ERROR SPOTTING
A Question tag is a short question at the end of the sentence and it is supported by an auxiliary verb.
Between sentence and question tag there is a comma and at the end of the sentence there is a question mark.
In fact, a question tag is not a question but it is just a confirmation of the statement given in the sentence.
For example:
He is an artist, isn't he?
She paints a painting, doesn't she?
Please note that a question tag is incontinuity of the sentence with a comma at the end of the sentence and it starts with a small letter.
There are certain rules governing these question tags.
For example :
Subject in question tag must be according to the subject in the sentence.
The subject in a question tag is always a Pronoun. It can not be a Noun.
There are generally two verbs auxiliary and main verbs used in a sentence. In a question tag auxiliary verb is used if it is there in the sentence but in case of a main verb only, do,did or does, according to the tense and number of subject, is used in a question tag.
The auxiliary verb in question tag must be in contracted form.
Tense in the question tag must be according to the tense of the sentence.
If the statement is positive, the tag will be negative and if the statement is negative, the tag will be positive.
In case of 'I am' in the statement, 'aren't I' is used in the question tag.
I am a regular visitor, aren't I?
In case of the pronoun, everything as a subject in the sentence, singular pronoun 'it' is used in question tag but in case of the pronoun everybody, pronoun 'they' is used.
For example:
Everything is in order, isn't it?
Everybody is happy, aren't they?
In case of negative words like rarely, hardly, seldom or scarcely etc. in the statement, positive question tag is used.
We rarely go to the market, do we?
A few of these negative words are as follow :
No, Never, None, Neither, Nothing, Few, Hardly, Scarcely, Barely, Seldom etc.
Question Tag in Case of Indefinite Subject Pronouns :
i) Subject Pronoun Always As Singular :
There are certain Subject Pronouns which are always used as Singular. For example :
Someone, Everyone, Anyone, Anything, Something Nobody, No one, Each, Every, Another, Either, Neither, Much, Little, Less etc.
If this word refers to 'people' , 'they' is used in question tag. Auxiliary verb according to the subject is used. For example :
Everyone is happy, aren't they?
Nobody feels bad, do they?
If this word refers to 'a thing' , 'it' is used in question tag. Auxiliary verb according to the subject is used. For example :
Something is missing, isn't it?
Everything went well, didn't it?
ii) Subject Pronoun Always As Plural :
There are certain Subject Pronouns which are always used as Plural. For example :
Both, Few, Many, Fewer, Several, Various etc.
In case of these words 'they' is used and auxiliary verb according to the subject is used in question tag. For example:
Both are fast friends, aren't they?
Few articles were left, weren't they?
iii) Subject Pronoun Both As Singular And Plural :
There are certain Subject Pronouns which are used as both Singular and Plural. For example :
All, Some, Most, Anymore etc.
If these words relate to a single thing or uncountable things, 'It' is used and accordingly auxiliary verb is used in the question tag.
For example :
All is well, isn't it?
This jug contains some water, doesn't it?
If these words relate to plural or countable things, 'they' is used and auxiliary verb according to it is used in the question tag.
For example :
All were drenched in the rain, weren't they?
Flowers are beautiful, aren't they?
Question Tag in case of 'This, These, That And Those'.
In case of these words, 'it' is used in case of singular things and 'they' is used in case of plural things. For example :
This is my book, isn't it?
Those are your clothes, aren't they?
Question Tag in case of 'Imperative words'.
In case of imperative words, 'will you' or 'would you' is used
in question tag. For example :
Stand up, will you?
Stop writing, won't you?
Question Tag in case of 'Let's'.
In case of 'Let's' 'shall we' is used. For example :
Let's go out for a walk, shall we?
Question Tag in case of words like ' I've, He's, They've, you've, I'd, He'd, you'd etc.'
Question tags in case of these words are formed according to sense and meaning of these words in the sentence as 'I'd' implies I did, I had and I would etc. He's implies He is , He has, He was etc. So question tags are used according the implied auxiliary verb used in the sentence.
Here follow some sentences to elucidate the point.
You'd like to accompany us, won't you?
I'd finished my work, hadn't I?
He's not done his work, has he?
She'd not learnt her lesson, had she?
In competition examination questions are given with incorrect questions tags. The error in question tag is required to be located and rectified.
For example :
Children are playing in the garden, don't they?
The question tag in this sentence is incorrect.
It should be -
Children are playing in the garden, aren't they?
Here follow some sentences with blanks in place of question tags. It is required to select and fill in the correct form of question tag in the sentences.
EXERCISE
Add question tag in space provided in the following sentences.
1. He has a beautiful bag .........?
1. hasn't he ? 2. hadn't he ? 3.doesn't he?
2. She is singing a song..........?
1. doesn't she? 2. hasn't she? 3. isn't she?
3. Birds chirp in the tree.......?
1. don't they? 2. didn't they? 3. do they?
4. The child doesn't cry ........?
1. doesn't it ? 2. does it? 3. don't they?
5. They had helped the poor.......?
1. didn't they? 2. hadn't they? 3. had they?
6. She has written a short story, .........?
1. has she? 2. does she? 3. hasn't she?
7. Girls were plucking flowers......?
1. weren't they? 2. were they? 3. did they?
8. Boys have been playing a match.......?
1. have they? 2. haven't they? 3. haven't they been?
9. The hunter chased the deer.....?
1.didn't they? 2. didn't he? 3. didn't it?
10. It has been raining for two days.....?
1. hasn't it? 2. hasn't it been? 3. had it been?
EXERCISES FOR PRACTICE
Select and fill in appropriate question tag in
space provided in the following sentences.
ONE
1. Let's move now, ............
1. shall we? 2. have we?3. do we?
2. Don't disturb me, .........?
1. do you? 2. will you? 3. did you?
3. She's got a new car......?
1. hasn't she? 2. had she? 3. does she?
4. He's a big house,.....?
1. does he? 2. has he? 3. is he?
5. Keep quiet, .......?
1. will you? 2. do you? 3. could you?
6. She'd never been to this place earlier,......?
1. had she? 2. did she? would she?
7. Let's study together, .....?
1. will you? 2. would you? 3. shall we?
8. Don't stand on ceremony,......?
1. do you? 2. will you?3.would you?
9. Several students left the classroom,......?
1. didn't they? 2. would they? 3. had they?
10. All the students appeared in the examination, ...........?
1. did they? 2. were they 3. didn't they?
TWO
1. Neither he nor his friends are present in the class,............?
1. aren't they? 2. won't they ? 3. do they? 4. are they?
2. Someone is calling you there, ..........?
1. are they? 2. aren't they? 3. is someone? 4. Isn't someone?
3. Now attend to the teacher, ..........?
1. do you? 2. don't you ? 3. will you? 4. aren't you?
4. One should keep one's promises,.............?
1. doesn't one? 2. Should he? 3. Shouldn't one? 4. Should one?
5. One of her sisters is very tall, .............?
1. Isn't one? 2. Isn't she? 3. don.t they? 4. aren't they?
6. She knows how to swim, .........?
1. does she? 2. doesn't she ? 3. don't she? 4. don't they?
7. If I remember correctly, we have never met earlier,......?
1. have we? 2. haven't we? 3. aren't we ? 4. don't we?
8. Let me explain this to you, ...........?
1. shall I? 2. shall we? 3. will you? 4. aren't you ?
9. Our team won this trophy last year,.......?
1. didn't we? 2. didn't our team? 3.didn't they? 4. didn't it?
10. I am right, ..........?
1. am I? 2. aren't I 3. amn't I 4. don't I ?
(Contd.)
No comments:
Post a Comment