Definition of Question-Tags Question-Tags

18 positive declarative generally takes a negative Question-tags and a negative declarative generally takes a positive Question-tags. 26 For example : a You are a secretary, aren’t they? b I can’t do this job, can I? Both the declarative and its Question-tags are sometimes positive: c You’ve marked it have you? This type of Question-tags show a conclusion what the speaker said. Question-tags may also be used in imperatives and exclamatives. d Open the door, will you? e How beautiful she is, isn’t she? Beaumont and Granger stated simple that form question-tags with an auxiliary verb eg be, have, can + personal pronoun eg it,you. 27 a You haven’t met my grandmother, have you? b He can swim, can’t he? A question-tags has the same auxiliary verb that is in the main clause. If the main clause has the verb be, we use be in the question-tag. c It’s hot today, isn’t it? We use dodoes in present tense and did in the past tense consist of Question-tags. d You don’t like football, do you? e You ate pizza yesterday, didn’t you? We normally put a negative question-tag with a positive statement. And a positive question-tag with a negative statement. Compare : f It isn’t hot today, is it? It is hot today, isn’t it? g You don’t like football, do you? You like football, don’t you? h He can’t swim, can he? He can swim, can’t he? 26 Greenbaum, The Oxford …,p.48-49 27 Beaumont and Granger, The Heinemann …, p.228-229 19 The question-tag for I am is Aren’t I i I’m right, aren’t I? After imperatives we use the question-tags willwould you? and cancan’tcould you? when we want people to do things. j Shut the door, will you? k Help me with this bag, could you? After a negative imperative, we use will you? l Don’t be late, will you? After let’s we use shall we? to make suggestions. m Let’s go out, shall we? We use they in the question-tags after somebodysomeone, everybodyeveryone, and nobodyno one. n Somebody love you, didn’t they? o No one phoned for me, did they? We can use there as a subject in question-tags. p There won’t be any problem, will there? According Foley and Hall, the form tag-questions with dodoesdid in simple tenses, or the auxiliary verb. There are three main types of sentence + tag-question: 28 Type Sentence Tag Question Mixed Tag Questions Affirmative + negative tag You already know Harriet, don’t you? Negative + affirmative tag She hasn’t had the baby yet, has she? Uniform Tag questions Affirmative + affirmative tag He arrived last night then, did he? If an affirmative sentence contains a negative or ’restrictive’ adverb e.g. scarcely, hardly, it takes an affirmative tag. 28 Mark Foley and Diane Hall, Longman Advanced Learner’s Grammar, A self-study referencepractice book with answers, Longman: Pearson Education Limited, 2003, p. 97-98 20 There was hardly enough food for me in the party, was there? Most modal verbs, like auxiliary verbs, are repeated in tag-question. Adam can drive a car , can’t they? Parents shouldn’t expect their children to agree with their opinions, should they? And they expalanated about the exception rules in question-tags. There are a number exception and variations in the form of the verb in the question- tags: Tag qu estion after….. Example I am I am an artist, aren’t I ? Need negative He doesn’t need addition reference, does he? or: He needn’t addition reference, need he? Maymight It maymight be fine tomorrow, mightn’t it? Ought to We really ought to leave now, oughtn’t we? Shouldn’t we? Let’s Let’s we go to a cinema, shall we? And then they says about another case in the question-tags. Usually the pronoun in the tag-question matches the subject of the sentence: This is a good example, isn’t it? This and it are both singular Those are the flowers from Mom, aren’t they? Those and they are both plural Nothing ever happens when I’m away, does it? But notice this exception: Someone ’s been taking my food again, haven’t they? Nobody has phoned, have they? While Azar explained the form of question-tags with the tables above: 29 29 Betty Azar Fundamentals of English Grammar, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, inc, 1989,p.254 21 AFFIRMATIVE SENTENCE + NEGATIVE TAG Mary is here, isnt she? You like tea, dont you? They have left, havent they? NEGATIVE SENTENCE + AFFIRMATIVE TAG Mary isnt here, is she? You dont like tea, do you? They have left, have they? ThisThat is your book, isnt it? The tag pronoun for thisthat = it. TheseThose are yours, arent they? The tag pronoun for thesethose = they. There is a meeting tonight, isnt there? In sentence with there + be, there is used in the tag. Everything is okay, isnt it? Personal pronouns are used to refer to indefinite pronouns. Everyone took the test, didnt they? They is usually used in a tag to refer to everyone, everybody, someone, somebody, no one, nobody. Nothing is wrong, is it? Sentences with negative words take affirmative tags. Nobody called on the phone, did they? Youve never been there, have you? I am supposed to be here, I arn not? I am not? is formal English. I am supposed to be here, arent l? Arent I? is common in spoken English. From explanation above, it shows that the forms of question-tags are: if the statement positive, the tag-question is negative, if the statement negative, the tag-question positive. And the exception rules in question-tag says that in imperative sentence, the question- tag must “ will you”, request sentence the tag must “shall we”, and Subject I the tag must “are”, Subject ThatThis the tag must “it”, subject ThoseThese the tag must “they”, and 22 after somebodysomeone, everybodyeveryone, and nobodyno one the tag is “they”.

3. Use of Question-Tags.

Foley and Hall stated we used mixed Question-tags with a falling intonation, to ask for confirmation: 30 It’s hot today, isn’t it?the speaker believes that this is true and uses a tag question to check With a rising intonation, mixed Question-tags are a genuine request for information: You haven’t talked to Sally yet, have you? We answer mixed Question-tags in the following way:  Affirmative tag: „Doni isn’t a playboy, is he?’ „No, I don’t think he is’ agreement „Actually, yes, he is’ contradiction  Negative tag: „you’re an actrees aren’t you? ‘Yes, that’s right.’ Agreement ‘No, it’s three weeks.’ Contradiction  Request: Pick me up at eight, could you?  Invitation: Let’s come to my party, won’t you?  Commands: turn the TV off, will you? Don’t annoy Rina, will you? Question-tags are normally used to ask for confirmation of what has just been said, they are: 31 a If we ask for confirmation concerning something we already feel sure of, falling intonation is used. Example : It’s hot today, isn’t it? 30 Foley and Hall, Longman Advanced …p. 98 31 Devritis and K.O’Malley, English Grammar…p. 12 23 You don’t live in Bandung, do you? b If, we are not sure whether what we are saying is correct, rising intonation is used. Example : Sheila’s met you before, hasn’t she? He didn’t pay, did he? c There is also another type of question-tags. These are not normally „questions’ at all, but are used to express emotional reaction of some kind. They may indicate feelings like: anger, worry and interest. In these cases a rising intonation is normally used. Example : So he’s late again, is he? She’s safe now, is she? Oh, you’ve found a new job, have you? In one sites stated that we use tags in spoken English but not in formal written English. They are not really questions but are a way of asking the other person to make a comment and so keep the conversation open. 32 According Fuchs and Bonner, the use of question-tag are: a Use Question-tags in conversation when you expect the speaker to agree with you. In this type of tag-question, the voice falls on the tag, use this type of tag-question to :  Check information you believe is correct. You expect the listener to answer and agree Example : Tom lives in L.A., doesn’t he? 32 www.englishgrammarsecrets.com October 28 th 2011 24 In this sentence the speaker believes that Tom lives in L.A and wants to check this information.  Comment on a situation Example : I t’s a nice day, isn’t it? In this sentences the speaker is commenting on the weather b Question-tags can be used to get information. You want to confirm your information because you are not sure it is correct. The voice rises at the end and you usually get an answer. Example : A : You’re not moving, are you? In this sentence the speaker in doubt, and wants get information B : Yes, we’re returning to L.A or No, We’re staying here. 33 According to Swan, the meaning of question-tag changes with the intonation. 34 If it is said with a falling intonation, it makes the sentence sound more like a statement. With a rising intonation, the sentence is more like a real question. Example : Nice day, isn’t it? Falling intonation – not a real question You haven’t seen my brother everywhere, have you? Rising intonation on have you? – this is a real question.. As same as with Granger, Beaumont and Granger explained almost the same with Swan, they say: “the meaning of question-tag depends on the intonation: a If we are asking a real question, we use a rising intonation You haven’t seen my handphone, have you? = have you seen my handphone? b But if we are sure of the answer, we use a falling intonation It’s hot today, isn’t it? = it’s hot. Do you agree? 35 33 Fuchs and Bonner, Focus on ……,p.93 34 Swan, Practical English …p.515 35 Beaumont and Granger, The Heinemann …, p.228 25 From the explanation above, it shows that the meaning of question-tag is depend on the intonation. If the intonation is rising, it means the speaker confirm the information because she is not sure it is correct and if the intonation is falling, it means the speaker ask for confirmation from listener the speaker expect the listener to agree.

4. Difficulties in learning Question Tags

There are a few special difficulties with question-tags: a Usually students answer amn’t I in sentence subject I am, because they don’t know the rules.. Example : I’m late, aren’t I? b Many students still confuse to choose the appropriate tag in imperative sentence. Will you? Is used in question-tags after imperatives. Example: Don’t be late, will you? c Many students still confuse to determine the appropriate tag in request sentence. Example: Let’s go, shall we? d Many students still confuse to determine the appropriate tag in sentence consist of the exception rules. Such as there can be used as a subject in questions-tags, sentences containing negative words like nothing, nobody is following by affirmative question-tags and Somebody, someone, everybody and everyone are also often followed by tags with they. Example: There ’s something wrong, isn’t there? Nothing can stop us now, can it? Somebody borrowed my book yesterday, didn’t they? From the explanation above, the writer summarize that the students still confuse about what tense, verb or pronoun is used in question-tag.