This document provides a lesson on tag questions in English grammar. It defines tag questions as questions added to the end of statements to check or seek information. The lesson explains how to form tag questions based on whether the original statement is affirmative or negative, and lists common tags. It also discusses responding to tag questions and provides examples and activities to practice forming and using tag questions correctly.

1. Grammar Mini
Lesson:
Tag Questions
Katie Kresge
Wilkes University

2. Lesson Objectives
 What are tag questions?
 How do I form them and use them correctly?
 How do I respond to them?

3. What are tag questions?
 Question at the end of a statement used by the
speaker to:
 Comment on something
 Ask for more information
 Check information they know/believe to be true
 Example:
 English is fun to learn, isn’t it?
 In this example, isn’t it? is our tag question.
 English is fun to learn, isn’t it?
 Statement Tag question

4. How do we form tag
questions?
 Affirmative Statements:
Statement +Negative BE/Auxiliary Verb + Subject
Pronoun OR
there
+?
Examples:
That class is easy, isn’t it ?
There’s a lot of work to do, isn’t there ?

5. Common Affirmative Tag
Questions
isn’t there? doesn’t it?
isn’t he? didn’t they?
wasn’t she? hasn’t she?
weren’t there? shouldn’t we?
hadn’t they? can’t they?
right?* aren’t I?*
Did you catch the pattern?
Affirmative statements create negative tag questions!

6. Affirmative Activity
 You love to travel, __________?
 Tag questions are exciting, _________?
 They moved to London, __________?
 It looks like it’s going to rain, __________?
 We should study more, ____________?
don’t you
aren’t they
didn’t they
doesn’t it
shouldn’t we

7. How do we form tag
questions?
 Negative Statements:
Statement +Affirmative BE/Auxiliary Verb + Subject
Pronoun
OR
there
+?
Example:
This isn’t easy, is it ?

8. Common Negative Tag
Questions
is there? does it?
is he? did they?
was she? has she?
were there? should we?
had they? can they?
right?* am I?*
Negative statements produce affirmative tag
questions!

9. Negative Activity
 He isn’t from here, ___________?
 She wasn’t happy, ___________?
 There weren’t too many people, ___________?
 This doesn’t seem good, _____________?
 She can’t go to the party, ______________?
is he
was she
were there
does it
can she

10. Exceptions
 You have watched this before, haven’t you?
 He has a new car, doesn’t he?
You have watched – present perfect – have is past
participle
He has a new car – simple present – need to use
the verb do

11. Responses
 Yes, no, I don’t know
 Commenting on a situation:
 It wasn’t nice out yesterday, was it?
 Looking for more information/Checking information
 That is Eric, isn’t it?

12. Review
 Tag questions are used to comment on
information, find out more information, or
check information.
 Negative statements produce affirmative tags.
 Positive statements produce negative tags.
 Intonation is important!

13. Game
 http://www.eslgamesplus.com/tag-questions-
game/
Great job!

14. Resources
 http://www.eslcafe.com/grammar/tag_questio
ns01.html
 http://www.eslcafe.com/grammar/tag_questio
ns02.html
 http://www.eslcafe.com/grammar/tag_questio
ns03.html
 http://www.eslgamesplus.com/tag-questions-
game/