General Questions

Predicate or auxiliary verb

Sub-

ject

Part of

the Predicate

Object

Adverbial Modifiers

Short Answers

Affirmative

Negative

Is

Do

Does

Did

Will

Are

Was

Can

he

you

she

it

he

you

Ann

you

take

live

rain

be living?

studying?

swim?

books

French?

at home?

here?

in Kyiv?

last night?

there?

in class?

Yes, he is.

Yes, I do.

Yes,she does

Yes, it did.

Yes, he will.

Yes, I am.

Yes, she was.

Yes, I can.

No, he isn't.

No, I don't.

No, she doesn't.

No, it didn't.

No, he won't.

No, I'm not.

No, she wasn't.

No, I can't.

Jack can come, can't he?

Fred can't come, can he?

A tag question is a question added at the end of

a sentence. Speakers use tag questions chiefly to make sure their information is correct or to seek agreement.

Affirmative Sentence + Negative tag = Affirmative answer expected

Mary is here, isn't she? Yes, she is.

You like tea, don't you? Yes, I do.

They have left, haven't they? Yes, they have.

Negative Sentence + Affirmative tag = Negative answer expected

Mary isn't here, is she? No, she isn't.

You don't like tea, do you? No, I don't.

They haven't left, have they? No, they haven't.

This/That is your book, isn't it?

These/Those are yours, aren't they?

The tag pronoun for this/that = it

The tag pronoun for these/those = they

There is a meeting tonight, isn't there?

In sentences with there + be, there is used in the tag.

Everything is okay, isn't it?

Everyone took the test, didn't they?

Personal pronouns are used to refer to indefinite pronouns. They is usually used in a tag to refer to everyone, someone, everybody, somebody,no one, nobody.

Nothing is wrong, is it?

Nobody called on the phone, did they?

You've never been there, have you?

Sentences with negative words take affirmative tags.

I am supposed to be here, am I not?

I am supposed to be here, aren't I?

am I not? is formal English.

aren't I? is common in spoken English.

Indefinite

Continuous

Perfect

Perfect Continuous

Present

I write letters every week.

I am writing

a letter now.

I have written

a letter today.

I have been writing for an hour.

Past

I wrote this letter yesterday.

I was writing

a letter at

5 o'clock.

I had written all my letters by 9 o'clock.

I had been writing for an hour when you came.

Future

I shall write this letter tomorrow.

I shall be writing a letter at 5 o'clock tomorrow.

I shall have written all my letters by 9 clock tomorrow.

If you come at 7 I shall have been writing for an hour by that time.