Short questions & Question tag
We say have you? / is it? / can't he? etc. to show that we are interested or surprised:
· ‘You're late.’ ‘Oh, am I? I'm really sorry’
· ‘I was ill last week.’ ‘Were you? I didn't know that.’
· ‘It's raining again.’ ‘Is it? It was sunny half an hour ago.’
· ‘There's a parcel for you.' 'Is there? Where is it?’
· ‘Shyam can't drive.’ ‘Cant’ he? I didn’t know that.’
· ‘I’m not hungry’ ‘Aren’t you? I am.’
We use do/does for the present simple and did for the past simple:
· ‘I speak four languages.’ ‘Do you? Which ones?’
· ‘Tarun doesn't eat mangoes.’ ‘Doesn't he? Does he eat apple?’
· ‘Aryan got married last week. ‘Did she? Really?’
Question tags
We use have you? / is it? / can't she? etc. at the end of a sentence.
These ‘mini-questions’ are question tags.
Important : See the usage of tenses in examples.
A positive sentence —> a negative question tag
A negative sentence —> a positive question tag
It's a beautiful day, isn't It?
Salma lives in Mumbai, doesn't she?
You closed the window, didn't you?
Those shoes are nice, aren't they?
Tanmay will be here soon, won't he?
That isn't your car, is it?
You haven't met my mother, have you?
Aruna doesn't cook, does she?
You won't be late, will you?
Practice :
1 I speak four languages. __ ? Which ones?
2 I work in a bank..................? I work in a bank too.
3 I didn't go to work yesterday..................? Were you ill?
4 Jaya doesn't like me.……............? Why not?
5 You look tired. .................? I feel fine.
6 Juhi phoned me last night...................? What did she say?
Answer with Have you? / Haven't you? / Did she? / Didn't she? etc.
1 I've bought a new bike. Have you ?
2 Ankur doesn't eat banana. Doesn t he ? Does he eat apple?
3 I’ve lost my purse...................? When did you last have it?
4 Suman can't drive. ..................? She should learn.
5 I was born in Udaipur. ..................? I didn’t know that.
6 I didn't sleep well last night...................? Was the bed uncomfortable?
7 There's a movie on TV tonight..............? Are you going to watch it?
8 I’m not happy. …...............? Why not?
9 I met Anita last week...................? How is she?
10 Maya works in a factory. ..................? What kind of factory?
11 I won't be here next week. ..................? Where will you be?
12 The clock isn't working...................? It was working yesterday.
Complete these sentences with a question tag (isn’t it? /haven’t you? etc.).
1 It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it ? Yes, it's lovely.
2 These flowers are nice,....................? Yes, what are they?
3 Juhi was at the party,....……............? Yes, but I didn't speak to her.
4 You've been to Paris,...................... ? Yes, many times.
5 You speak French,……................... ? Yes, but not very well.
6 Manish looks tired,………..……………….? Yes, he works very hard.
7 you'll help me, ………………..............? Yes, of course I will.
8. Life isn’t boring…………….?
9. Jaya paints beautiful pictures………………. ?
10. They didn’t get what they wanted……………?
11. Tigers don’t live in Africa ………………..?
12. He went to Oxford university…………..?
13. You heard the weather forcast………………?
14. The volcano erupted again last year……..?
