Balanced Tag Questions (The Basic Structure)

1) Tags with the low rise

A tag question is a special construction in English. It is a statement followed by a mini question. The whole sentence is a “tag question” and the mini question at the end is called “a question tag”.

As a rule, the English rising pattern is used when some sort of response is required. These tags make a grammatical statement into a real question. When you want an answer, are asking for information or want someone to do something you use the low rise.

E.g. You are ˈcoming to the ˎparty, │̗aren’t you?

Exercise 1.

Read the following conversational situations; use the low rise in the tags. An answer is expected.

Model: It’s ˎhorrid, │̗̗isn’t it?

1. – What’s happened to Mabel? - She wasn’t invited, was she?

2. – I’ve just been talking to Mary. – She wasn’t very helpful, was she?

3. - No, I didn’t go to the cinema with them. – You’d seen the film already, hadn’t you?

4. - Whose turn is it? – Mine, isn’t it?

5. – Peggy wants to stay at home. – That doesn’t matter, does it?

6. – Oh, all right. I’ll get it for you. – You don’t mind, do you?

7. - Why’ve you brought me that spoon? – It’s the one you asked for, isn’t it?

8. – Oh, do let’s go out of here. – You’re surely not frightened, are you?

9. – I may be late tonight. – But you’ll be home in time for dinner, won’t you?

10. – Send that wretched boy to me at once. - You are not going to be hard on him, are you?

11. - Hallo, Jean. You are early. – I’m not too early, am I?

Exercise 2.

Go on reading the situations, use the low rise, and pay attention to the special structure of the tag questions.

1. I’m late, aren’t I? – No, you are the first to come.

2. I’m clever, aren’t I? – Sure, the idea is perfect!

3. I’m not that bad, am I? – Oh my dear chap, you are the best in the class.

4. You’ve never liked me, have you? – What makes you think so?

5. Nobody asked for me, did they? – They did. There were several calls in the morning.

6. Nobody knows, do they? - That’s right; you can go on with your investigation.

7. Nobody is perfect, are they? – That’s the universal truth.

8. Nothing came in the post, did it? – Pity, we’ll have to wait.

9. Nothing bad happened, did it? – I hope not.

10. Everybody is present, aren’t they? – The room is full.

11. He hardly survived, did he? – I should say it was a narrow escape.

12. I’m hardly aiming at getting into the Olympic team, am I? – Who knows.

13. That is scarcely possible, is it? – Let me think about it.

14. It seldom rains here in winter, does it? – I’ve never been here in winter.

15. You used to dance, didn’t you? – Yes, when I was younger but not very often now, I’m getting too old.

16. You do like coffee, don’t you? – Oh I enjoy a cup of coffee on a warm moonlit night.

17. We mustn’t tell her, must we? – Let me think it over.

18. He shouldn’t drive so fast, should he? – He always drives madly. What wild things young men are these days!

19. You have a Ferrari, don’t you? - Yes, I bought it last month.

20. I think he has the book you need, doesn’t he? – I hope he has it.

21. He is unlikely to come here, is he? – I hear he is abroad now.

Notice that we often use tag questions to ask for information or help, starting with a negative statement. This is quite a friendly polite way of making a request.

E.g. instead of saying “Where is the police station?” (not very polite),

or “Do you know where the police station is?” (slightly more polite),

we could say: “You wouldn’t know where the police station is, would you?”

Exercise 3.

Read the following tag questions, use the low rise.

You don’t know of any good jobs, ˏdo you?

You couldn’t help with my homework, ˏcould you?

You haven’t got $10 to lend me, ˏhave you?

You don’t know where my wallet is, ˏdo you?

Exercise 4.

Transform the following general and special questions into tag questions, be friendly and polite and use the low rise.

Model: I say, Mike, could you book four seats for next Saturday?

– I say, Mike, you couldn’t book four seats for next Saturday, could you?

1. Will you ring me tomorrow to confirm if you are coming? - You wouldn’t…

2. Have you seen my new tie, Mum? – You haven’t…

3. Have you sent out the invitations to our party yet? – You haven’t…

4. Will you take a day or two off to go to my mother’s place with me? – You wouldn’t…

5. Will you go to Bob’s sister’s party with me tomorrow night? – You wouldn’t…

6. How long have they been playing squash? – You don’t know…

7. Have they finished work on Charles’ new swimming pool yet? – You don’t know…

8. Will you be able to go to Mexico this summer? – You wouldn’t…

9. Where is Mum? – You don’t…

10. Can you help me? – You couldn’t…

11. Do you know which doctor visited them? – You don’t know…

12. Will you send your son to technical college? – You wouldn’t…

English question tags normally have the stress on the verb; but the stress is on the

pronoun if there is a change of person.

E.g. I don’t like peas, do ˏyou? (= Мне не нравится горох, а вам?)

I like peas, don’t ˏyou? (= Мне нравится горох, а вам разве нет?)

I adore Beethoven, don’t ˏyou?

This is often a rising tag, especially when the tag contains no negation, or the intonation pattern may be the typically English fall-rise.

E.g. I haven’t been to China, have ˏyou? (low rise)

I’m looking forward to going to Mexico this year, ˎaren’t ˏyou? (fall-rise)

Exercise 5.

Read the following tag questions, mind the change of person and read the pronouns of the tags either with the low rise or fall-rise.

1. Your friend has read this book, haven’t you? a) ˏ b) ˎ ̗

2. I am French, aren’t you? a) ˏ b) ˎ ̗

3. He was the best in the class, weren’t you? a) ˏ b) ˎ ̗

4. I remember that event, don’t you? a) ˏ b) ˎ ̗

5. I am coming to the party, aren’t you? a) ˏ b) ˎ ̗

6. I have finished the work, haven’t you? a) ˏ b) ˎ ̗

7. They have never been to England, have you? a) ˏ b) ˎ ̗

8. I enjoy summer, don’t you? a) ˏ b) ˎ ̗

Exercise 6.

Write down five facts about yourself and then say things to your partner like this:

(a change of person) I got an excellent mark for the test, didn’t you?

Exercise 7.

Translate into English, use the proper intonation.

1. Я из России, а вы разве нет?

2. Вы из России, не так ли? (a response is required)

3. Я никогда не был в Англии, а вы тоже?

4. Вы никогда не были в Англии, не так ли? (the speaker isn’t sure)

5. Я собираюсь на вечеринку, а ты тоже?

6. Ты собираешься на вечеринку, не так ли? (a response is required)

7. Я не умею играть на скрипке, а вы тоже?

8. Я обожаю танцевать, а вы разве нет?

9. Он обожает танцевать, не так ли? (the speaker isn’t sure)