How to Make Tag Questions Ask Questions in English Basic English Grammar
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hi everybody my name is Alisha in this
lesson I’m going to talk about tag
questions I’m going to explain what
tagged questions are how to make them
and a few different ways to use them so
let’s get started okay first what is a
tag question a tag question is a short
question that comes after a statement so
I’ll explain a lot of examples today so
these are very short questions usually
just like two words we use tag questions
for confirmation or for agreement so
when we want to check that something is
correct for example we use a tag
question when we want to use a tag
question to confirm information we
typically use downward intonation to do
this so you’ll hear a few examples of
this in this lesson however we also use
tag questions to ask for information so
we want to get some new information we
can use a tag question to do that but
typically when we want to ask for
something
we’ll use upward intonation the same way
that we would ask a regular information
question so let’s keep this in mind as
we look at some of the rules for using
tag questions and making tag questions
okay first to make tag questions there
are two basic rules I want to explain so
the first rule is if the verb in the
main sentence or in the main part of the
statement is a positive verb then the
verb in the tag question must be
negative so let’s look at a few examples
of this here you cooked this didn’t you
so here cooked is the verb and the main
part of the statement and it’s positive
that means I need to use a negative verb
here in this case didn’t in the ending
part of the statement so I’ll explain
this rule in just a moment to another
example he could hear me couldn’t he so
here could is positive in
main part of the statement therefore I
need to use the opposite form could it
the negative form at the end of the
statement in the tag question last
example here you’ve had breakfast
haven’t you so here I’m using you have
had breakfast so here you have is my
positive verb my positive auxiliary verb
in this case so I need to use the
negative haven’t in my tag question at
the end of the sentence so this is the
first part then the opposite is also
true as we see here in point number 2 so
if the verb in the main sentence or the
main part of the statement is negative
then the verb and the time question is
positive so this is the opposite of 0.1
that we just talked about here so I’ve
just made the opposite of each of these
sentences so here we’ll see you didn’t
cook this did you hear I have the
negative you did not cook this therefore
the positive did is used in the tag
question again he couldn’t hear me
could he here I’ve used couldn’t this
time it’s negative in the main part of
the statement so the tag question is
positive could he finally you haven’t
had breakfast have you here I have the
negative haven’t have not therefore I
need to use the positive have in the tag
question so this is the basic rule for
making tag questions if we see a
positive verb in the main part of the
statement the tag question should be
negative it should use a negative verb
and the opposite is also true
if a negative verb is used in the main
statement we should use a positive verb
in the tag question so this is one key
theme you’ll see in our example
sentences for today so let’s look at a
few more details about how to make these
point number three here is about
auxiliary verb so remember auxiliary
verbs are like have and has B for
example so if there’s no auxiliary verb
in the main statement then the tag
question will
use the appropriate form of the word do
and by that I mean the positive or the
negative form like do or does for
example so let’s look at some examples
of this so no auxilary verb is used here
so he made this didn’t he here I have
the verb made past tense
he made this didn’t he no auxilary verb
is here so we need to use the verb do
however made is a positive meaning the
tag question needs to be negative so
here didn’t his past tense did not in
other words the contracted form did not
is used here let’s look at one more here
I have the negative she didn’t go did
she so I need to use the positive did in
the tag question here again they
cancelled didn’t they so cancelled is
the verb it’s the positive form of the
verb used here I therefore need to use
the negative in the past didn’t in the
tag question
so again if no auxiliary verb is in the
main statement then we should use the
correct form the appropriate form of do
to make the tag question at the end
however as in point number four if there
is an auxiliary verb so if we do see
some case of have or be used then we
need to use the same auxiliary verb in
the tag question but we still need to
follow this rule the positive and
negative rule so for example he hasn’t
finished his homework has he here the
auxiliary verb has is used but I have
the negative form he hasn’t finished his
homework so I need to match this with
the positive has he he hasn’t finished
his homework has he next one she’s left
the office hasn’t she here the verb
might be hard to find it’s this
apostrophe s she’s left meaning she has
left the office hasn’t she here I’ve
used the negative because the positive
she has is used in the main statement
finally they were listening to our
conversation weren’t they here I’m using
were the positive were in the main
statement so I need to use the negative
weren’t in the tag question so please be
careful when you’re using an auxilary
verb in your main statement make sure to
use the opposite form of the auxiliary
verb in the tag question all right let’s
go on to part five so part five is a
little bit special so if M or R if one
of these words is used in the main part
of your statement then we’ll use our or
art to make the tag question here this
one’s a little bit special so for
example I’m I’m as the contracted form
of I am so I’m bleeding I am bleeding
aren’t I so again the same positive and
negative rule I am bleeding aren’t I
aren’t I so we’ll use the negative
aren’t here to match with the positive I
am another example
you’re not leaving are you so here you
are not leaving you are not leaving are
you so here we have a negative form
you’re not leaving are you
so here we need to use the positive form
in the tag question finally they’re
going home aren’t they so here we have
they are going so there’s a positive
form they are they are so we need to
match this with the negative form
they’re going home
aren’t they all right so please be
careful if you see this M or R in your
main statement please be careful of that
finally point number six if you use a
modal verb so this is like will won’t
good should would for example if a modal
verb is used in the main part of the
statement we need to follow the same
rule use the modal verb in the tag
question as well just use the opposite
form of that for example I shouldn’t eat
this should I
so here shouldn’t is my mode over I’ve
used the negative shouldn’t so we’ll use
the positive should in the tag question
I shouldn’t eat this should I another
one he won’t call will he so won’t in
this case the negative won’t is you
so I need to use will the positive form
in the tag question
finally they wouldn’t hurt us would they
again there’s the negative form in the
main statement and the positive form in
the tag question so you can see that
these two points about the positive and
negative matching these really are the
basis for making other tag questions and
then just pay attention to whether or
not you’re using an auxilary verb as
well in your main statement so always
think about matching the opposite form
of the verb in the main statement to the
tag question there and also think about
your intonation when you’re using these
kinds of sentences when you’re using
these kinds of questions so as we talked
about here when you want to just get
agreement or get confirmation from
someone you can use downward intonation
so for example he made this didn’t he or
she didn’t go did she or they cancelled
didn’t they
so there’s a very kind of downward sound
to it it sounds a little bit like you’re
not really asking for information maybe
like you’re talking to yourself almost a
little bit however if you want to
actually ask someone for information
make sure to use upward intonation so to
use the same examples
he made this didn’t he or she didn’t go
did she or they cancel
didn’t they so it’s again it still
sounds like you want to get confirmation
about something but when you use the
upward intonation it sounds like you
don’t actually know maybe you have a
guess but you’re not quite sure and you
are looking for some information so
please keep your intonation the sound of
your voice in mind when you’re using tag
questions okay that’s everything that I
want to explain for this point I hope
that it was useful for you if you have
any questions or if you want to try to
make a tag question please feel free to
do so in the comment section below this
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thanks very much for watching this
lesson and I will see you again soon bye
bye
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