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  • So you want to learn question tags, do you? Lucky for you, I'm here to tell you everything

  • I know, aren't I? Ready, are you? Let's go!

  • Now, at this level many of you will know that a question tag is an auxiliary verb plus a

  • pronoun, which is put at the end of a sentence, either to ask for more information about something,

  • or to confirm something which we believe is true. The question tag relates directly to

  • the sentence. The auxiliary verb matches the main verb and the pronoun comes directly from

  • the noun. Question tags can either have a rising or falling intonation, and, as everybody

  • knows, if the main sentence is affirmative, then the question tag is negative, so: You

  • do live here, don't you? and vice versa. That's the easy stuff: now for the hard stuff...

  • So sentences which use a negative or limiting adverb, such as never, and hardly, and other

  • words of that type, even though they appear to be positive in construction, they are treated

  • as a negative by the question tag. So, not: They never go on holiday, don't they? But

  • They never go on holiday, do they?

  • Sentences which use indefinite nouns such as someone, anyone, no one and everyone, can

  • be tricky with question tags. After all, what's the pronoun for no one? In question tags we

  • use they. For example: No one cares, do they? Or... Everyone left, didn't they? However, with

  • other indefinite nouns such as something and everything, we would use it. So for example: Everything

  • is OK, isn't it? Or Nothing matters, does it? Got it?

  • An imperative is a command, or at least a strong suggestion. An example would be: Sit

  • down! Now, because imperatives don't have a tense, they don't use an auxiliary verb

  • in the same way as other sentences do. So, how can we make a question tag with them?

  • Well, the answer is, we use won't you - although other modal verbs can be used, such as will,

  • would, can, and could. Sit down, won't you? Open the window, will you? Don't go outside,

  • will you? Keep quiet, won't you?

  • The level of formality depends upon the choice of question tag and the tone of voice,

  • although can't you can come across as quite impatient and annoyed - for example: Turn

  • the TV down, can't you?

  • When making a suggestion, it is common to use the expression let's. Let's stands for

  • let us, for example: Let's go to the cinema. When we use let's in a question tag we always

  • use shall we, regardless of whether let's is affirmative or negative. So for example:

  • Let's go to the cinema, shall we? Or Let's not go to the cinema, shall we? Got it?

  • Double positives are possible, and this is quite a common way of reacting when people

  • have just learned news or when somebody is reacting in an emotional way to something.

  • For example: You're getting married, are you? You just lost your wallet, did you? You see?

  • Finally, if you start a sentence with I think, don't use the question tag do I. I think he's

  • a great teacher, do I? Though this can happen in some cases, such as sarcasm, we normally

  • make the question tag agree with the main information, otherwise we're basically asking

  • our self to agree with our self. So, for example: I think he's a great teacher, isn't he? Or

  • I don't think that's a good idea, is it? Got it?

  • For more information go to: bbclearningenglish.com. I've been Dan, haven't I? You've been fantastic,

  • haven't you? And I'll see you next time, won't I? Cheerio!

So you want to learn question tags, do you? Lucky for you, I'm here to tell you everything

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B1 中級 英國腔

BBC大師班。問題標籤 (BBC Masterclass: Question tags)

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    pipus 發佈於 2021 年 01 月 14 日
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