NHP Int Unit 11 Question Tags

NHP Int Unit 11 Question Tags

Question tags are very common in spoken English. The most common patterns are:

• positive sentence > negative tag

   It’s cold, isn’t it?

   She can sing, can’t she?

   We’ve met before, haven’t we?

• negative sentence > positive tag

   There aren’t many people here, are there?

   They won’t be late, will they?

   You haven’t been waiting long, have you?

2 If there is no auxiliary, we use do/does/did.

• positive sentence > negative tag

   You work at Hanson’s, don’t you?

   We loved India, didn’t we?

• negative sentence > positive tag

   The shops don’t stay open very late here, do they?

   Karen didn’t wait for us, did she?

• Note that we replace a noun or name with a pronoun in the tag.

   Theo doesn’t look very happy, does he? NOT ... does Theo?

   People are very friendly here, aren’t they? NOT ... aren’t people?

• Note that for negative tags with I’m, we use aren’t.

   I’m wrong again, aren’t I? NOT I’m wrong again, am I?

• Notice the meaning of ‘yes’ and ‘no’ in answer to question tags.

   A You’re Ana, aren’t you?

    B Yes. (= Yes, I’m Ana) / No. (= No, I’m not Ana)

• 
  

   A It isn’t very warm today, is it?

    B No, it isn’t. (= I agree)

   

    A It’s really cold in here, isn’t it?

    B No, it isn’t. (= I disagree)

We use question tags to keep a conversation going, by involving listeners and inviting them to participate.

 The meaning of a question tag depends on how you say it. The speaker’s intonation rises or falls on the question tag.

 

•  You’re Dan, aren’t you? (= a real question asking for confirmation)

   (Rising intonation)

  
  

•  You’re Dan, aren’t you? (= a way of starting a conversation) (falling intonation)

Workbook Ex 7 page

• Write in the question tag.

• 
  

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Workbook Ex 8

• Write a sentence for each situation withthe verbs in brackets.

• You're in a restaurant. Your daughter is playing with her food. You can tell she isn't happy. (like)

• You don't like your food, do you?

• Now do 2 to 6

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Workbook Ex8 Part 2

• Ask people to do things, or ask for information.

• Use negative sentence with positive question tag.

• It's raining and you need to go to the station. Pete has a car. Perhaps he could give you a lift?

• Pete, you couldn't give me a lift to the station, could you?

• Now do 2 to 6

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