Question tags ON FIRM

Verb in statement	Verb in tag	examples
be	be	This is yours, isn’t it?
have (possess)	do	You don’t have a watch, do you?
have got	have	You haven’t got a brother, have you?
have (auxiliary)	have	You haven’t seen Joe, have you?
do	do	You do aerobics, don’t you?
can	can	She can swim, can’t she?
could	could	We could do better, couldn’t we?
may	might	It may rain, mightn’t it?
will	will	You won’t tell him, will you?
would	would	He’d like that, wouldn’t he?
needn’t	need	We needn’t come, need we?
must	must	We mustn’t make a noise, must we?
have to	do	We have to work harder, don’t we?
need to ought to shouldn’t	do oughtn’t should	She needs to be there, doesn’t she? I ought to have done it, oughtn’t I? It shouldn’t cost that much, should it?
	Special cases
	I’m on duty tomorrow, aren’t I?	I’m not late, am I?
	Let’s surprise them, shall we?
	Turn the sound down, will you?
	There isn’t any danger, is there?
Somebody/someone, anybody/anyone, nobody/no one, everybody/everyone,	Everybody is sleeping, aren’t they?
Nothing, something, everything, neither, no, none, no one, scarcely, barely(едва), hardly, hardly ever, seldom	Nothing happened, did it?No salt is allowed,is it?Nothing was said,was it? Peter hardly ever goes to parties, does he?
Uses:	To get agreement from the person we’re speaking to.	You don’t come from Spain, do you? You come from Italy, don’t you?
	To ask politely	You couldn’t give me a hand with this box, could you? You don’t know anything about computers, do you?
	To order people to do things politely (The tag is usually positive)	Be careful, won’t you? Clear the table, will you?
	To make an informal offer	Have a drink, won’t you?
	To make a polite suggestion	Let’s go to the beach, shall we?

I. Fill in the spaces with the correct tag.

1 Your dad does the cooking,.............................................? Yours never does the housework,....................................? 2 There’s not much we can do about it,..............................? 3 It’s a beautiful day,..........................................................? Yes, let’s go for a walk,...................................................? 4 You’ve got a bicycle,.......................................................? Yes, you no longer have yours,........................................?

5 You weren’t cheating in the test,.....................................? No, I’d never cheat,..........................................................? 6 You don’t know his secret,..............................................? 7 You could take up tennis,................................................? 8 You’d rather carry on with volleyball,.............................? 9 She lost her temper,.........................................................? 10 Yes, but she shouldn’t have,...........................................?

I. Question tags after negative statements

Add question tags to the following statements.
Bill doesn't know Ann. Bill doesn't know Ann, does he?
Ann hasn't got a phone. Ann hasn't got a phone, has she?

this/that (subject) becomes it in the tag. there remains unchanged:
That isn't Tom, is it? There won't be time, will there?

All the tags, except the tag for no. 30, should be spoken in the usual way with a statement intonation. But they could also be practised with a question intonation. The important word in the statement must then be stressed.

1 You aren't afraid of snakes..................................................? 2 Ann isn't at home................................................................? 3 You don't know French......................................................? 4 Tom didn't see her..............................................................? 5 This isn't yours...................................................................? 6 Mary wasn't angry..............................................................? 7 Bill hasn't had breakfast......................................................? 8 You won't tell anyone.........................................................? 9 I didn't wake you up...........................................................? 10 Tom doesn't like oysters....................................................? 11 You don't want to sell the house.......................................? 12 It doesn't hurt....................................................................? 13 People shouldn't drink and drive......................................? 14 You aren't going alone......................................................? 15 They couldn't pay the rent.................................................? 16 You don't agree with Bill..................................................? 17 There wasn't a lot to do.....................................................? 18 I needn't say anything.......................................................?

19 That wasn't Ann on the phone......................................................? 20 You didn't do it on purpose..........................................................? 21 This won't take long.....................................................................? 22 She doesn't believe you................................................................? 23 It didn't matter very much............................................................? 24 He shouldn't put so much salt in it...............................................? 25 Mary couldn't leave the children alone........................................? 26 You aren't doing anything tonight................................................? 27 You wouldn't mind helping me with this.....................................? 28 George hadn't been there before...................................................? 29 The children weren't surprised.....................................................? 30 You wouldn't like another drink..................................................? 31 Tom doesn't have to go to lectures...............................................? 32 Bill hasn't got a car.......................................................................? 33 Bill couldn't have prevented it......................................................? 34 I needn't wait any longer..............................................................? 35 There weren't any mosquitoes.....................................................? 36 The fire wasn't started deliberately..............................................?

II. Question tags after affirmative statements

Add question tags to the following statements:
Tom goes to Bath quite often, doesn't he? He told you about his last trip, didn't he?
It was very cold last night, wasn't it?

Be careful of the contractions 's and 'd:
He's ready, isn't he? He's finished, hasn't he? He'd seen it, hadn't he? He'd like it, wouldn't he?

These should be practised mainly with a statement intonation, but they could also be said with a question intonation. See notes to previous exercise.

1 The children can read French..............................................? 2 He's ten years old................................................................? 3 Bill came on a bicycle........................................................? 4 The Smiths have got two cars...........................................? 5 Your grandfather was a millionaire...................................? 6 Tom should try again.........................................................?. 7 It could be done................................................................? 8 Your brother's here...........................................................? 9 That's him over there.........................................................? 10 George can leave his case here.......................................? 11 This will fit in your pocket.............................................? 12 His wife has headaches quite often.................................? 13 She's got lovely blue. eyes................................................? 14 The twins arrived last night.............................................? 15 Mary paints portraits.......................................................? 16 Bill puts the money in the bank.......................................? 17 Bill put the money in the bank.......................................? 18 Prices keep going up......................................................?

19 I've seen you before.........................................................? 20 Bill's written a novel........................................................? 21 His mother's very proud of him.......................................? 22 The twins used to play rugby..........................................? 23 Tom might be at home now............................................? 24 We must hurry................................................................? 25 You'd been there before...................................................? 26 You'd like a drink.............................................................? 27 The boys prefer a cooked breakfast..................................? 28 Mary ought to cook. it for them.........................................? 29 That was Ann on the phone..............................................? 30 The Smiths need two cars................................................? 31 You'll help me..................................................................? 32 He used to eat raw fish.....................................................? 33 There'11 be plenty for everyone.......................................? 34 You'd better wait for Bill..................................................? 35 You'd come if I needed help............................................? 36 You could come at short notice.......................................?

III. Question tags: mixed

See notes to Exercises 1, 2.

Note that a statement containing words such as none, nobody, hardly/hardly any etc. is treated as a negative statement:
He hardly ever makes a mistake, does he?

When the subject is nobody/anybody/everybody etc., the pronoun they is used in the tag:
Nobody liked the play, did they?

Add question tags to the following statements.

1 You take sugar in tea.......................................? 2 But you don't take it in coffee.......................................? 3 The lift isn't working today.......................................? 4 It never works very well.......................................? 5 The area was evacuated at once.......................................? 6 There was no panic.......................................? 7 Though everybody realized the danger..............................? 8 There was a lot of noise......................................?. 9 But nobody complained.......................................? 10 Mary hardly ever cooks.......................................? 11 She buys convenience foods.......................................? 12 She'd save money if she bought fresh food..........................................? 13 Mr Smith usually remembered his wife's birthdays......................................? 14 But he didn't remember this one.......................................? 15 And his wife was very disappointed.................................? 16 He ought to have made a note of it..................................? 17 Neither of them offered to help you..................................?

18 They don't allow pet dogs in this shop..............................? 19 But guide dogs can come in.............................................? 20 He hardly ever leaves the house.......................................? 21 That isn't Bill driving.......................................? 22 Nothing went wrong.......................................? 23 Lions are loose in this reserve.......................................? 24 So we'd better get back in the car.....................................? 25 It'd be unpleasant to be attacked by a lion.......................? 26 And it wouldn't be any use running away……………..…? 27 It is a pity Ann didn't come with us.................................? 28 She'd have enjoyed it.......................................? 29 They should have planned the expedition more carefully. ......................................? 30 Lives were lost unnecessarily.......................................? 31 She warned him not to ride the stallion............................? 32 But he never takes advice.......................................? 33 There used to be trees here.......................................? 34 There isn't any point in waiting.......................................? 35 He'll hardly come now.......................................? 36 Your central heating doesn't work very well......................................?

Дата добавления: 2015-07-25