Question Tags

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We use questions tags ( a mini question ) on the end of our sentences to request for confirmation or to really ask questions. To see the difference, see the following explanations.

The Definition

Question tag is a mini question we put on the end of a sentence. Let's see the following example. The underlined words are the question tag.

1. You haven't got a car, have you?
2. It was a nightmare, wasn't it?
3. She came home by taxi, didn't she?

Positive Sentences

When the main sentence is positive, we have to use negative question tag. Let's see the following example.

1. Your boyfriend will be here soon, won't he?
2. She goes to work by car, doesn't she?
3. They were very sad, weren't they?
4. You came home last night, didn't you?

Negative Sentences

When the main sentence is negative, we have to use positive question tag. Let's see the following example.

1. Your girlfriend won't be here soon, will she?
2. She doesn't like party, does she?
3. They weren't very happy, were they?
4. You didn't come home last night, did you?

The Meaning

The meaning of question tag depends on how we say it. If the voice goes down, we aren't really asking a question. We are only asking for confirmation or agreement.  If the voice goes up, it is a real question. We really want to know if the answer yes or no.

How To Answer And Its Meaning

The answer to a question tag can have two possibilities, "yes" or "no". Let's see the following example.

1. You're not going to school today, are you?  Yes. ( = I am going ) or No ( = I'm not going. )
2. You're going to school today, aren't you? Yes. (=I am going ) or No (=I'm not going. )

The Right Auxiliary

To determine the right auxiliary for question tags, we can see the following tables.

Main Sentence	The Auxiliary For Question Tag
Present Simple Tense  Example : She goes to work by car.	do    (  I, you, we, they )  does (  he, she, it )
Past Simple Tense  Example : My father came home late last night.	did  (  all subject )
Present Perfect Tense  Example : You have stopped smoking. She has gone home.	have (  I, you, we, they )  has   ( he, she, it )
Present Continuous Tense  Example : She is sleeping right now.	are ( you )  is   ( he, she, it )  am ( I )
Past Perfect Tense  Example : She had got a luxurious house before she became an artist.	had ( all subject )
Sentences with modals  Example :  She will get cold.  You can fly a helicopter.	Depends on the modal in the main sentence. can can't will won't shall shan't should shouldn't would wouldn't

The Imperative (Do/ Don't)

After the imperative "do" or "don't do", we use the tag "will you" or "won't you". Let's see the following example.

1. Open the window, will you?
2. Don't be noisy, will you?
3. Get the phone for me, won't you?

Special Question Tags

Notice these special question tags.

1. Let's dance, shall we?
2. I'm late, aren't I?

The Words Making Positive Question Tags

If a sentence contains the following words, we have to use positive question tags. The words have negative sense. 

1. never
2. seldom
3. hardly ever

Let's see the following example :

1. She never comes late, does she?
2. We seldom see our parents, do we?

Special Subject

If the subject of the main sentence is everybody, everyone, somebody, someone, nobody or no-one, we use subject they on the question tag.

Let's see the following example :

1. Everybody loves her, don't they?
2. Somebody entered our house last night, didn't they?

Question Tags Exercise

Question Tag Exercises

Exercise I

Put a correct question tag on the end of each sentence. 

1. Your father's at home, ... ?

2. Susan doesn't like chicken, ... ?

3. I am funny, .......?

4. You've got a camera, ... ?

5. Your mother won't mind if I go early, ... ?

6. There are a lot of people here, ... ?

7. This is very boring, ... ?

8. You wouldn't tell anyone, …?

9. Listen, ... ?

10. I shouldn't have got angry, ... ?

11. She had gone home before we came here, ....?

12. They had to go home, ... ?

13. Everybody's happy, ...?

14. She seldom sees her parents in the village, ...?

15. Let's go,....?

Exercise II

Make a sentence with a correct question tag based on the situation given.

Example: Ask if John is going out.

Answer: John, you're going out, aren't you?

1. Confirm if Andy knows where Tia is. ………………………………….

2. Ask if Kaz has got a pen. ……………………………………..

3. Confirm if Sally is still loving you. …………………………………….

4. Confirm if your best friend has had lunch. ……………………………….

5. Ask your brother, Jim, to close the door. ………………………………..

6. Ask your boyfriend/girlfriend to eat out. ………………………………...

7. Tell your sister not to be noisy. ……………………………………...

8. Ask your Mom if there is some sugar in the fridge. ……………….

9. Ask your friend to call you when he's reached his home. ….………

10. Ask Emir to sing a song with you. ……………………………………..

Answer

Exercise I

1. isn't he

2. does she

3. aren't I

4. haven't you

5. will he

6. aren't there

7. isn't it

8. would you

9. will/won't you

10. should I

11. hadn't she

12. didn't they

13. aren't they

14. does she

15. shall we

Exercise II

1. Andy, you know where Tia is, don't you?

2. Kaz, you've got a pen, haven't you?

3. Sally, you're still loving me, aren't you?

4. Hi, you've had your lunch, haven't you?

5. Jim, close the door, will/won't you?

6. Baby, let's eat out, shall we?

7. Don't be noisy, will/won't you?

8. Mom, there's some sugar in the fridge, isn't there?

9. When you've reached home, call me, will/won't you

10. Emir, Let's sing a song, shall we?

Download the exercises in Google Drive here.

Other Exercises

Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

To Be Present Negative Questions

To Be Present Tense

Verbs Object Bare Infinitive

Present Perfect Continuous

Present Simple

Prepositions

Linking Verbs

Going To vs Future Simple

Present Perfect vs Past Simple

Some and Any

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Below And Under

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Below and Under Exercises

The Similarity in Meaning

Below and under can both mean 'lower than'. In this case they are interchangeable.

Example

• My mother always keeps the gas tank under/below the kitchen set. 
• Look. Your pen is under/below your desk.

The Difference

In some cases it is preferable/better to use one to the other.

Under

Under is preferably used when we talk about something which indicates contact. It's usually covered/hidden. 

Examples

1. She put the money under the mattress. (The money has a contact with the mattress, the money touches the mattress)
2. The gold is buried under the ground. (The gold touches the ground)

Under is also used to express less than or younger than.

Examples

1. Children under eighteen are not allowed to enter the building.
2. There are under a  hundred people in this village. 

Below

Below is generally used when we talk about something which indicates no contact. It's not directly under something. There is a space between the two things or surfaces we are talking about.  

Examples

1. The cat is sleeping below the table. (The cat doesn't touch the table.)
2. There is a mole below his left eye. (The mole doesn't touch the eye.)

Below is also used in measurement of temperature, height, and a vertical scale.

Examples

1. According to the weather forecast, the temperature of the village will be 5 degrees  below zero.
2. Please hang this picture below the biggest one.
3. Our apartment is two floors below hers.

Typical Phrases

under	below
under a false name  under a new name under an obligation under age under arrest under control under current laws under maintenance under no circumstances under new management under one's breath under pressure under repair under somebody under suspicion under the care of .... under the direction of ... under the weather	below average below one's expectation below par (below the standard expected) below the horizon below the sea level below the top of the mountain

Below and Under Exercises

Download the exercises here.

Exercise I

Complete the sentences with below or under.

1. She hides all her money... the bed.
2. Please hang the picture ... the clock. 
3. We live ... the sky.
4. My grandparents live around 100 metres ...the top of that hill.
5. He is staying ............our room.
6. They found gold .... the ground.
7. Please hide this ........ the carpet.
8. Can you remove the picture .......our family's photograph. It doesn't look good.
9. The cat is hiding ..... the desk.
10. The floor ..........that roof is wet. It's leaking somewhere.

Exercise II

Complete the phrases with below or under.

1. .........no circumstances, you should enter that room.
2. I can't make any decisions because I am ..... Mr. Black. He's the boss.
3. He's very poor. His monthly income is ......... the average of everyone's in this village.
4. His performance was ......... par. That's he lost the match.
5. He writes his blogs ...... his false name.
6. Police. You're ........ arrest.
7. Everything's ........ control. I can manage this project well.
8. Today is freezing. It's 5 degrees .......zero.
9. Before you apply for this kind of job, make sure you are able to work ........ pressure.
10. ..........an obligation of paying his debt, it's very hard for him to save his money in the bank.

Answer

Exercise I

1. She hides all her money under the bed.
2. Please hang the picture below the clock. 
3. We live below the sky.
4. My grandparents live around 100 metres below the top of that hill.
5. He is staying below our room.
6. They found gold under the ground.
7. Please hide this under the carpet.
8. Can you remove the picture below our family's photograph. It doesn't look good.
9. The cat is hiding under/below the desk.
10. The floor below   that roof is wet. It's leaking somewhere.

Exercise II

1. under
2. under
3. below
4. below
5. under
6. under
7. under
8. below
9. under
10. under

Other Exercises

Adjectives Ending in Ing and Ed

Comparison As ...As

Possessive Pronouns

During and While

Singular and Plural Nouns

Definite Article II

Noun + Preposition

Modal

Adjective  + Preposition

Apostrophe

Download the exercises here.