2. What is a tag question?
• It is when a small question is added to a
statement,
– “Life is good, isn’t it?”
3. When do we use tag question?
• Tag questions are used in “informal”
situations, like talking with your friends.
• You do not use tag questions when you
are doing formal writing.
4. Why are tag questions used?
• Tag questions are used to keep the
conversation going.
• A tag question gives the person you are
talking to a chance to respond.
6. • “It is sunny, isn’t it?”
• “Yes, it is. I love the sun, don’t you?”
• The conversation can continue.
7. How do you make a tag question?
• To make a tag question you look at the
auxiliary (be-verb, helping or linking verb)
• If the sentence is positive, change the
auxiliary to a negative verb.
If the sentence is negative change the
auxiliary to a positive verb.
8. Example
• “The pizza is great.”
– “is” is your auxiliary
– Change it from a positive to a negative
• Isn’t
• Use to make a short question
“The pizza is great, isn’t it?”
9. No auxiliary?
• If there is no auxiliary you use do or does
• “ I like ice cream, don’t you?
• “Sue likes ice cream, doesn’t she?”
10. It’s a tag question, isn’t it?
• Look carefully to see if a question is a tag
question. It must have a statement then a
short question.
–You can see the board, can’t you?
–Can you see the board?
• Note in the second example there is no
statement, the entire sentence is a
question.
11. More examples
• Pigs can’t fly.
• Ask yourself, “What is the auxiliary?”
• Is it positive or negative?
• How can we change it?
