Learn to Use the Three Types of Question Tags

CHENNAI: As I had indicated in the last column, I will be discussing the three types of tags: statement tags, directive tags and exclamation tags this week. Some readers including teachers shot me emails wondering whether these grammatical terms — statement tags, directive tags and exclamation tags — are commonly used.

A statement tag, also known as tag statement, is “an elliptical statement that follows and echoes a main clause statement.”  To understand this definition we should know what an ellipsis or an elliptical construction is.

Ellipsis is a omission of a word or a phrase. An elliptical construction is a construction that has an omission of a word or phrase that can be understood from the context. Look at these examples:

 Meet me when (you are) free.

 Submit the assignment when (you have) completed.

 Sheela attended IELTS training and Ramesh attended (IELTS training) too.

 Rajesh enjoys watching cricket, and Peter (enjoys) Tennis.

 Sudha and her parents went to the temple, but Sudha’s brother didn’t (go to the temple)

The phrases you are, you have, IELTS training, enjoys and go to the temple are omitted in the sentences above and they can be inferred from the context. According to Cambridge Grammar of English, declarative clauses which are followed by a tag with the same polarity and subject-verb order are called statement tags. The purpose of making statement tags is to make emphatic statements as in the examples below:

•  John is a nice guy, he is.
•  Suresh isn’t a good administrator, he isn’t.
•  The students are good at mathematics, they are.
•  We are going to oppose the proposal, we are.
•  It was a wonderful cricket match, it (that) was.
•  A: All my colleagues are good. B: Not in my organisation, they aren’t.

A directive is an authoritative instruction or order. Directive tags can be defined as imperative sentences which are followed by tags involving will/would/can/could you. Here are examples:

•  Avoid meeting him, will you.
•  Bring a piece of chalk, would you.
•  Be available for discussion by 10 o’clock in the morning, could you.

Sentences with let’s will have shall we as a tag as in these examples:

•  Let’s discuss the matter with the CEO, shall we.
•  Let’s not go out this week, shall we.

When the tag won’t you is used in imperative clauses, then the function is not a directive but a polite request:

•  Consult your career plans with your professors, won’t you.
•  Book a ticket for me too, won’t you.

Negative imperatives are followed by will you. Here are some examples:

•  Don’t discuss the proposal with your aunt, will you.
•  Don’t wait for him to complete the assignment, will you.

Exclamation tags are exclamative clauses which are followed by negative tags as in these examples:

•  What a lovely picture, isn’t it!
•  How happy they were, weren’t they!

 — rayanal@yahoo.co.uk