Question tags are short questions added to the end of a statement,usually to produce a response from a hearer. We use a falling tone forquestion tags when we expect the hearer to acknowledge that what wehave just said is correct, for example, when we are giving our opinion: They didn't PLAY very well ↓, DID they ↓? GREAT FILM ↓, WASn't it ↓? We use a rising tone when we invite the hearer to say whether what wehave just said is correct or not, for example, when we are not certainthat something is true: JapanESE ↓, ISn't it ↑? NOT on a DIet again ↑, ARE you ↑? Notice that question tags are ofen used afer statements where the subject or subject and verb have been left out.
Question tags usually have a falling tone when the statement is obviously correct: You're not WELL ↓, ARE you ↓? HOT ↓, ISn't it ↓? We also use a falling tone when we want the hearer to admit thatsomething they may not have accepted before is, in fact, correct: TOLD you I was RIGHT ↑, DIDn't I ↓? WRONG again ↓, WEREN'T you ↓ Question tags can also follow exclamations, and these tags usually have a falling tone: what a riDICulous thing to SAY ↓, WASn't it ↓?
When both the statement and the question tag are positive, the question tag usually has a rising tone: Came by CAR ↓, DID you ↑? You've FINished ↓, HAVE you ↑? This pattern is sometimes used to be critical or sarcastic. These sentences often begin with 'So ...' or 'Oh, ...': So you THINK you're CLEVer ↓, DO you ↑? Question tags (usually will you, can't you, won't you, would you, or shall we)can be added to imperative sentences. These tags usually have a risingtone and are ofen used to soften a request or command: Let's get the EARlier train ↓, SHALL we ↑? TAKE care of THESE ↑, WOULD you ↑?
Listen and decide whether the question tags in S's responses have a rising tone (put ↑ in the box) or a falling tone (↓). Key.1 ↑ 2 ↑ 3 ↓ 4 ↓ 5 ↑ 6 ↓ 7 ↑ Example: A: Great race. B: She ran well, didn't she? ↓ 1 A: I can do that easily. B: Oh, you can, can you? ___ 2 A: We'll have to wait ages for the bus. B: But they come every ten minutes, don't they? ___ 3 A: What a boring lecture. B: Yes, dull, wasn't it? ___ 4 A: Shame about the colour. B: What a hideous shade of purple, isn't it? ___ 5 A: Where do you want these boxes? B: Put them over there, would you? ___ 6 A: I think there's something wrong with the printer. B: You broke it, didn't you? ___ 7 A: Can I get a discount on these tickets? B: You're a student, are you? ___ Now listen again. Press 'pause' before each B part and read it aloud.Then press 'play' again and compare your pronunciation with whatfollows.
Follow up:Many other languages have question tags, although in some a singlequestion tag is used rather than the large number found in English.Think about the intonation of question tag(s) used in your firstlanguage. Does it follow a similar pattern to that described in thisunit for English question tags?