Lesson 7: Question Tag
Today we will continue with Question Tag from our last lesson on Question Types. I know you are wondering what Question Tags mean. Well a Tag question is Defined as a statement which carries or is followed by a tag at the end.
E.g 1) The tank is empty. Isn’t it? ( Tag Question)
Yes, it is ( Response)
2) The lady shouldn’t report to the police station. Should she?( Tag Question)
No, she shouldn’t ( Response)
3) Mr Leonard was involved in an accident. Wasn’t he? ( Tag Question)
The highlighted section is the Tag Question, and the appropriate responses
N.B: It is another way of communication through which questions are asked and answers are provided following a prescribed pattern.
The Rules that Govern Tag Questions
Firstly, a positive statement warrants a negative tag. In this case, the answer is positive.
That is
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+ — + |
Secondly, a negative statement carries a positive tag and subsequently a negative response .
|
—- + — |
These formulas given are evident in the 3 sentences illustrated as examples above.
Note that a positive statement does not carry the negative marker Not while a negative phrase is marked by a negation
Equally, make sure to use the auxiliary in the statement in formulating the tag for accuracy
E.g The Students will be attending their end of year party tonight. Won’t they? Not is, are for it hasn’t been used in the phrase etc.
Also, the Tag question makes use of an appropriate pronoun relative to the subject used in the statement
E.g The conference hall was full of participants. Wasn’t it? contrarily to wasn’t the conference hall?( it referes back to conference hall)
Finally, if the statement doesn’t make use of an auxillary, kindly use the appropriate form of the verb to do
E.g The family danced joyfully at the arrival of their missing child.
Here we realise that there is no auxillary in the declaration. So to formulate the Tag, we will make use of do in the past tense since the statement is in the past.
The tag is Didn’t they? Yes they did ( response)