Lecture Notes on Question Tags

Summary

Today's lecture focused on understanding question tags in English, which are short questions added at the end of statements to confirm information or clarify doubts. These are especially common in spoken English. The session covered the rules for forming question tags, including their structure depending on the positivity or negativity of the statement, and how they interact with auxiliary verbs.

Detailed Notes

Definition and Purpose

• Question Tags: Short questions appended to the end of statements, often used in spoken English to confirm or clarify information.
• Usage: Primarily used when the speaker seeks agreement from the listener or wants to confirm something believed to be true.

Basic Formation Rules

1. Positive to Negative: If the main statement is positive, the question tag is negative, e.g., "We have a meeting this afternoon, don't we?"
2. Negative to Positive: If the main statement is negative, the question tag must be positive, e.g., "We don't have a meeting this afternoon, do we?"

Examples of Forming Question Tags

• Using Auxiliary Verbs: If the statement includes an auxiliary verb, use the same verb for the tag.
  • Positive statement with an auxiliary verb: "She is coming today, isn't she?"
  • Negative statement with an auxiliary verb: "They haven't seen the movie, have they?"
• Negative Question Tags: Generally contracted, e.g., "is not" becomes "isn't".

Without Auxiliary Verbs

• Using 'do, does, did': For sentences without an auxiliary verb, use "do", "does", or "did" based on the tense and subject.
  • Example: "The dogs eat quickly, don't they?"

Special Case with "I am"

• Exceptionally, "I am" is followed by "aren't I?" instead of "am not I?".
  • Example: "I am going next, aren't I?"

Responding to Question Tags

• Agreement: Repeat the auxiliary verb used in the question tag.
  • Positive statement, Positive agreement: "It rained heavily, didn't it? Yes, it did."
  • Negative statement, Negative agreement: "They haven't seen this movie, have they? No, they haven't."
• Disagreement: Provide the opposite of the auxiliary verb used.
  • Positive statement, Negative disagreement: "Lindsay could look after the dog, couldn't she? No, she couldn't."
  • Negative statement, Positive disagreement: "I'm not running in this race, am I? Yes, you are."

Practical Exercise Suggestions

• Practice forming question tags for both statements with and without auxiliary verbs.
• Focus on proper contraction in negative tags.
• Understand and practice responding to question tags with both agreements and disagreements.

These notes cover the key elements taught in today's lecture and provide a foundational understanding for using question tags effectively in English conversation and writing.