Module 3: Tag Questions, Other Question Transforms and Short Responses

Posted by: Carlo A. Sangutan

Sources: English Plus A Communicative Approach by Ida Yap Patron

                http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tag_question

                http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/tagquestions.htm

                http://ezinearticles.com/?Accent-Reduction-Techniques---Using-Intonation-Patterns

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This module intends to let the students:

• identify the meaning of statements through intonation patterns;
• agree with or confirm a statement through short responses; and
• construct different question transforms.

Introduction

       People always use different intonations in communicating with others. They do it since intonations help messages which the speakers want to convey to be properly emphasized and be given with the exact meaning.

Language Focused

       A tag question is a grammatical structure in which a declarative statement or an imperative is turned into a question by adding an interrogative fragment (the "tag"). It is a short question added to the end of a positive or negative statement. In most languages, tag questions are more common in colloquial spoken usage than in formal written usage. They can be an indicator of politeness, emphasis, or irony. They may suggest confidence or lack of confidence; they may be confrontational or tentative. In legal settings, tag questions can be found in leading question.

TEAM A Sentences:

       ☺Pope Benedict XVI didn't speak of peace for the world, did he?

       ☺Peace must be rooted in the sounds of men and women, mustn't it?

       ☺People are deaf, aren't they?

Q: What have you observed on the sentences given based on the intonation pattern used?

       Actually, the pattern of intonation used in the above sentences is rising intonation pattern. This pattern is used when a question is asked. It is used because the speaker does not know the answer. When you use rising intonation, it indicates that you are waiting for a reply from the listener.

TEAM B Sentences:

       ☺The Pope emphasizes the need for unity, doesn't he?

       ☺The people just can't believe it, can they?

       ☺Hatred blinds people from seeing the truth, does it?

Q: How about the sentences in TEAM B? What have you observed?

       Rising-falling intonation pattern is the pattern used in the sentences. It is used to simply invite confirmation of something that the speaker already knows.

Q: By the way, how a tag question is transformed?

       The sentences in TEAM A and TEAM B have two parts. The first part is a statement and the second part is a question. The second part which is separated by from the first by a comma is called the tag question. When the first statement is affirmative, the tag phrase is negative and vice versa: when it is negative, the tag phrase is affirmative. If the sentence has a verb phrase for its predicate, the function verb of the helping verb is used in the tag.

Examples:
       ☻The real meaning of peace is not clearly defined, is it?
       ☻My classmates are now very quiet, aren't they?

       If the sentence has a single-verb predicate denoting action, either do, does, or did may be used. Do is used if the subject in the sentence is in the first and second persons, both singular and plural in number and in the third person, plural in number. Does is used if the subject in the sentence is singular in number and in the third person. Do and does are used in the present tense and did is used in the past tense.

Examples:
       ☻Peace springs from within, doesn't it?
       ☻St. Augustine described peace as harmony among men and women, didn't he?
       ☻Good leaders establish laws based on God's laws, don't they?

Note: The pronouns everybody, someone, nobody, and none which are normally considered  singular have a plural pronoun in the tag.

Examples:
       ☻Everybody believes in God's justice, don't they?
       ☻Someone steals her bag, don't they?

Q: How about in imperative sentences?


       Imperatives are followed by the tag will you?

Example:
       ☻Promote peace and justice, will you?

Q: What are other question transforms?

       The affirmative simple questions follow this word order:

       Do (does or did) + subject + simple form of the verb + the rest of the sentence?

Examples:
       ☻Does peace restore human dignity and liberty?
       ☻Do all nations have the same definitions of peace?

       If the function verb do is not contracted with not, the subject is placed between do, does, or did and not.

Examples:
       ☻Did your classmate not help you?
       ☻Do the best things in life not come first?
       ☻Does she not prioritize her studies?

       If the predicate in the statement is a verb phrase, the subject is positioned in between the helping verb and the main verb with the structure of:

       Helping verb + subject + main verb + rest of the sentence?

Examples:
       1. We can contribute to the cause of peace.
              →Can we contribute to the cause of peace?
       2. Everybody will be responsible for building and keeping the peace in the country.
              →Will everybody be responsible for building and keeping the peace in the country?

Q: So, how are declarative and interrogative sentences differ from each other in terms of structure as observed in these examples?
       Declarative:       Sam waters the plants in his garden daily.
       Interrogative:   Does Sam water the plants in his garden daily?

       Declarative sentences are those that directly give information and they end with a period while interrogative sentences are those that ask for answers and always end with a question mark. The subject in a declarative sentence always comes first (including its article, demonstratives, and modifiers) while in an interrogative sentence, the subject may come as the second word; the first may be the words do, does, did, or other linking verbs.

Q: There are also what we call short responses. What are they?

       Short responses are actually short answers for the interrogative sentences or questions. These can either be an affirmative or a negative short response.

       The affirmative response is basically made up of Yes + a pronoun corresponding to the subject of the question statement while the negative response consists of No + a pronoun corresponding to the subject. Do not is contracted to don't, does not to doesn't and did not to didn't.

Examples:
       ☻We need to avoid persons afflicted with AIDS. (declarative)
       ☻Do we need to avoid persons afflicted with AIDS? (interrogative)
       ☻No, we don't need to. (negative response)
       ☻Yes, we need to. (affirmative response)

Test of Learning

     A. Supply the correct verbs for the tag phrases.

1. Genuine peace is consolidated in sincerity and loyalty, _____ it?
2. It preludes economic and social conditions, _____ it?
3. It will not lead to new conflicts, _____ it?
4. Gloribel helped in donating goods for poor people, _____ she?

     B. Give the correct pronouns to complete the tag phrases.

5. Justice does not give all things to all, does ___?
6. All humans give love to all, don't ___?
7. God will not let us down, will ___?
8. Temporal prosperity can't replace external happiness, can ___?

     C. Write the tag questions for each statement.

9. Greed leads to social disintegration, _______?
10. Personal peace is important, _______?
11. It cannot be achieved without social peace, _______?
12. Nations must be ruled with kindness, _______?

     D. Transform the following statements into simple questions.

Example:
       Darkness has enveloped me.
          answer →Has darkness enveloped me?

13. I must be strong. _______________
14. I have been bloody but unbowed. _______________
15. The menace of the years shall find me unafraid. _______________