Negative questions

1. COMMUNICATIVE GRAMMAR IV
César Ochoa Cueva, M.S.Ed.
Negative Questions
and Tag Questions

2. Use negative yes/no questions and tag questions to:
check information you believe to be true OR comment
on a situation.
USE
Doesn’t Sue
play golf?
Doesn’t Sue
play golf?
Sue plays golf,
doesn’t she?
Sue plays golf,
doesn’t she?

3. Like affirmative yes/no questions, negative yes/no
questions begin with a form of be or an auxiliary
verb, such as have, do, will, can, or should.
NEGATIVE YES/NO QUESTIONS
Haven’t you
eaten lunch
yet?
Haven’t you
eaten lunch
yet?
Don’t you like
pizza?
Don’t you like
pizza?
Can’t you stop
eating pizza?
Can’t you stop
eating pizza?
Shouldn’t
you think
about
losing
weight?
Shouldn’t
you think
about
losing
weight?

4. Form tag questions with statement + tag. The
statement expresses an assumption. The tag means
Right? OR Isn’t that true?
TAG QUESTIONS
She is from Mexico, isn’t she?She is from Mexico, isn’t she?
Tom plays soccer, doesn’t he?Tom plays soccer, doesn’t he?

5. If the statement verb is affirmative, the tag verb is
negative. If the statement verb is negative, the tag verb
is affirmative.
TAG QUESTIONS
Ann isn’t a pilot, is she?Ann isn’t a pilot, is she?
They like fast food, don’t they?They like fast food, don’t they?

6. Form the tag with a form of be or an auxiliary verb,
such as have, do, will, can, or should. Use the same
auxiliary that is in the statement.
TAG QUESTIONS
You can drive, can’t you?You can drive, can’t you?
You won’t buy a house, will you?You won’t buy a house, will you?

7. In the tag, only use pronouns. When the subject of the
statement is that, the subject of the tag is it.
ATTENTION
Bob isn’t commenting
on this, is Bob?
Bob isn’t commenting
on this, is Bob?
That wasn’t my
pencil, was it?
That wasn’t my
pencil, was it?
he?

8. Answer negative yes/no questions and tag questions
the same way you answer affirmative yes/no questions.

ANSWERS
Yes, he does.Yes, he does.
He likes ice cream, doesn’t he?He likes ice cream, doesn’t he?

10. Bibliography
•Fuchs, M. & Bonner, M., Focus on Grammar 4
Pearson Education , White Plains, NY 10606,
2006
•http://www.myenglishteacher.net
•Photo credit: Microsoft Office