King David

King David Comprehensive College

Secondary Form 4C

WEEK BEGINNING 23RD TO 27TH MARCH 2020

         

     Form Four Commercial English Language

MODULE 5: Media, Communication, Science and Technology.

Lesson 1 : Expected Outcome: By the end of this lesson , Learners should be able to

  • Add appropriate question tags to complete statements and sentences
  •  Distinguish between sounds
  • State the word opposite in meaning to other words
  • Learn related vocabulary connected to smart phone and use them correctly
  • The uses of a smart phone in our daily lives

 

                              Grammar: Question Tags

A question tag is a short question composed of an auxiliary and a pronoun used at the end of a statement to confirm the statement.

It can also be defined as a short question at the end of a statement. Question tags are mainly used in speech when we want to

  • Confirm that something is true or not
  • To encourage a reply from the person we are speaking to.

Question tags are formed with the auxiliary or modal verb from the statement and the appropriate subject. They have the following rules for their formations.

RULE ONE

 A positive statement is followed by a negative tag or in order words when the statement is positive, question tag is negative. Examples

  • Jack is from Spain. Isn’t he?
  • Mary can speak French. Can’t she?
  • I am late. Aren’t I?
  • She is your mother. Isn’t she?
  • They can swim. Can’t they?
  • You should be careful. Shouldn’t you?
  • I shall be elected president. Shan’t I?

 

RULE TWO

When the statement is negative, question tag is positive. Examples

  • They aren’t funny. Are they?
  • He shouldn’t say things like that. Should he?
  • We did not do the job. Did we?
  • He won’t cry. Will he?
  • You don’t speak English. Do you?

RULE THREE

When there is no auxiliary verb, use “do” depending on whether the statement is negative or positive and whether the tense in the statement is present or past. Examples

  • You play the guitar. Don’t you?
  • Mary likes tennis. Doesn’t she?
  • The  girl ran away. Didn’t she?
  • The children scarcely write these days. Do they?
  • She hardly visited when he was here. Did she?

 RULE FOUR

Some verbs and expressions have different question tags. They take fixed expressions as tags. Examples.

  • I am attractive. Aren’t I?
  • Stop daydreaming. Won’t you?
  • Let’s go to the beach. Shall we?
  • Don’t stop singing. Will you?
  • He has got a car. Hasn’t he?
  • Let’s not settle this matter in public. Shan’t we?

 

Statements beginning with the imperative “let” take shall or shan’t as tags

Commands take will/would and can/could depending on the idea expressed.

  •  
  • Pass that salt to mama. Can you?
  • Bring me a glass of water. Can you?

 

RULE FIVE

The tag with indefinite and universal pronouns. Examples

  • Someone killed the dog. Didn’t he/she?
  • Something is wrong with that computer. Isn’t it?
  • Nobody is hurt in the accident. Are they?
  • Somebody stole his car. Didn’t they?
  • Everyone here voted the new president. Didn’t they?
  • Everything that goes round comes around. Doesn’t it?

Everybody, somebody, everyone is followed by a verb in the singular form but takes a plural tag. Sentences beginning  with none, nobody, nothing have negative connotations and their tag is positive.

Exercise 1: Add appropriate question tags and complete the following sentences.

  1. The earth is not flat…..
    1. Is it ?
    2. Isn’t it ?
    3. Not so?
  2. She isn’t coming
    1. Is she ?
    2. Isn’t she?
    3. Isn’t it?
  3. She called him yesterday
    1. Did she?
    2. Didn’t she?
    3. Not so?
  4. Smoking is injurious to health.
    1. Is it ?
    2. Isn’t it?
    3. Is it so?
  5. You met him yesterday
    1. Did you?
    2. Didn’t you?
    3. Isn’t it?
  6. Let’s us go for a walk.
    1. Should we?
    2. Let’s we?
    3. Shall we?
  7. She will come.
    1. Will she ?
    2. Won’t she?
    3. Wouldn’t she?
  8. Your parents know this
    1. Do they?
    2. Don’t they?
    3. Do they not?
  9. Nobody knows the answer
    1. Do they?
    2. Do nobody?
    3. Don’t they?
  10. She passed the exam
    1. Did she?
    2. Didn’t she?
    3. Has she?

Exercise 2: Attach an appropriate tag phrase to the following statements

  1. The teacher was absent last week
  2. Paul can swim
  3. Science is a fascinating domain
  4. She loves him
  5. She loved him
  6. They didn’t attend the class
  7. The food tastes delicious
  8. The soldiers would help the population
  9. Much money for pocket allowance distracts students
  10. Question tags end with question marks.