Definition:
A tag is used at the end of a statement to confirm the statement.
Rules:
1. Use of auxiliary verbs:
Examples:
You
could do me a favors, couldn’t?
I
can do it, can’t I?
He
should go, shouldn’t he?
I
have my meal at 11 am, don’t I?
She
had her meal, didn’t she?
Exception:
I
have two brothers, haven’t I?
She
has a cat, hasn’t she?
2. Use of main verbs:
Note:
Change the main verbs into auxiliary verbs according to the tense form
Examples:
She
drinks tea daily, doesn’t she?
I
want to go, don’t I?
3. The verbs ‘need’ and ‘dare’ are treated as main
verbs therefore, change them into auxiliary verbs according to their tense
form.
Examples:
The
verbs ‘need’ help, don’t I?
She
dared sing, didn’t she?
Exception:
But
if ‘need’ and ‘dare’ are negative in the statement then same main verbs are
repeated in the tag.
Examples:
She
needn’t go, need she?
I
daren’t sing, dare I?
4. If the expression ‘I am’ is used in the
statement, we use ‘aren’t I’ or ‘am I not’ in the tag.
Examples:
I
am going to the library, aren’t I/am I not?
Exception:
I
am not happy, am I?
5. If the statement is imperative then we use
‘will you’ in the tag whether the statement is negative or affirmative.
Examples:
Go
to school, will you?
Don’t
open the box, will you?
Please,
go out, will you?
6. If the statement has the expression ‘let us’ we
use ‘will you’ or ‘can we’ in the tag, but if the expression has ‘let’s’ we use
‘shall we’ in the tag.
Examples:
Let
us go out, will you/can we?
Let’s
have tea, shall we?
7. If the nouns everyone, everybody, somebody,
someone is used in the statement then we use the plural form of the auxiliary
verb and the subject ‘they’ is used in the tag.
Examples:
Everyone
was there, weren’t they?
Somebody
is coming, aren’t they?
Everyone
thinks it is important, don’t they?
Exception:
Nobody
is going, are they?
No
one was there, were they?
8. If the subjects ‘something’ and ‘anything’ are
used in the statement then we use ‘it’ as the subject in the tag.
Examples:
Somebody
was done, wasn’t it?
Exception:
Nothing
is done, is it?
9. If the following negative expressions are used
in the statement, the tag should be affirmative.
Never,
Seldom, Sometimes, Hardly, Barely, Scarcely, Rarely
Examples:
He
sometimes smokes, does he?
I
never watched television, did I?
10. If the statement has ‘so’ the tag should be
positive.
Examples:
So
you are married, are you?
So
you haven’t done the homework, have you?
11. If the expression ‘ought to’ is used in the
statement we use ‘should’ in the tag.
Examples:
He
ought to arrive, shouldn’t he?
I
ought not to do it, should I?
12. If the expression ‘must’ is used in the
statement we use ‘need’ in the tag.
Examples:
She
must work hard, needn’t she?
I
must not go, need I?
13. If the subject ‘this/that’ is used in the
statement we used ‘it’ as the subject in the tag but if ‘these/those’ are used
as the subject in the statement we use ‘they’ as the subjects in the tag.
Examples:
These
are good, aren’t they?
This
is correct, isn’t it?
14. If the subjects ‘there’ is used in the
statement the same subject is repeated in the tag.
Examples:
There
is a book on the table, isn’t there?
15. If two subjects and two verbs are used in a
statement we choose the second pair and not the first in the tag.
Examples:
I
don’t know there’s a party tomorrow, is there?
16. Contracted forms.
Examples:
I’d
rather sleep, wouldn’t I?
I’d
better hurry, hadn’t I?
She’s
sick, isn’t she?
17. If the expression ‘used to’ is used in the
statement we use ‘did’ in the tag.
Examples:
He
used to smoke, didn’t he?
18. If the statement starts with ‘few/little’
the tag should be positive but ‘a few/a little’ the tag should be negative.
Examples:
Little
water is in the glass, is it?
There
is a little water in the glass, isn’t there?
There
are few students in the class, are there?
There
are a few students in the class, aren’t there?
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