Question Tags: The Grammar Gameshow Episode 22

Hello, and welcome to today’s Grammar Gameshow!

I’m your host, Will!

Just try and contract me,

you’ll see what happens!

And of course, let’s not forget Leslie,

our all-knowing voice in the sky.

Hello, everyone!

Tonight, we’re going to ask you three questions about…

Question tags!

Those little auxiliary verb plus

pronoun combinations for checking and asking!

OK! Now, let’s meet our contestants!

Hello, all. My name’s Liz!

And contestant number two?

It’s nice to meet you. I’m Felicia!

Nice to see you again, Liz!

This will be four in a row for you, won’t it?

Win this one and you’ll be our longest

running contestant, won’t you?

This is Gameshow history, isn’t it?

I’ll do my best!

That’s the spirit.

I might even let it help you.

OK. Let’s get going, and don’t forget

you can play along at home too.

Here comes round one!

Fingers on buzzers.

What is the basic rule for construction

of a question tag?

Use an auxiliary verb that

matches the main verb phrase,

but opposite – such as

positive to negative.

Then, add a pronoun that refers to the subject.

Correct!

Well done! Let’s get some practice.

I’ll give you the sentence,

and you’ll give me the question tag.

He can play football.

He can play football, can’t he?

Correct!

You didn’t see James.

You didn’t see James, did you?

Correct!

She never cleans up.

She never cleans up, does she?

Correct!

They have been to France

They’ve been to France, haven’t they?

Correct!

You hardly ever study.

You hardly ever study, do you?

Correct!

I’m amazingly cool

I’m amazingly cool, aren’t I?

Correct!

Err…

Sorry.

You are amazingly cool, aren’t you?

Also correct,

though factually inaccurate.

No bread or water for you tonight, Leslie!

Do your job!

That was good work, wasn’t it?

Question tags are used to ask questions

or check information.

They are constructed by using

an auxiliary verb from the main verb phrase

and a pronoun referring to the subject.

If the main verb phrase is affirmative,

the question tag should be negative

and vice versa!

Well done, both of you.

10 points to Felicia and five to Liz.

What? Why five?

You’re nearly our next champion.

You didn’t think we were going to just give it to you,

did you?

Our last champion was so wonderful.

I’ll never forget her.

Good old…

Mya?

Mya! Mya.

Anyway, on to round two.

This is a triple threat round.

Three questions…

get them right all to score.

Question one:

What is the question tag for an imperative, such as:

‘Be quiet’?

Use a modal verb like ‘could’ or ‘will’.

Be quiet, could you?

Correct!

That’s just rude!

Minus three points.

Question two:

What is the pronoun used in a question tag

for sentences using ‘there’, such as:

‘There’s no hope!’

We repeat the ‘there’.

There’s no hope, is there?

Correct!

You should never give up hope!

Minus 100 points for being a pessimist.

Last question:

What is the pronoun used in question tags

using words like ‘somebody’ or ‘something’?

For ‘somebody’ we use ‘they’.

Somebody wants me to win, don’t they?

As for ‘something’, we use ‘it’.

Something went wrong, didn’t it?

Correct!

Leslie?

Nice, nice, nice!

Imperatives have no auxiliary verb.

To make a question tag with one,

use a modal verb such as ‘could’, ‘would’ or ‘will’,

but be careful of being impolite.

For sentences using ‘there’ as a subject,

also use ‘there’ in the question tag.

Finally, with words like ‘somebody’, ‘everybody’ and ‘nobody’,

use ‘they’.

And for ‘something’, ‘everything’, and ‘nothing’,

use ‘it’.

Well done,

Felicia! 60 points to you!

But I answered the questions!

Come on, champ!

No one likes a sore loser!

Suck it up a bit!

Yeah! Suck it up a bit, won’t you?

No one likes a sore winner either, Felicia.

Yes, sir.

Sorry, sir.

On to our last question.

Is this question tag correct?

When would someone use it?

‘You’re getting married, are you?’

Yes, it’s correct. Double positive tags are possible.

Why?

Funny that… it’s dropped out of my head.

Liz?

They often express surprise or concern or

other emotional emphasis.

Very professionally done, champ.

Leslie?

I couldn’t have put it better myself…

so I won’t!

Double positive question tags are

common after affirmative sentences.

They are usually used as responses to something

that has just been said.

The speaker repeats the information they've just heard

and uses the tag to show interest, surprise, concern

or some other emotional emphasis.

Excellent work!

You’re a fighter Liz.

That’s why I’m giving you

minus 12 points.

And that brings us to the end of today’s

Grammar Gameshow.

Let’s count out the points…

And the winner is…

Liz with 53.

Well done!

Here’s what you’ve won!

It’s a

boxing glove!

You’re king of the world, champ!

We’ll see you again next week,

where you can play for another prize.

And Felicia…

you didn’t really stand a chance, did you?

How does any of this make any sense?

It doesn’t even matter!

Free the horses!

It looks like we’ll need another contestant.

Thanks for joining us.

Say goodbye Leslie!

Pa makha de kha Leslie!

See you next time.