Question tags

Hãy khảo sát ví dụ sau:

1. A: You haven’t seen Mary today, have you?

B: No, I’m afraid not.

2. A: It was a good film, wasn’t it?

B:Yes, I really enjoyed it.

3. A: Karen plays the piano, doesn’t she?

B: Well, yes, but not very well.

4. A: You didn’t lock the door, did you?

B:No, I forgot.”

Trong câu hỏi đuôi, ta dùng một trợ động từ (auxiliary verb): do,does/ did/am,is,are/was, were/
have,has/had ,hoặc động từ đặt biệt (modal
verbs) :will,shall,can,could,may,might,would,should,must,need

Thông thường chúng ta dùng câu hỏi đuôi dạng phủ định (negative question tags) sau một câu khẳng
định (positive sentence).

positive sentence ,negative tag

S (V) ..........................................., aux/modal+not S(pronoun) ?

Mary will be here soon, won’t she?

There was a lot of traffic, wasn’t there?

Jim should pass the exam, shouldn’t he?

... và dùng câu hỏi đuôi dạng khẳng định (positive question tags) sau một câu phủ định (negative
sentence):

negative sentence , affirmative tag

S (not V) ..........................................., aux/modal S(pronoun) ?

They don’t like us, do they?

You haven’t got a car, have you?

Mary can’t do it , can she?

You couldn’t do me a favour, could you?

Postive sentences, with negative tags

Present simple 'be' She's Italian, isn't she?

Present simple other verbs They live in London, don't they?
Present continuous
Past simple 'be'
Past simple other verbs
Past continuous
Present perfect
Present perfect continuous
Past perfect
Past perfect continuous
Future simple
Future continuous
Future perfect
Future perfect continuous
Modals
Modals
Negative sentences, with positive tags
Present simple 'be'
Present simple other verbs
Present continuous
Past simple 'be'
Past simple other verbs
Past continuous
Present perfect
Present perfect continuous
Past perfect
Past perfect continuous
Future simple
Future continuous
Future perfect
Future perfect continuous
We're working tomorrow, aren't we?
It was cold yesterday, wasn't it?
He went to the party last night, didn't he?
We were waiting at the station, weren't we?
They've been to Japan, haven't they?
She's been studying a lot recently, hasn't she?
He had forgotten his wallet, hadn't he?
We'd been working, hadn't we?
She'll come at six, won't she?
They'll be arriving soon, won't they?
They'll have finished before nine, won't they?
She'll have been cooking all day, won't she?
He can help, can't he?
John must stay, mustn't he?
We aren't late, are we?
She doesn't have any children, does she?
The bus isn't coming, is it?
She wasn't at home yesterday, was she?
They didn't go out last Sunday, did they?
You weren't sleeping, were you?
She hasn't eaten all the cake, has she?
He hasn't been running in this weather, has he?
We hadn't been to London before, had we?
You hadn't been sleeping, had you?
They won't be late, will they?
He won't be studying tonight, will he?
She won't have left work before six, will she?
He won't have been travelling all day, will he?
Modals She can't speak Arabic, can she?
Modals They mustn't come early, must they?

Note:

1. After a sentence with Let's... we use "shall we?"

- Let's go out for a walk, shall we?
- Let's study tomorrow morning, shall we?
2. - Open the door, will you?
After an imperative we can use these tags: will you? won't you? would you? can you? can't you? could
you?
We can use a positive tag after a positive imperative.
Teacher: Get out your books, will/would/can/could you?
The meaning is the same as Will you get out your books? but the pattern with the tag is more informal.
A negative tag expresses greater feeling.
Doctor: Keep still, won't/can't you?
This suggests that the doctor is especially anxious that the patient should keep still, or annoyed because
the patient cannot keep still.
In warnings, reminders and good wishes, the tag is won't you? after a positive imperative and will you?
after a negative.
Have a nice holiday, won't you?
Don't forget your key, will you?
- Don't smoke in this room, will you?
- - Don't look at me like that, will you?
In offers and invitations the tag is will you? or won't you?
Have a chocolate, will/won't you?
Come to my party, will you?
- Have a coffee, will you?
3.THERE (be)
- There are two cats in the roof, aren't there?
- There wasn't a lion in the park, was there?
There has been a stranger , hasn’t there?
There wasn't enough time, was there?
There will be a meeting tomorrow, won’t there?
4.
I’m not careful , am I ?
I’m not doing right, am I ?
But:
I’m wrong, aren’t I?
I'm going to get an email with the details, aren't I?
I’m making everyone upset, aren't I?
5.We use an affirmative tag after a sentence containing a negative word such as never,
seldom, rarely, hardly ever, hardly, no longer,nobody, nothing, no + noun, neither, none,
nowhere
You’ve never liked me, have you?
I'm never on time, am I?
Mary seldom talks to you, does she?
They rarely visit their grandparents, do they?
Peter hardly ever goes to parties, does he?
He can hardly walk after the accident, can he?
They will no longer meet him, will they?
Nobody lives in this house, do they?
Nothing bad happened, did it?
No salt is allowed, is it?
Neither of them is here , are they?
None of those customers were happy, were they?
They went nowhere yesterday, did they?

6.If the subject is somebody= someone, everybody= everyone, nobody= no one,

,anyone=anybody, we use “they” in the tag.
Nobody asked for me, did they?
No one lives here, do they?
Everyone warned you, didn't they?
Someone had recognized him, hadn't they?
Anyone will volunteer, won’t they?
No one would object, would they?
7. If the subject is nothing, something, everything, anything, we use “it” in the tag.
Nothing ever happens, does it?
Everything’s changed, hasn’t it?
Something makes them scared, doesn’t it?
Anything can happen, can’t it?
8. If the subject is this or that , we use “ it” in the tag.
If the subject is these or those, we use “they” in the tag.
That’s Mr.Jack, isn’t it?
That isn't Tom. is it?
This can make them excited, can’t it?
These aren’t your new shoes, are they?
Those kept him busy, didn’t they?
9. Remember : 's = is or has, and 'd = had or would:
Mary’s staying at home now, isn’t she? (Mary is staying…..)
Mary’s been to Paris, hasn’t she? (Mary has been to…..)
Peter'd written before you phoned, hadn't he?( Peter had written……)
Mary 'd come if you asked her, wouldn't she? (Mary would come if…..)
You'd better change your wet shoes, hadn't you? (You had better change…..)
The boys'd rather go by air, wouldn't they? (The boys would rather go……..)