questions tags (endaspurningar)

Examples: Youre not hungry, are you? Theyve already done the washing up, havent they? Be quiet, will you? USE: Questions like the underlined ones above are used either to invite agreement (with falling intonation), or to ask for confirmation of facts (falling intonation).

Examples: Its lovely today, isnt it?

(Dont you agree?)

You didnt tell her our secret, did you?

(Can you confirm/verify?)

Form: Question tags consist of an auxiliary verb (do, does, is, are, have, has, must, can, etc.) and a personal pronoun (he, she, it, we, they, you, etc.) There are a few basic rules: If theres an auxiliary (do/does, be, have) or modal auxiliary verb (can, must, need, etc.) in the main clause, this is repeated in the question tag. Examples: Katla isnt coming, is she? Jhann will be furious, wont he? If there is an ordinary verb in the main clause, do is used in the question tag. Examples: Sam likes (= does like) bananas, doesnt she? They went (= did go) to Russia last year, didnt they? He had (= did have) an accident a week ago, didnt he? Normally an affirmative statement has a negative question, and vice versa: Statement affirmative negative Question tag Youre coming, arent you negative He doesnt like heavy metal music, does he? affirmative

Exercise 1. Match the two halves of the sentences below. An example is given. a) b) c) d) e) f) g) h) i) j) You usually catch the 9 oclock train, You cant speak Spanish, You havent got a car, Youd better answer the telephone, You could always borrow the money, You wont tell anyone, You didnt wear that to the party, Youre going to see him tomorrow, You hadnt been to an opera before, Youve got some time to spare, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. arent you? couldnt you? had you? will you? can you? dont you? hadnt you? havent you? have you? did you?

Special points I am is followed by the question tag arent I? (Im lucky, arent I?) After an imperative (bohttur), will you? Or would you? Are the most common forms. Use will you? After a negative imperative: Example: Pay attention, will you? Shut the door, would you? But Dont be late, will you? (not would you?) Negative expressions like no, nothing, nowhere, and nobody in the main clause are followed by an affirmative question tag. 1

Example : She takes no interest in her studies, does she? Somebody/someone, everybody/everyone and nobody/no-one are followed by they in a question tag. For example: Nobody called for me, did they? Everyone was very pleased, werent they? Sentences beginning with the directive lets, we use shall we? Nothing/anything in the main clause is followed by it in a question tag. For example: Nothing could be better, could it? Anything could happen now, couldnt it? Exercise 2. Add the correct question tags to the following statements. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. We left at dawn, ____________________________________? Youve no idea at all what Im talking about, _________________________________? Youd rather be staying at home, ____________________________________? Dont tell anyone, ____________________________________? There are some fantastic bargains, ____________________________________? No-one managed to escape, ____________________________________? Take care, ____________________________________? You shouldnt have made such a fuss, ____________________________________? They couldve told the police, ____________________________________? We had really some bad luck, ____________________________________? Nobody heard what you said, ____________________________________? Switch on the light, ____________________________________? Im managing quite well, ____________________________________? Everyone has to pay taxes, ____________________________________? Youd be scared if you met a bear in the street, ________________________________? Somebody could see you, ____________________________________? There was nothing wrong with the car, ____________________________________? Do listen, ____________________________________? Im not late, ____________________________________? This is really boring, ____________________________________? Listen, ____________________________________? Your mothers just had an operation, ____________________________________? You must keep this to yourself, ____________________________________? No-one knew what to do, ____________________________________? You couldnt lend me a fiver, ____________________________________? It was marked yellow on the map, ____________________________________? The road had been very bad, ____________________________________? Nothing could save them now, ____________________________________? Youd better see you dentist about that tooth, _________________________________? Lets get some grub, ____________________________________? 2