A tag question is a question we can add to the end of a statement.
The basic rules for forming the two-word tag questions are as follows:
* the subject in the statement matches the subject in the tag
* the auxiliary verb or verb to be in the statement matches the verb used in the tag
* if the statement is positive, the tag is usually negative and vice versa
When present and past simple tenses appear in positive statements, normally no auxiliary verb is used, but we use the auxiliaries does, do or did in the tag. In negative statements in the present or past simple, the auxiliaries doesn't, don't ordidn't are, of course, already present.
When we use the there is structure, there is reflected in the tag:
- There's nothing wrong, is there?
- There weren't any problems when you talked to Jack, were there?
tag questions - special features
positive statement - positive tag
We sometimes use a positive tag with a positive statement when we want to express surprise or particular interest:
- I shall be staying at my favourite hotel - the five-star hotel in Windsor. ~ Oh, you've stayed there before, have you?
- And I'm having supper there with the Australian tennis ace, Lleyton Hewitt. ~ Oh, so you know Lleyton Hewitt,do you?
After imperatives, we sometimes add will you? or won't you? when we want people to follow our advice:
- Don't stay there long, will you?
- And do take care, won't you?
After let's we sometimes add shall we? when we are making a suggestion:
- Let's have buttered scones with strawberry jam for tea,shall we?
You can find info about the question tags in your book on pages 59, 60, 173 and 236.
Note:
This information was taken from - http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/learnit/learnitv208.shtml
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