Question tags

Rule 1: If a question starts from a helping verb then its positive answer will start from 'Yes' and negative will start from 'No'.

For example:

Questions	Answers
1. Is Mohan a good boy?	1. Yes, Mohan is a good boy. No, Mohan is not a good boy.
2. Will you go there?	2. Yes, I shall go there. No, I shall not go there.
3. Am I late today?	3. Yes, you are late today. No, you are not late today.

Rule 2: If a question starts from 'Do', then, in case of positive answer, 'Do' is removed and V1 is used, and in case of negative answer, 'Do + not + V1 is used. It starts from 'Does', then we add (s/es/ies) to the V1 in the positive sentence and 'Does + not + V1 in the negative sentence.

For example:

Questions	Answers
1. Do you work hard?	1. Yes, I work hard. No, I do not work hard.
2. Does he help you?	2. Yes, he helps me. No, he does not help me.

Rule 3: If a question starts from 'Did', then 'did' is removed in the positive sentence and we use V2. In the negative sentences, we write "did + not + V1".

For example:

Questions	Answers
1. Did you go there?	1. Yes, I went there. No, I did not go there.
2. Did he meet you?	2. Yes, he met me. No, he did not meet me.

Rule 4: We do not start answer from 'Yes' or 'No', if a question starts from - what, where, why etc.
For example:

Questions	Answers
1. When do you get up?	1.I get up at 5 o' clock.
2. Where do you live?	2.I live at Noida sector-12.
3. How much did you pay for it?	3. I paid hundred rupees for it.

Rule 5: we use questions tags to affirm any talk in the conversation.

(a) We use negative question tag in the positive statement, i.e.,
1. I work hard. Don't I?
2. You help me. Don't you?
3. We shall go there. Shalln't we?
4. He has done the work. Hasn't he?
5. She went there. Didn't she?

(b) We use positive question tag in the negative statement, i.e.,
1. I am not making a noise. Am I?
2. They are not present. Are they?
3. You did not break the pen, Did you?
4. We shall not waste our time. Shall we?
5. This is not my book. Is it?

 

Prepared by,

IACE, Hyderabad.

Published date : 11 Jun 2015 01:20PM