Questions tagged [tag-questions]
A tag question is a question converted from a statement by an appended interrogative. It comes in the format of _statement + tag_. Example: "You love me, don't you?" If your question is about a sentence similar to this example, use this tag. (Note: If you have a question, but it's about something else, do not use this tag.)
133
questions
7
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Why is the tag question positive in this dialogue from Downton Abbey? "Then we must be ready by tomorrow, must we?"
In this clip (2:28) of Downton Abbey you can hear Sybil saying:
Then we must be ready by tomorrow, must we?
Now, if she's using a tag question, why isn't she forming the negative?
Maybe I'm ...
- 193
1
vote
1
answer
50
views
I have a question about question tags
Which sentence has correct question tag, and why?
There's little chance for me to win the game, isn't there?
There's little chance for me to win the game, is there?
Rabbit C
0
votes
1
answer
609
views
Tag question of ought to
I would like to know the tag question of "ought to" is oughtn't to or shouldn't ?
For example,
He ought to have made a note of it, ________? For this sentence, the tag will be "oughtn't ...
user81242
0
votes
0
answers
36
views
Tag question for the structure : too adj to V-inf
As I know, if the sentence is negative, the tag is positive and If the sentence is positive, the tag is negative. For this case :
You aren't too busy to talk, .....? In my textbook, the answer key is ...
user81242
-1
votes
1
answer
68
views
You have no idea what you are talking about. Aren't you? or Don't you?
You have no idea what you are talking about.
What is 'what' in the above sentence? Isn't it a relative pronoun?
What question tag should we use in these type of sentences?
Aren't you? or Don't/Do you?
...
- 127
9
votes
1
answer
730
views
Is "should" or "shouldn't" appropriate in this sentence?
The concept is that whatever is being asked, is negated when expressing uncertainty or confirmation from the recipient.
You do know what's up, don't you?
They won't show up, will they?
But what if ...
- 4,255
0
votes
2
answers
67
views
Aren't I or am I not
The question tag for I am is aren't I? In interrogative sentences with I am, should it be aren't I or am I not? For example, which of the two is correct?
Am I not your friend?
Aren't I your friend?
- 117
0
votes
1
answer
18
views
You should and must participate in the game,[shouldn't or mustn't]you?
You should and must participate in the game. [Shouldn't you] or
[mustn't you]?
This question's tag is perplexing and baffling to me.
- 70
0
votes
4
answers
503
views
Open the window, would you? [duplicate]
Open the window, would you?
Why isn't it 'wouldn't you'? The first part (open the window) is neither positive nor negative, an imperative, however, the question tag is negative in the following ...
user138449
0
votes
0
answers
39
views
Making requests
As far as I know, there are 4 main ways of making requests which include modal verbs:
Can you do it?
Could you do it?
Will you do it?
Would you do it?
Therefore, the following requests should be ...
-1
votes
1
answer
146
views
Which question tag is correct: “do / don't / have / haven't they?”
"The children hardly have problems waking up early for school, _______?"
do they
don't they
have they
haven't they
I am not sure which is the right tag question, also called Question tag ...
- 17
2
votes
1
answer
60
views
what do authors of negative questions think?
I would like to know how native English speakers regard the opinion of authors of negative questions. For this reason I added the sentence "You're right." to each of the following examples (...
- 1,997
1
vote
1
answer
71
views
Carry the luggage for me, _________? A. Will you B. Won't you [duplicate]
According to the answer sheet, B is the answer. Does that make A incorrect?
What difference do these 2 make in the meaning? Plus, is B more polite?
It seems kind of frustrated to me.
- 87
0
votes
1
answer
209
views
Question Tags- I Am [duplicate]
I am confused about the correct question tag for "I am ..."
Is it "Am I not" or "Aren't I"?
- 27
1
vote
3
answers
392
views
Should I use "did you" or "didn't you" in the following?
You decided that she wasn't the right person for you, did you/didn't you?
Should it be did you or didn't you here? And why?
- 7,125
1
vote
2
answers
91
views
Why here the tag question doesn't match the rules?
I saw this example in Long Man dictionary:
‘And he’ll believe you, will he?’ Maria taunted.
Why here the rule of tag question is not cared for? Shouldn't it be:
He won't believe you, will he?
Or
...
user141755
0
votes
1
answer
89
views
Tag Question on No One Was
Is
No one was asked to play, were they?
correct or should it be something different?
- 323
0
votes
2
answers
108
views
"Can't you?" or "won't you?" at the end of a conditional sentence
Can you tell me which one is correct?
A) If you try using true watercolors, you will find that you have to be very careful because you cannot cover up your mistakes, can't you?
B) If you try using ...
- 1
0
votes
2
answers
212
views
Is the sentence "You think you're so smart, aren't you?" grammatically correct?
I work at a school, and the other day I heard one of the teachers reprimand their student by sarcastically saying, "You think you're so smart, aren't you?". I thought this was slightly odd - ...
- 101
0
votes
1
answer
110
views
Question Tag for cleft sentence
It is you who did this, ______?
What should be the correct question tag?
a) isn't it
b) didn't you
I know it's a silly question. I need your opinion because a person is insisting that it is "didn'...
1
vote
0
answers
82
views
same-way tag questions and broadly negative elements
Some books say there are two types of tag questions: the ordinary type and the same-way type. The ordinary type is used to make an assumption or guess and seek confirmation from the hearer. The form ...
- 5,872
1
vote
3
answers
240
views
'without' in tag question!
I'm having a difficult time dealing with the word 'without' in the sentence below:
He passed the exam without your help, ... he?
Please help me clarify which will be the best fit in this context - '...
- 69
1
vote
1
answer
46
views
He had done nothing about supper,___? hadn't he or didn't he
He had done nothing about supper,___?
Should it finish with hadn't he or didn't he?
Which one is correct?
Belex
1
vote
1
answer
31
views
was trying to borrow some money from you, wasn’t he?
What is the difference in meaning between the following sentences, if both are said with a rising intonation at the end?
a. John was trying to borrow some money from you, wasn’t he?
b. John wasn't ...
- 5,872
2
votes
1
answer
413
views
Aren’t I? vs. Am I not?
I am a good man, aren’t I?
I am a good man, am I not?
The first sentence is often used. According to grammar books, the second sentence is also correct, but it is rarely used. Can native speakers ...
- 345
0
votes
1
answer
740
views
Can we use shan't we as a question tag of "let them"?
As it's written in the title, I want to ask if my sentence sounds correct.
Let them wreak havoc again, shan't we?
If I read that sentence, that doesn't sound like an imperative sentence, I believe. ...
- 4,970
1
vote
2
answers
909
views
"Everyone is here, isn't he?" - Does this make grammatical sense?
Everyone is here, isn't he?
I read this on my English grammar textbook and it puzzled me for years. In the book it claimed that this is a correct usage other than "aren't they?". I wonder ...
- 191
0
votes
1
answer
354
views
Is "huh" a question tag? Is it a universal tag?
According to Oxford dictionary, huh is an exclamation. One of the definitions said:
people use Huh? at the end of questions, suggestions, etc.,
especially when they want somebody to agree with ...
- 4,970
1
vote
1
answer
537
views
Subject pronoun of 'everyone' in tag question
The word everyone is a singular indefinite pronoun. But while tagging, why its subject pronoun is they which is plural?
e.g.
Everyone wants to live, don't they?
Here, in the statement, the subject '...
3
votes
2
answers
3k
views
"Everybody likes flowers, {don't they/doesn't he or she}? [closed]
Which is the correct answer?
Everybody likes flowers, don't they?
Everybody likes flowers, doesn't he or she?
Please explain.
0
votes
0
answers
43
views
Should a positive Orr negative tag question be used with the phrase “only a few"?
I'd like to know whether a positive or negative tag should be used in a sentence with "only a few":
There were only a few tourists there, were / weren't there?
Note that I'm talking about ...
- 5,872
1
vote
1
answer
542
views
Which pronoun should be used for the country Germany in a tag question?
What will be the tag question of the following sentence?
Germany is a beautiful country, isn't {she/he}?
Shouldn't we use the pronoun "she" as country is always considered as motherland? ...
0
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Question tags for the modal need
What question tag should be used with the modal NEED?
Nobody need hurry, need they?
or
Nobody need hurry, do they?
or both are wrong?
- 4,014
0
votes
1
answer
82
views
didn't I or hadn't I?
I had to try, didn't I?
or
I had to try, hadn't I?
Which one is correct? If both sound awkward, could you please tell me the correct answer?
Thank you in advance!
- 179
0
votes
2
answers
155
views
tag questions after used to+linking verb
Which one of these two tag questions is appropriate here? and why?
They used to be very cheerful people, weren't they?
or
They used to be very cheerful people, didn't they?
- 3
0
votes
1
answer
62
views
Correct place for a comma in the question: 'How can you determine where the first one is and where the second is?'
A student asked me if it is correct to put a comma here in this question:
How can you determine, where the first one is and where the second is?
My instinct is that this is grammatically incorrect, ...
- 1
1
vote
1
answer
3k
views
Hasn't He vs Didn't He?
I am teaching a student English and the below question was in his test paper. I intuitively feel that both options one and two are not incorrect, but his answer key states that option one is the ...
- 173
0
votes
1
answer
97
views
tag question for sentences including subject "I" and that clause
Fred claims that mother never let us leave the house without permission when we
were kids, …?
a)did she b)weren't we c)didn't she d)doesn't she
Which on is the answer?
What would be the answer ...
- 1
0
votes
2
answers
159
views
Are these tag-like questions (, you think? / , do you think?) acceptable?
Is it grammatically correct to write the question, "Is the chef Italian?" as
The chef is Italian, you think?
or
The chef is Italian, do you think?
I've come across this kind of ...
Yejus
-2
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Somebody is knocking at the door, aren't they?
Though the use of plural pronoun is grammatical for the indefinite pronouns such as somebody, someone, anyone etc., it sounds meaningless to me. For example, somebody is knocking at the door. I know ...
- 3,295
0
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Tag question with "Not only . . . but also"
In case of "Not only . . . but also", the verb agrees with the second subject :
Not only he but also I am intelligent.
Can we use a tag question with this sentence?
Not only he but also I am ...
- 2,450
2
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Question tags in sentences with "let"
Let them stay here
What is the correct question tag for this
1) will they? 2) will you?
My grammar book is suggesting first question tag, but I think second is correct. Please, help me with ...
0
votes
1
answer
55
views
Question tag for a sentence
What will be the question tags for the following two sentences
I have a correct answer.
She had another answer.
According to me it should be
Don't I?
Didn't she?
Respectively
- 2,893
1
vote
2
answers
614
views
"question tag after causative verb in the clause"
She had some repairs done, had she not?
I think that the question tag has been written in the sentence correctly since verb " have " is not used as an auxiliary.
But I still believe it's ...
- 1,157
1
vote
2
answers
969
views
Question Tag - English Grammar
Hindus practise idolatry,
Options-
a)- don't they?
b)- haven't they?
I think the answer is "don't they"
but, according to the question the answer is "haven't they"
Why???
Please someone explain ...
- 11
0
votes
2
answers
283
views
Imperative sentence and the following tag question
If the main sentence is an imperative sentence, such as,
"Do it at once,"
Grammatically speaking, should the tag question that follows the imperative sentence be "will you?" or "won't you?" not "...
user17814
0
votes
0
answers
56
views
Word order question with question tag: broke/bottles/did't they/those
1) broke/bottles/did't they/those
I need to order the words to make questions with question tags Please, help me to make a correct question with question tag. I didn't find an answer. And it means I ...
- 1
-2
votes
1
answer
65
views
Which one is correct gramatically? [closed]
It had to be me didn't it / hadn't it ?
Which one's correct and why ?
- 7
0
votes
1
answer
465
views
Negative tag-questions
I have a question regarding the question-tag. I hear that the negative question-tag can be made out of the following construction: helping verb + subject + not?
I have a meeting every day, don't I/...
- 181
0
votes
2
answers
88
views
Is it mandatory to use contractions in tag questions and the like?
Example 1:
The weather is hot, isn't it?
vs.:
The weather is hot, is it not?
Example 2:
Aren't you going to study tonight?
vs.:
Are you not going to study tonight?
Apart from ...
- 101