Level 6: Negative Questions & Tag Questions

1. Bienvenido a tu siguiente unidad, en esta ocasión aprenderás a confirmar
información o cerciorarte de que la información que tienes es verdadera,
también aprenderás a como persuadir a las personas para que estén de
acuerdo contigo o te den su punto de vista sobre algo que tu comentaste
Estos temas como todos los anteriores son expresiones que ayudaran a que
tu inglés se escuche cada vez mas natural a la hora de entablar una
conversación con una persona extraña o algún amigo, vamos a ver como es
que funciona este tema
Negative Questions and Tag Questions

2. Negative Questions
A negative question can have two different kinds of meanings. It can, for example, be used to ask for
confirmation of something you believe to be true.
Didn’t you see Peter yesterday? How is he doing? (= I believe that you saw Peter yesterday.)
You may also express your opinions in a more polite way by changing them into negative questions.
Wouldn’t it be nice to paint that wall green? (More polite than ‘It would be nice to paint that wall
green.’)
A negative question can also be used to ask for confirmation of a negative belief. In this case the
speaker is surprised that something has not happened or is not happening.
Hasn’t the postman come yet?
Polite requests, offers, complaints etc
Pressing offers and invitations often assume the form of negative questions. They usually begin…
Won’t you…? Wouldn’t you…? or Why don’t you…?
Wouldn’t you like something to drink?
Why don’t you come and spend the evening with us?
In other cases we do not normally use a negative question to ask people to do things.
Can you help me with my homework? (Ordinary question used as a request.)

3. Contracted and uncontracted negative questions have different word order.
Uncontracted negative questions are usually used in a formal style.
Aren’t you coming?
Doesn’t he understand?
Are you not coming?
Does he not understand?
Contracted – auxiliary verb + n’t + subject
Auxiliary verb + n’t + subject
Uncontracted – auxiliary verb + subject + not
Auxiliary verb + subject + not

4. Tag questions
Question tags are short questions at the end of statements.
They are mainly used in speech when we want to:
confirm that something is true or not, or
to encourage a reply from the person we are speaking to.
Question tags are formed with the auxiliary or modal verb from the statement and the appropriate
subject.
A positive statement is followed by a negative question tag.
Jack is from Spain, isn't he?
Mary can speak English, can't she?
A negative statement is followed by a positive question tag.
They aren't funny, are they?
He shouldn't say things like that, should he?
,
Do, does, did, have, has, was, were, will, am, is ,are,
had, can, must, should, etc
,

5. When the verb in the main sentence is in the present simple we
form the question tag with do / does.
You play the guitar, don't you?
Alison likes tennis, doesn't she?
If the verb is in the past simple we use did.
They went to the cinema, didn't they?
She studied in New Zealand, didn't she?
When the statement contains a word with a negative meaning,
the question tag needs to be positive
He hardly ever speaks, does he?
They rarely eat in restaurants, do they?

6. Exceptions
Some verbs / expressions have different question tags. For example:
I am - I am attractive, aren't I? (am I not?)
Positive imperative - Stop daydreaming, will / won't you?
Negative imperative - Don't stop singing, will you?
Let's - Let's go to the beach, shall we?
Have got (possession) - He has got a car, hasn't he?
There is / are - There aren't any spiders in the bedroom, are there?
This / that is - This is Paul's pen, isn't it?

7. Intonation
When we are sure of the answer and we are simply encouraging a response,
the intonation in the question tag goes down:
This is your car, isn't it?
(Your voice goes down when you say isn't it.)
When we are not sure and want to check information, the intonation in the
question tag goes up:
He is from France, isn't he?
(Your voice goes up when you say isn't he.)

8. Now let’s see how these
topics work in a
conversation
A. Review this vocabulary then do exercise
B and C in the reading
1. Accepted: aceptado, valido
2. Incorrectly: incorrecto, erróneo
3. Withdraw: retirar dinero de un cajero
4. Spend: gastar dinero
5. Free of charge: gratis, exento de pago
Now complete the following sentences with
the opposite of the words given above, you
can use a dictionary if necessary

9. Now theres is an exercise here for you to practice and see how the topic works
Don’t you know how to use a cash machine? / Can´t you use a cash machine ?
Didn’t we go to the same school? / Didn’t you go to the same school as me ?
Haven’t you seen this film before?
didn’t you?
did you?
can’t you?
aren’t they?
haven’t you?
will you ?
do you?

10. Esperamos que haya quedado claro el uso de las preguntas negativas y de las
preguntas reducidas que como pudiste ver se utilizan en varios casos como son :
confirmar algo que crees saber o conocer, ya sea de manera positiva o negativa,
para expresar sorpresa, para expresar tu opinión de manera mas amable o
formal, para presionar ofertas o invitaciones, etc., prácticamente ambas tanto
preguntas negativas como las preguntas reducidas (tag questions)funcionan
para el mismo objetivo, son en realidad sencillas, solo debes recordar hacer uso
correcto de los auxiliares correspondientes a cada tema gramatical y no
mezclarlos de lo contrario estarías incurriendo en errores. Recuerda que si por
alguna razón tienes alguna duda o hay algo que no te quedo claro puedes
contar siempre con la ayuda del profesor a cargo del grupo, quien con gusto
podrá ayudarte a aclararlas o expandir la explicación según sea necesario.
Aquí te dejamos las respuesta de los ejercicios de la diapositiva 8 para que
verifiques si los resolviste de manera correcta. Suerte con tu próxima lección
A: 1.saving-spend,2.deposit-withdraw, 3.refused-accepted, 4.correctly-incorrectly,5.had to pay-free of charge B. 3 at the bank, 2 At a cash machine, 1 at a bureau de change
C: 1.d,2.a,3.b,4.e,5.c.

11. TECNOLÓGICO DE ESTUDIOS
SUPERIORES DE CUAUTITLAN IZCALLI
(TESCI)