CHAPTER A 32

QUESTION TAGS AND

COMMEI{TTAGS
INTRODUCTION
frru-<<rofi ru
You went there. (qfi 6qri6a fr69'Q6q 1)
<lTjfr,asF assertive sentence. <iTifr ccfc$ C{f<fi {l{ 6{ <$l qlc{ c<
Tlrfifi subject c{?ft{ fit{R{ rft-q--
Did you go there? (9F ft cc"if6{ lfficqr)
<rcIErE <-sl <R-sl< subject (you) cs qrF €f{ sTcq, qdlq cc c4?f6{
fffiE ft 1.| q qF6o Wcq I qtst qsB {mNB rf* r fiF-q q?strE grf,{ r.l$r{
coFfrR qFcg trI€{K oc{ 116{l qr6<t q{t qs frrF slsqH mFftR ql{F EI\sRl
5 wc-ft EL{ "icg l RT{ <l(Ef{ qlT-{l frcD< +ofi <i-<cF or< <Tfr-gfr o
cq"Ilr{1ffi6E, g.lQilr
.{m ,ssR wq €$F 4{, srllfr+ calrs RER a-s6q ffi qsF 6qI< g-q-E r T6{
qrFETst{ Er< cq"urq <t\ertcqr{ q{Ttl-d{ q1{rcq @T q[r{, qfi qcf{ ql<i(I
\5K {t{"tl si st {IFR $-{F Etcrs I qrs-@ <t+lB{ Q<r<-Q wflq EC<-
{sl ft
You went there, didn't you?
qE aian't you? (= did you nct?) €K qdqrqt'sttqt'? qfrC{ <rE
question tag. {C{ K}rl6{, question tag {lc-{i <]-<-qs q[E g+ks << c{ <If+T<
{sl slT ellq< ffi qsF B\fi qffl n<ce I cr5rq,--
cqr:$
You went there, didn't vou? (gfr s cc{fn {ffim, qft]l)
- (q<K) Yes,l did (ql, fAT{R{]{ r)
ftEqn-c+ eI$R tag qlcR<l EtTl 6+.l-{ qi 3t{lET ql, T$l{ {g<ti (comment)
q-sFFq{ ttrsrq B

You went there, did you? (didn't you? c-:I)

(qfr cc.lTc{ lffi(E q1r . . . e :{n Fnqq1-{ r)
gif<1Fl q{s'{ Cq, <s{ qsB E{ s'6{ flr< Fr{ 6q"tE c< cc'\rf< Vg-{F fiIq?
eTlr{, E{q cq frcqr+ Rm eqr< frq, q{s firq< trqr.r T€=tri (comment)
ct6I-- e qt't, ffficq E I qQ tag ftrs ((4 comment tag.
61.4 A Passage to the English Language
€<K ER6{ ftu<t q-<tro CflITR question tag 4(( comment tag €K
S(Tlqfr{-slss rfiR r qecEl4lRoqr s'moq<q1${il r

q{r CEiT{t tag sC{l ft-qr{ rft{ T;fcs E{ 4=t( question tag €r{( comment
tag sr TC{i qFt+i mtqT \4
'B-trqc< EFitrr r

A. Question Tags
I'ft{ (1) Negative <] rt ffitl-s <fsl-d qfcq c{ tag {'s E.s vI 'f'q +-*co
q'fi & sentence-€K verb €3t tense €{( subject €it number S-{{l-ft eFE
auxiliary verb (aux. v.) T{ICo ET q<( Ef{ eK subject e< fu qsfi
pronoun Tjfl-cs qt I tt{F fia-<irt ccql{ TFI s
lt'".*d-n
TJ
CTfi-
ffi
@-E
Eqf${etqt cq"tk qfc't fr6o< tag qn rI5{erst sl;fv.lm qrqi rit I

EqrT< Fq ef&fr tag €< lf}+-<< +qrgt {m +.{

cqc+ r

Present indefinite tense-€it CTGI. S

do you? do we?
does he? does she?
am 1? are we?
is he? are they?
is she?

Present continuous tense-4lf 6FGi I

(q(+-cq {lr$j G aux. verbfr <jrqs qr< ofrQ 6q q <lEas qr< t)
am I? ishe? are the"y?
are we? is she?

Past indefinite tense-9d 6FGi S

did I? did she? was she?
did you? did they? was he?
did he? was I? were we?
were they?
Future indefinite tense-4it 6FGi 3
(qCsrG€ {lC{l C{ aux. verbfr aI|-SCd &fr? taq-€ {|{dl5 eC{ t)
shall l? will -he? will they?'
shall we? will she?

Present perfect tense-€TffiGi S

(qlsrE€ <fr$j <Frqs aux. verbR tag € <JTqs qr{ t)
have I? has he?
have we? has she?
have they?
 Grammar : Question Tags and Comment Tags 615
q'{< frrD< EqT{F.lerqt
"iV'
You arenot intelligent, are you? (qfr s ffiql{ qs, vtQ "ft?)
He doesn't play football, does he? (fr s TFfi c{rq ql, sfQ*rf+g
ft?)
EFRTiI, qlsi'erET Fl not qICq <rE tag-€ not lii-eE qgfr r E"ftq, <f$j
(statement) negative RC{ tag ET llffi{ interrogative.
I
2. frq statement affirmative {I:{ tag Rli{ negative interrogative.
!s3 E1q tag fir*-c1 of6tr Ec< c
iau.t Ve"b
JJ
+nil tr
J
6{-I-{- @- rt-t
l'l
ffi Eqtq<"t lg< qc'i firu< Eqq{qerst "lV s
Present indefinite tense
am I not? don't I? (: do I not?)
aren't you? (= are you not?) don't we? (= do we not?)
aren't we? (: are we not?) doesn't he? (= 6o"r he not?)
isn't he? (: is he not?) doesn't she? (= does she not?)
isn't she? (: is she not? don't they? (= do they not?)
aren't they? (= are they not?)
NOTE , <tft< {c<r'eqfu {s[C{ tag qffs q* Tl, tag-€R negative verb
$EIt contracted <I >f(frS form-4K q{ I C{I;t, is he not? 4t <'6{ <"Ks En
isn't he?.
Examples :
He reads in this school, doesn't he? (fi qqTrq flry, qt{?)
He doesn't read in this school, does he? (fr qR 1rE lrg 11, ,oR nl)
He isn't (= is not) rich, is he? (CR v qft T{, vtQ *t )
Rima cooked rice, didn't she?
I helped you, didn't I?
We shall go there, shan't we?
They will go there, won't they?
[shan't = shall not, won't : will not ]
I am late, aren't I?
[qsI o-<, qF CCEI irregular, q1-\rtfr-s fiaq qgtC-*'t$v C{fr t r

You have seen him, haven't you?($ E \51rc cq-cqq, s]lill)

You haven't seen him, have you?

I 3. Statement-€ {fr can, could, must would {11-S vl'{f,4 & verb
s[Ers tag-€ (l{{l{ a3l <T I RrFr 3
You can do it, can't you? (can't = can not)
You can't do it, can you?
She could do the sum, couldn't she?
 676 A passage to the English Language
Rahim couldn't do the sum, could he?
You must go there, mustn't you?
You must not do it, must you?
The man would do it, wouldn't he?
I 4. Let us (= let's) {fr statement-( <jTq\e- C{sfC[E tag-4 shall we?
<t{qsq{'l
C{:l{ g Let's go for a walk,
shall we?
(E-{qqfl c<?qtfr, c$T{?)
Let us go home, shall we?
Let us help him, shall we?

r 5. It <t rhere ftcr <r+l e* E ffi tag-€str 'r{ pronoun q< qrE it <t
there {C{ I GI5FI B

There is no pond i4 this village, is there?

There wasn't enough time, was there?
It is a good.idea, isn't it?
It's (=11 is) not a bad idea, is it?

t
6. Statement-4 Tfr neither, no (adjective frmf<;, none, no one,
nobody, nothing, scarcely, barely, hardly, hardly ever, seldom_€IT{ C{
CS.f{ qFF word qII6s sR(q vtr$ qSF negative statement
foqr{ <ffl q$,
qdts qil negative qd cq-{ I ,qrq-{ el{{q tag-c eq-fl not TC{ qT; q-6-lqR
interrogative tag {C{ I R5FI B
He hardly ever comes here, does he? (fre q{lcq{E(E c{rqqkct ql,
.otlqtr)
None can do it, can they? (C+EQ L{Flq s-{Cs 1Ir< {1, Tmftl)
Nothing was done, was it?
Neither o{ them went, did they?

I 7. Anyone, anybody, no one, nobody, none, neither_Sfr a+fd.

statement-€1tr subject fitel <t{q-s q{ sRrq tag-€R subjeci {L-{ they-(you,
he, she-iR r) GT{ s
Nobody went there, did they?
None can do this, can they?
Neither of them has passed, have they?
Anyone is allowed, are they?

I 8. Statement fr affirrnative {eE, q<qvfi subject fulf< euery o1e,

everybody, somebody (CSB, CS-f{ qFq;l), some one_€(h-< CS aslT .{SF
<irlaE qcE tag-€ not ${ee RR q<( subject Rrqc< they <I{qs q-s r c{:FI a
Everybody saw you, didn't they?
Everyone could understand it, couldn't they?
Somebody. will say.so, won't they? [won,t = will not]
Someone has siolen his pen, hasn't they?
 Grammar : euestion Tags and Comment Tags
677
B. Comment Tags
Question tag-Sl CSCE Crc-l{fl ft fiRS FfCq&Cq C64 qICq?
Statement_{ft
affirmative sentence-E{ Etqfq tag qT negative_interrogative,
(((
statement Tfr qT negativ_e El{t-{ tag qT eX inetrrogative.
frq .o__"nt
tag-*=r C+rE ffi q< fts bdr r comment
tag-*r 6FGi statement
F affirmative {6{ tag fr q{ interrogative €T( statement F negative
" iJo
qF F {{ negative-interrogative. CT:tr{ s
lgg
you went there, didn't you? (question
' tag)
(-9-r{ E 6a{6a ffi6q, vrQ +rr;
You went there, did you? (comment tag)
Gfr ft fr'{rr ffirqi
. . . u, Fn-sRrE. ii
He will do it, will he? (comment tag)
(m v .q$t-q o-<r<, e o<r<t v;
comment tag (n EIE"B qrql <-s.f c{ csl{ frr"ts <ji"il<
s+qcqotrc fnc<}lj
s-<Tqq qf{f{ I

He can do it, can't he? (question tag)

(cc qsMa<rg fllKl,I, s-iiFlr
He can't do it, can't he? (comment tag)
(fr8 qsMs-<-cg etrc{qt,_€, fr.
"rlrftqrr)
Man cannot live alone, can't he? (comment tag)
CSFI affirmative il negative efCS< E-ef<s comment tag (I{{l{ S-fl <l{ I

GtsFi 3

Rahim : I can do it. (ffi qS-fqTTcE ltiR t)

Karim : can you? (comment tag) (e uR {Rt?)
Biva : He is a good player. (cl e+-w Els crlcEll.lv t)
Razib : Is he? (s qf {,"?)
Eva : They will not come.
Shuva : Won't they? (s -de {R,
qslC{<I{qs{{ comment tag-€i qdqt
Reallyl (qfur, gte, utE 1Rt4
{l Indeed! (qq\o! e stt {R r)
:fC{ ilrfC{, comment tag iI{{R
+'C{ (sl EK q6{-< q{ilrt, Ru{, qfrql,
frt{, q-qB, qF[q, <ltt, qrtR tqlfr q-sp"t T-fis op6, s(< csF{ tag_s{ firq"t sd
qr<EI'R-6 o-ec< <sf{ <"Tf{ vft qqq q-<T.rql<
{rone) S+K I

Shima : you helped me. (gfrsl$rsqRll+mRce,)

Dina : Oh, I did, did I? (Comment tag) (i: :tt, vB ffil) vFrlFn
qT<F{ c{, "{fs
Cc{-ce, qK fi-+N o-atElrlr<.il t,, et
T\oE-sf tag
FEITITg'R interest S-+tFi-- RrTrq
:
r

Dara I used your pen. Vtfr pffi{ <iqTE <1qq;< of<

fuq r

Shuja : Oh, you did, did you? (s qfrel, qt {lft?)

618 A Passage to the English Language

Shuja-n ETs Tc{ 'lry(R R Dara EFT o-qTfr <l-{qR TI-{RE I E{{ ERI qf{\e
{cE 'lW c qtfi A r-{TF 6qfr-{ <I{qR arcs ftc{ er-t mrqRE rsI{ qE frs
qGE-sT c{ tag F{ r.l{Kr q-sl.f s-?r6q, ElTr <qr< vft< bflr<i ftt< scr c{ csll
st-<F 1<ttre D1'{ r Lqrmrq c{qns n.Fo lXGLa trffiTl-T{ q6Q Dara-6s qc+ sRcr
frre utre cs ft s&i qt 6ry sc-<Rq r

Shilpi: Mother, I did the work. (Il, qtfr sl.qm oc-<Qffi 11

Mather : oh, you did, did you? (vI ffi, mts +GQIE, qQ cf,
ftfi-< 11 csp ersH TT6q I E-sE cc'sIqF sr<Q{, ftq srq-qr< T-rcE
"rffiq{ir qt q(dq-<F}fqdftre Et 6a.f s-6-1 q5q{ Bw1<q $-{cs Er< r ql{l-< qTi
Tett {K <EFI sR q<( s|<\B ttr* qnn r

qr{ <.l{r<, comment tag- €it qd <vn <t <qt< sfr< S"f< ffi a6
I

"-{'tF
EXERCISEI Question tags : Correct the following :

1. I went there, did I?

2. Nobody will come, will he?
3. Everybody knows it, do they?
4. I won't (will not) go there, won't I?
Cornment tags : Corect the following.
5. I went there, didn't I?
6. You worked hard, didn't you?
7. Dina : I didn't take your pencil.
Bina : Oh, you did, didn't you?
(lt, {t, gR qtsfr, qQ RIr s vK xcl cl-E FtrlR{ r)
Ans. : tftqfi{TerEl "rcu ficq <t< | q{q ftRl, N {-{R r