Tag questions are short questions added to statements to encourage conversation. They are used in informal situations but not in formal writing. Tag questions keep dialogue moving by giving the other person a chance to respond. They are formed by taking the statement's auxiliary verb and changing its polarity - positive to negative or vice versa. If there is no auxiliary, "do" or "does" are used. Properly formed tag questions have a statement followed by a short question tag.

1. Tag Questions
• They are important, aren’t
they?

2. What is a tag question?
• It is when a small question is added to a
statement,
– “Life is good, isn’t it?”

3. When do we use tag question?
• Tag questions are used in “informal”
situations, like talking with your friends.
• You do not use tag questions when you
are doing formal writing.

4. Why are tag questions used?
• Tag questions are used to keep the
conversation going.
• A tag question gives the person you are
talking to a chance to respond.

5. Example
• “It is sunny.”
• (thinking: should I say something?)

6. • “It is sunny, isn’t it?”
• “Yes, it is. I love the sun, don’t you?”
• The conversation can continue.

7. How do you make a tag question?
• To make a tag question you look at the
auxiliary (be-verb, helping or linking verb)
• If the sentence is positive, change the
auxiliary to a negative verb.
If the sentence is negative change the
auxiliary to a positive verb.

8. Example
• “The pizza is great.”
– “is” is your auxiliary
– Change it from a positive to a negative
• Isn’t
• Use to make a short question
“The pizza is great, isn’t it?”

9. No auxiliary?
• If there is no auxiliary you use do or does
• “ I like ice cream, don’t you?
• “Sue likes ice cream, doesn’t she?”

10. It’s a tag question, isn’t it?
• Look carefully to see if a question is a tag
question. It must have a statement then a
short question.
–You can see the board, can’t you?
–Can you see the board?
• Note in the second example there is no
statement, the entire sentence is a
question.

11. More examples
• Pigs can’t fly.
• Ask yourself, “What is the auxiliary?”
• Is it positive or negative?
• How can we change it?

12. • Pigs can’t fly, can they?

13. Matching
It is hot
I can’t juggle
I like popcorn
Dogs are fun
aren’t they?
isn’t it?
can I?
don’t I?