions
• Old age is a problem which should
concern us all, _____?
a) isn’t it
b) should it
c) does it
26. Example Questions
• Old age is a problem which should
concern us all, _____?
a) isn’t it
b) should it
c) does it
Cevap A
27. Example Questions
• She has got no money at the
moment, _____?
a) hasn’t she
b) does she
c) has she
28. Example Questions
• She has got no money at the
moment, _____?
a) hasn’t she
b) does she
c) has she
Cevap B
29. Example Questions
• We’d better wait for the next bus to
come, _____?
a) hadn’t we
b) don’t we
c) isn‘t it
30. Example Questions
• We’d better wait for the next bus to
come, _____?
a) hadn’t we
b) don’t we
c) isn‘t it
Cevap A
31. Example Questions
• Don’t tell my father that we had a
terrible accident, _____?
a) do you
b) hadn’t we
c) will you
32. Example Questions
• Don’t tell my father that we had a
terrible accident, _____?
a) do you
b) hadn’t we
c) will you
Cevap C
