Tag questions

Tag questions

Advanced 2

What's a tag question?

You live in Canada, _______

• will you?

• can't you?

• don't you?

We use them to...

• Confirm whether something is true or false.

• To 'force' the other person to continue in the conversation.

• To kindly invite people to agree with us.

Question 1

Answer on your phone!

Multiple Choice

It's a bit early, ______?

• isn't it

• doesn't it

• hasn't it

How do we use tag questions?

• We need to identify if the sentence is affirmative or negative.

• We must recognize the auxiliary in the main sentence:

• It's been a rough week.

• In this sentence, the auxiliary is has

• So, this sentence with a tag question should be like this:

• It's been a rough week, hasn't it?

Important information to consider

Exception 1

Verb to be in first person:

• I'm your boss, aren't I?

• I'm not tired, am I?

Exception 2

Imperatives can be followed by any of the following:

• will you / would you / can you / can’t you / could you?

• Shut up, can't you?

• Close the door, will you?

• Take your sister to the school, would you?

Exception 3

After negative imperatives, the correct tag question is: will you?

• Don't jump on the beds, will you?

• Don't call me like that, will you?

Exception 4

Negative adverbs make negative sentences:

• You never let me finish a sentence, do you? (NOT …don’t you?)

• She hardly steps out of her home, does she?

• There is little we can do about it, is there?

Exception 5

The use of it with everything and nothing

• Everything in this class is very easy, innit? (...isn't it?)

• Nothing can be done easily without the right materials, can't it?

Exception 6

The use of they with nobody, somebody, everybody, no one, etc.

• Nobody came today, did they?

• Everybody has been to the course, haven't they?

• Somebody's going to be told off, aren't they?

Exception 7

The correct auxiliary with the verb 'to have'

• In the particular case of this verb, we have two possibilities:

• He has a cat and three dogs, hasn't he?

• We had a very nice evening yesterday, didn't we?

Quiz time!

Answer on your phone

Multiple Choice

A: I need you to go to the grocery store ASAP!

B: Sure! It's the one next to the bank, _____?

A: Yes, indeed.

• hasn't it

• innit

• won't it

Multiple Choice

A: I think he was born in 1998.

B: No! He's younger, ____?

A: I don't know!

• isn't he

• wasn't he

• aren't he

Multiple Choice

A: Somebody was in this room, _____?

B: Let me check the cameras.

• wasn't it

• weren't they

• wasn't they

Multiple Choice

A: I can hardly think about, ______? I'm very tired!

B: Don't worry, you'll give it a thought tomorrow.

• can I

• can't I

• won't I

Multiple Choice

A: Quit yelling like a mad, _____?

B: *kid keeps yelling like crazy*

A: Lord! I can't deal with it!

• could you

• aren't you

• don't you

Take a screenshot of your result in the next slide