This document discusses negative questions and tag questions in grammar. It explains that negative questions begin with a form of "be" or an auxiliary verb like "have", "do", "will" etc. and are used to check information or comment on a situation. Tag questions are formed with a statement followed by a tag, where the tag asks "Right?" or "Isn't that true?". The tag verb is opposite of the statement verb. Negative questions and tag questions are answered in the same way as positive yes/no questions.

1. COMMUNICATIVE GRAMMAR IV
Negative Questions
and Tag Questions
César Ochoa Cueva, M.S.Ed.

2. USE
Use negative yes/no questions and tag questions to:
check information you believe to be true OR comment
on a situation.
Doesn’t Sue Sue plays golf,
play golf? doesn’t she?

3. NEGATIVE YES/NO QUESTIONS
Like affirmative yes/no questions, negative yes/no
questions begin with a form of be or an auxiliary
verb, such as have, do, will, can, or should.
Haven’t you Can’t you stop
eaten lunch eating pizza?
yet?
Shouldn’t
you think
Don’t you like about
pizza? losing
weight?

4. TAG QUESTIONS
Form tag questions with statement + tag. The
statement expresses an assumption. The tag means
Right? OR Isn’t that true?
She is from Mexico, isn’t she?
Tom plays soccer, doesn’t he?

5. TAG QUESTIONS
If the statement verb is affirmative, the tag verb is
negative. If the statement verb is negative, the tag verb
is affirmative.
Ann isn’t a pilot, is she?
They like fast food, don’t they?

6. TAG QUESTIONS
Form the tag with a form of be or an auxiliary verb,
such as have, do, will, can, or should. Use the same
auxiliary that is in the statement.
You can drive, can’t you?
You won’t buy a house, will you?

7. ATTENTION
In the tag, only use pronouns. When the subject of the
statement is that, the subject of the tag is it.
Bob isn’t commenting
on this, is Bob?
he?
That wasn’t my
pencil, was it?

8. ANSWERS
Answer negative yes/no questions and tag questions
the same way you answer affirmative yes/no questions.
He likes ice cream, doesn’t he?
Yes, he does.

10. Bibliography
• Fuchs, M. & Bonner, M., Focus on Grammar 4
Pearson Education , White Plains, NY 10606,
2006
• http://www.myenglishteacher.net
• Photo credit: Microsoft Office