TOEIC Part 5: Question Tags — Rule, Examples, and 20 Practice Questions

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Understanding Question Tags

Question tags are short questions added to the end of statements to confirm information or seek agreement. In TOEIC Part 5, mastering question tags is crucial for grammar accuracy.

Rule of Question Tags

1. Positive Statement + Negative Tag: If the statement is positive, the tag is negative.

• Example: "You're coming, aren't you?"

1. Negative Statement + Positive Tag: If the statement is negative, the tag is positive.

• Example: "She isn't here, is she?"

1. Auxiliary Verbs: Use the same auxiliary verb in the tag as in the statement.

• Example: "They can swim, can't they?"

1. No Auxiliary Verb: Use "do/does/did" if there's no auxiliary verb in the statement.

• Example: "You like coffee, don't you?"

Model Answers at Different Score Levels

Score Level 6.0 (Basic)

Prompt: Complete the sentence with the correct question tag.

Answer:

1. She is a doctor, ______?

• isn't she

1. They aren't coming, ______?

• are they

1. He can swim, ______?

• can't he

1. You don't like tea, ______?

• do you

1. We should leave now, ______?

• shouldn't we

Scoring Breakdown:

• Task Achievement: Basic understanding of question tags but lacks complexity.
• Coherence and Cohesion: Simple and straightforward, but not always clear.
• Lexical Resource: Limited range of vocabulary.
• Grammar: Mostly correct but with some errors.

Score Level 7.0 (Intermediate)

Prompt: Complete the sentence with the correct question tag.

Answer:

1. She has finished her work, ______?

• hasn't she

1. They won't be late, ______?

• will they

1. He could help us, ______?

• couldn't he

1. You didn't see her, ______?

• did you

1. We must hurry, ______?

• mustn't we

Scoring Breakdown:

• Task Achievement: Clear understanding of question tags with some complexity.
• Coherence and Cohesion: Logical and easy to follow.
• Lexical Resource: Adequate range of vocabulary.
• Grammar: Mostly correct with few errors.

Score Level 8.0 (Advanced)

Prompt: Complete the sentence with the correct question tag.

Answer:

1. She has been working hard, ______?

• hasn't she

1. They would have come if invited, ______?

• wouldn't they

1. He might know the answer, ______?

• mightn't he

1. You hadn't seen the movie before, ______?

• had you

1. We should have left earlier, ______?

• shouldn't we

Scoring Breakdown:

• Task Achievement: Excellent understanding of question tags with high complexity.
• Coherence and Cohesion: Clear and well-structured.
• Lexical Resource: Wide range of vocabulary.
• Grammar: Accurate with minimal errors.

Vocabulary Highlights

1. Auxiliary Verbs: Helping verbs like "be", "have", "do", "can", "will", etc.

• Example: "She is a doctor, isn't she?"

1. Negative Tags: The negative form of the auxiliary verb in the tag.

• Example: "They aren't coming, are they?"

1. Positive Tags: The positive form of the auxiliary verb in the tag.

• Example: "She isn't here, is she?"

1. Modal Verbs: Verbs like "can", "could", "will", "would", "should", "might", etc.

• Example: "He can swim, can't he?"

1. Perfect Tenses: Tenses like "has finished", "had seen", etc.

• Example: "She has finished her work, hasn't she?"

Common Mistakes

1. Incorrect Auxiliary Verb: Using the wrong auxiliary verb in the tag.

• Example: "You like coffee, isn't it?" (Incorrect)

1. Mismatched Tags: Not matching the positive/negative form of the statement and tag.

• Example: "She is a doctor, is she?" (Incorrect)

1. Subject-Verb Agreement: Forgetting to change the subject-verb agreement in the tag.

• Example: "They are coming, isn't they?" (Incorrect)

1. Overcomplicating Tags: Using complex structures when simple ones are sufficient.

• Example: "She has been working hard, hasn't she been?" (Incorrect)

1. Ignoring Context: Not considering the context when choosing the tag.

• Example: "You didn't see her, did you?" (Incorrect if the context suggests they did see her)

20 Practice Questions

1. She is a teacher, ______?
2. They aren't coming, ______?
3. He can swim, ______?
4. You don't like tea, ______?
5. We should leave now, ______?
6. She has finished her work, ______?
7. They won't be late, ______?
8. He could help us, ______?
9. You didn't see her, ______?
10. We must hurry, ______?
11. She has been working hard, ______?
12. They would have come if invited, ______?
13. He might know the answer, ______?
14. You hadn't seen the movie before, ______?
15. We should have left earlier, ______?
16. She is a doctor, ______?
17. They aren't coming, ______?
18. He can swim, ______?
19. You don't like tea, ______?
20. We should leave now, ______?

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