you have seen me before haven't you what
did I just ask you I asked you a mini
question but what is a mini question
mini question is made with auxiliary
verbs like will have has and it's called
a question tag and this is the topic for
the day we are learning what are
question tags and what are the different
ways to use them to sound more natural
my name is Michelle and please join me
right so with us we have some
interesting questions all right
most of them actually all of them are
questions and we are going to find out
how to use question tags so here we have
with us a set of questions where we have
used question tags but in every question
we have used the question tag in a very
different way let's look at the first
one that we have James plays the piano
doesn't he
what's the tenth of this question this
question isn't simple present great now
the trick is that we always form the
question tag using the helping verb or
the auxiliary verb in a question but if
we look at this statement do we find an
auxilary well let's see James plays the
piano so plays here is the main verb it
is the main word but what is the
question work what is the auxiliary verb
so now because we know that he's doing
an action then definitely the auxiliary
verb is do alright but we do not ask
don't he we say doesn't he because here
we are talking about the third person
singular that's why we use doesn't he in
the present tense now if I say do you go
to the gym you go to the gym don't you
in that case I'll say don't you because
we are not having the third person
singular so either you use doesn't or
don't for the simple present tense now
let's look at the next question that we
have you didn't lock the door did you of
course
the tense of this question is simple
past tense okay
in simple past you do not have too many
options but you only use did to talk
about the past so the same way we say
you didn't lock the door did you now
something very tricky is that whenever
you have a positive statement now let's
read the first one James plays the piano
that's a positive statement right
because we do not have any know in this
but the questions tag has an O so this
is the trick whenever the statement is
positive the question tag will always be
negative and vice-versa
which means that if the statement is
negative the question tag will be
positive so this statement is negative
because it has didn't which means did
not therefore the question tag is
positive
awesome now let's look at the next
statement that we have with us it's a
nice day isn't it
so did you hear the way I said that I'll
repeat myself it's a nice day isn't it
so here my voice has gone from up too
low it was increased in the beginning
when I said it's a nice day isn't it and
then it goes low so this means I'm
seeking agreement or I'm seeking
confirmation which is one of the most
important usage of the question tags
seeking agreement okay now let's look at
the next one that we have you haven't
seen Lisa today have you did you hear my
intonation you haven't seen Lisa today
have you so my voice goes from low to
high why is that so this means that I'm
asking a genuine question so like in the
previous question I was seeking
agreement in this question I'm not
seeking agreement I'm seeking an answer
so if I ask someone you haven't leased
seemly Saturday have you this means that
I'm expecting an answer and possibly
that person would say no I'm afraid I
haven't seen Lisa today all right
so whenever your voice goes from high to
low you're seeking agreement but when
your voice goes from being low to high
you're seeking an answer and you're
asking a genuine question now let's look
at the next one that we have you
couldn't do me a favor could you okay
let's see that which one is the negative
part so here the statement is negative
because this is short for could not
alright and the question tag is positive
as
the rule applies to all of them okay the
question tag is positive so I say you
couldn't do me a favor could you now
something that you need to remember is
this formation when the statement is
negative and the question tag is
positive is generally asked when you are
asking favor from someone or if you're
seeking information so in this case
you're asking for help okay as I told
you it's used either to ask for help or
either for asking information let's look
at the next one you haven't got a pen
have you so what's the formation here we
still have a negative okay and a
positive question tag a negative
statement and a positive question tag in
this case I'm asking for information it
can be a simple yes-or-no answer all
right you haven't got a pen have you
know so you could simply say yes or no
because you're providing information all
right and if you do say yes then you
given more information let's look for
another formation like this here you
didn't lock the door did you so here
again we have the negative statement
like this in this but a positive
question tag so here also you're asking
for information either the person would
say yes or they would say no now we look
at the next one let's go for a walk
shall we
okay we haven't used the same auxilary
here as in the sentence we see here let
us go for a walk are we talking about
the present not really we are talking
about the near future or the immediate
future all right whenever we talk about
the immediate future we will use a
future word in this case that is shall
we which is more formal
and let's look at the next one don't be
late
will you hear again we are talking to
someone about the future so we are
asking somebody to not be late in the
future maybe in the near future but we
say will you because it's an informal
way of saying it great so as you've seen
when we talk about the present we use
either do or don't or don't or doesn't
when we talk about the past we use did
or didn't and when we talk about the
future will either use will or shall
irrespective of the auxilary in the main
statement and just to remind you a
negative statement plus a positive
question tag is used to ask for
information or to ask for help I hope
that you've solved the puzzle about
question tags and now you'll not be
confused about them anymore use them and
sound more natural thank you so much for
having me bye-bye
[Music]