hi and welcome back to a total of
English I'm Layla and today I have got a
grammar lesson for you now if you want
to be able to hold a conversation in
English if you want to sound natural and
native and be more fluent and encourage
people to have a conversation with you
then this grammar lesson is really going
to help you today I'm going to be
looking at question tags now these are a
really simple but effective way to
maintain a conversation in English
encouraging them to talk and also
showing your interest in what they have
to say question tags are generally used
in spoken English of course text
messaging is quite an informal form of
communication so you would often find
question tags being used there but
generally speaking they are used in
informal spoken English now thankfully
this is not a difficult grammar point
the rules are actually quite simple so
pay attention and at the end of the
lesson I'm going to give you a little
quiz to show you how easy it is to learn
this grammar by the end of this lesson
you will be able to use question tags
effectively in conversation and why
don't you test them out in the comment
box below use some question tags and I
can answer your questions
so you want to get on with the lesson
thank you
[Music]
right to understand question type let's
look at a normal question an or
statement and then add that question tag
at the end do you like english grammar
do you like english grammar question
statement you like english grammar you
like english grammar and now let's take
that statement and turn it into a
question you like english grammar don't
you you like english grammar don't shoot
here you can see all we've done is keep
the sentence in the affirmative and
we've added a negative question tag
using the auxiliary verb of that tense
so with the present simple the auxiliary
verb would be do or does depending on
whether it's third-person or i you we
they you like english grammar don't you
but she likes english grammar doesn't
she she likes english grammar doesn't
she pay attention there of course you
cannot see the auxiliary verb do or does
in the affirmative statement because we
don't usually use it in the affirmative
however you will see that it appears in
the question tag you like english
grammar don't you she likes english
grammar doesn't she now if that
statement were to become negative
you don't like english grammar do you
you don't like english grammar
do you in this case you can see that the
question tag has become positive rule
number one with question tags if the
statement is positive the question tag
is negative if the statement is negative
the question tag is positive now rule
number two you need to
use the auxiliary verb from that tense
in many cases it will be obvious what
the auxiliary verb is however with
present simple the auxiliary verb is not
always apparent so let's have a look at
the auxiliary verb being used in
question tax so where the main verb is
the verb to be obviously you would take
that verb and it would go into the
question tag she's a teacher isn't she
she's a teacher isn't she
you're tired aren't you you're tired
aren't you pay attention as well to the
punctuation now when writing or sending
a text with a question tag you would
need to use a comma at the end of the
statement
so you would have statement comma
question tag let's have a look at a few
more examples you like chocolate you
like chocolate what's the auxiliary verb
you can't see one because it's present
simple say therefore you like chocolate
don't you you like chocolate don't you
likewise I like chocolate I like
chocolate don't I I like chocolate don't
I with the example of the present
perfect you have done your homework you
have done your homework here you can
clearly see the auxiliary verb is have
so this makes it a little bit easier to
form the question tag you have done your
homework haven't you you have done your
homework
haven't you it's cold today isn't it
you're polish aren't you
they live in Istanbul don't they the
program finishes at 10:00 doesn't it
your sister lived in England didn't she
we've met before haven't we you'll be
okay won't you you'd go to London with
me wouldn't you all of those are using a
negative question tag because the
statement is
positive and if you pay attention you
can see they are either using the
auxilary ver or they are using the modal
verb from the sentence you'll be okay
won't you you'd go to London with me
wouldn't you
you can swim you can swim can't you you
won't tell
you won't tell will you here you can
clearly see two modal verbs being used
in each sentence can and will not won't
so can becomes can't turning from
positive in the statement to negative in
the question tag and likewise won't
becomes will in the question tag because
it is negative in the statement but
positive in the question tag so they're
not too difficult modal auxiliary verbs
now again remembering that main rule
when forming question tags if the
sentence is positive the question tag is
negative but if the sentence is negative
the question tag is positive let's have
a look at a few more examples she isn't
in class today is she you aren't hungry
are you
they don't drink do they she doesn't
like tea does she
Sabra hasn't been to rain before has she
you won't tell anyone will you
he wouldn't cheat on the test would he
so they can see that in negative
statements the auxiliary verb becomes
positive really really important to
remember we don't have two negatives in
a sentence in English ever be careful
with question tags with I am we don't
say I am hungry anti new I am hungry
anti so we need to use the verb are when
we are referring to ourselves in the
first person I am I am hungry anti I am
pretty on time
now I think the most difficult thing to
try and remember with question tags is
not actually the grammar but it is about
intonation question tags are generally
used when we know the answer or think we
know the answer but are just checking
for clarification so you've got two
choices with intonation and it does
impact the meaning of the question and
whether you actually want a response now
question house can either be real
questions
meaning you don't know the answer or we
probably already know the answer but are
encouraging the flow of conversation if
it is a real question and you genuinely
want a response your intonation would
rise it would go up so for example you
haven't been to Rome have you you want a
hungry are you wouldn't like a cup of
tea would you if we kind of already know
the answer and we're not necessarily
looking for a response then our
information would fall so for example
you're not tired are you you didn't
cheat did you you haven't had a beer
have you you didn't eat my chocolate did
you so there you can see that it's more
for conversation and really to show
interest and engage the other person
you're not necessarily looking for an
answer when your intonation falls you
probably already know the answer let's
recap those rules again and I'm going to
give you a quick test number one if the
statement is positive use a negative
question tag if the statement is the
negative use a positive a question tag
you see auxiliary verb from the
statement if you can't see the auxiliary
verb it's likely to be due or dull
depending on the pronoun and of course
the intonation if you really want an
answer it's a real question your
intonation will rise but if you think
you already know the answer
actually it's a rhetorical question
you're not really looking for a response
then your intonation will fall are you
ready for the quiz you can hear me
what's the question tag you can hear me
can't you you like him you like him
what's the question tag you like him
don't you
you love English grammar you love
English grandma you love English grammar
don't you
she works hard she works hard this is a
little bit more difficult
she works hard doesn't she she works
hard doesn't she
you'll marry me you'll marry me won't
you you're not tired you're not tired
you're not tired are you you wouldn't
tell you wouldn't tell would you
you didn't eat my chocolates you didn't
eat my chocolates did you you didn't eat
my chocolates did you you couldn't help
me you couldn't help me you couldn't
help me could you you haven't been here
before you haven't been here before
what's the question tag you haven't been
here before have you she isn't a teacher
she isn't a teacher she's a teacher is
she so there we have it a very simple
and effective way of engaging more in
conversation and really sounding a lot
more fluent and native why don't you try
using those question tags next time you
are having a conversation in English and
of course why not comment below why
don't you ask me some questions using at
the question tag structure and I will
respond with an answer and another
question for you my final question tag
for you guys
you have subscribed to love English
haven't you thank you very much for
watching and I hope to see you very soon
with lots more lessons on grammar
pronunciation phrasal verbs idioms
whatever you need we can teach it thank
you for watching you've enjoyed the
lesson haven't you