Tag Questions - Exercises/Test

Form

auxiliary verb + subject

1.      We use the same auxiliary verb in the tag as in the main sentence. If there is no auxiliary verb, we use do.

·         You live in Spain, don't you?

2.      If the auxiliary verb in the sentence is affirmative, the tag is negative.

·         You're Spanish, aren't you?

3.      If the auxiliary verb in the sentence is negative, the tag is affirmative.

·         You're not Spanish, are you?

 

Meaning

1.      We use tag questions to confirm or check information or ask for agreement.

·         You want to come with me, don't you?

·         You can swim, can't you?

·         You don't know where the boss is, do you?

·         This meal is horrible, isn't it?

·         That film was fantastic, wasn't it?

2.      We use tag questions to check whether something is true.

·         The meeting's tomorrow at 9am, isn't it?

·         You won't go without me, will you?

 

Additional points

1.      In the present tense if the subject is I, the auxiliary changes toare or aren't.

·         I'm sitting next to you, aren't I?

2.      With let's, the tag question is shall we.

·         Let's go to the beach, shall we?

3.      With an imperative, the tag question is will you.

·         Close the window, will you?

4.      We use an affirmative tag question after a sentence containing a negative word such as never, hardly, nobody.

·         Nobody lives in this house, do they?

·         You've never liked me, have you?

5.      When the subject is nothing, we use it in the tag question.

·         Nothing bad happened, did it?

6.      When the subject is nobody, somebody, everybody, no one, someone or everyone, we use they in the tag.

·         Nobody asked for me, did they?

7.      If the main verb in the sentence is have (not an auxiliary verb), it is more common to use do in the tag question.

·         You have a Ferrari, don't you?

8.      With used to, we use didn't in the tag.

·         You used to work here, didn't you?

9.      We can use affirmative tag questions after affirmative sentences to express a reaction such as surprise or interest.

·         You're moving to Brazil, are you?

 

Pronunciation

1.      If we don't know the answer, it is a real question and we use arising intonation with the tag question.

·         --You don't know where the boss is, do you? ↗

2.      

       If we know the answer and are just confirming the information we use a falling intonation with the tag question.

 ·         --That film was fantastic, wasn't it? ↘

Different uses and meanings of "Like" / How to use it?

The word "like" has different uses and meanings. It can be a noun, verb, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and quotative. So, here is a clear explanation how to use it. 

As a noun

As a noun like has the following meanings:

• A person, thing or group similar to the one mentioned. (e.g. She was a great woman; we won't see her like.)
• The things that someone enjoys. (e.g. Swimming is one of my likes.)

As a verb

The verb like means:

"to find pleasant or attractive; enjoy."

It can be followed by an infinitive or a gerund:

• I like dancing.
• I like to be honest.

These two forms often have the same meaning, but sometimes there is a difference.

• When we use like with an infinitive, it expresses habitual preference, something that the speaker does not necessarily like or enjoy but considers as useful, right or wise ( e.g. I like to see my doctor once a year.)
• When like is used with the gerund form, the construction tends to mean that we are actually doing the action (e.g. I like listening to music.)

Would like

Would like is used  to make polite offers and requests.

• Would you like some tea?
• I'd like to see your report.

As a preposition

The word like may be used as a preposition; it can introduce a simile (a stylistic device comparing two dissimilar ideas) as well as non-simile comparisons.

• He fights like a lion.
• He swims like fast as a fish.
• He has a car just like hers

As a conjunction

The word like may replace the subordinating conjunction as or as if. (Some people think it is 'incorrect'  but you will certainly hear it a lot.)

• I feel like I am a star.
• They look like they have been having fun.

Feel like

Feel like can be used in two different ways:

• Informally, feel like means to have an inclination or desire for. (e.g. I felt like watching a movie)
• feel like (oneself) means to sense oneself as being in one's normal state of health or spirits. (e.g. I just don't feel like myself today

As an adverbial

Colloquially, like may be used as an adverb in the construction:

be + like + to infinitive,

meaning "be likely to, be ready to, be on the verge of." here are some examples:

• He was like to do it again
• He was like to start all over again.

As a quotative

Like is sometimes used colloquially as a quotative (an expression, such as she said or he goes, that introduces reported speech) to introduce a quotation or impersonation.

• He was like, "I'll be back in five minutes."
• She was like, "go out!"
• I was like [speaker rolls eyes].
• The car was like, "vroom!"

Most Common Mistakes in English - Lightening or Lightning?

Lightening - Lightning

This is perhaps the most common spelling mistake ever.

Wrong: Being struck by lightening is a shocking experience!

Correct: Being struck by lightning is a shocking experience!

LighteningThe present participle of lighten.

e.g. I was lightening the load on my camel because it was exhausted.

Lightning
A streak of static electricity through the sky, usually accompanied by thunder.

e.g. You got struck by lightning? That must have been a shocking experience!

Lighting
The arrangement of light, especially in photography.

e.g. The photo was dull because the lighting wasn’t good enough.