Question tags

Question tags are the short questions that we put on the end of sentences – particularly in spoken English. There are lots of different question tags but the rules are not difficult to learn.

Positive/negative

If the main part of the sentence is positive, the question tag is negative ….

·         He’s a doctor, isn’t he?

·         You work in a bank, don’t you?

... and if the main part of the sentence is negative, the question tag is positive.

·         You haven’t met him, have you?

·         She isn’t coming, is she?

With auxiliary verbs

The question tag uses the same verb as the main part of the sentence. If this is an auxiliary verb (‘have’, ‘be’) then the question tag is made with the auxiliary verb.

·         They’ve gone away for a few days, haven’t they?

·         They weren’t here, were they?

·         He had met him before, hadn’t he?

·         This isn’t working, is it?

Without auxiliary verbs

If the main part of the sentence doesn’t have an auxiliary verb, the question tag uses an appropriate form of ‘do’.

·         I said that, didn’t I?

·         You don’t recognise me, do you?

·         She eats meat, doesn’t she?

With modal verbs

If there is a modal verb in the main part of the sentence the question tag uses the same modal verb.

·         They couldn’t hear me, could they?

·         You won’t tell anyone, will you?

With ‘I am’

Be careful with question tags with sentences that start ‘I am’. The question tag for ‘I am’ is ‘aren’t I?’

·         I’m the fastest, aren’t I?

Intonation

Question tags can either be ‘real’ questions where you want to know the answer or simply asking for agreement when we already know the answer.

If the question tag is a real question we use rising intonation. Our tone of voice rises.
If we already know the answer we use falling intonation. Our tone of voice falls.

Determiner

General and specific determiners.

Determiners are words which come at the beginning of the noun phrase. They tell us whether the noun phrase is specific or general. Determiners are either specific or general

Specific determiners

The specific determiners are:

·         the definite article: the

·         possessives: my, your, his, her, its; our, their, whose

·         demonstratives: this, that, these, thos

EXAMPLE

1.      He is looking for a job in Bali.

2.      Please give me a little water.

3.      All your books are on the table.

4.      May I have another shoes?

5.      Those apples are so red.

6.      Your jacket is in the laundry basket.

7.      Did he enjoy the show?

Have Something Done, Casuative Verb

These structures are used when someone employs another person to do an action. I will begin with the two main forms, some examples, and then look at some forms that are similar in structure but very different in meaning.

Structures

Someone + have + something + past participle (by someone)

Sam had his hair cut (by a hairdresser).

Someone + have + someone + verb + something

Sam had a hairdresser cut his hair.

Function and Points to Note

When we use these structures we are saying that Sam wanted a hair cut. He did not cut his hair but he employed/ asked another person to do the action.

It is also possible to replace have with get: Sam got his hair cut.

The verb have is changed to give the tense. e.g. Has for present simple, had for past simple etc

In the first structure above, it is most common to not use by someone.

We must be careful to use the correct verb form. Note that in the first structure the past participle is used and in the second the bare infinitive form of the verb is used. It is difficult to see this in my example because I have used an irregular verb. Please see the examples that follow.

Examples

The director has his appointments arranged by his secretary.

The director has his secretary arrange his appointments.

The lady has had her car cleaned.

The lady has had a valet clean her car.

The businessman will have his suit cleaned at the weekend.

The businessman will have a dry-cleaner clean his suit at the weekend.

Similar Structures

You should be careful with structures that look similar but have very different meanings.

Sam had cut his hair.

This sentece is in Past Perfect. In this sentence, Sam cut his hair himself.

Sam had to cut his hair.

In this sentence, it was necessary for Sam to cut his hair. He cut it himself.

You Should

Find the translation or equivenant structure in your own language.

Try some sections from a grammar practice book.

Write examples that are true for you in different tenses.

Direct and Indirect speech

Direct speech repeats, or quotes, the exact words spoken. When we use direct speech in writing, we place the words spoken between quotation marks (" ") and there is no change in these words. We may be reporting something that's being said NOW (for example a telephone conversation), or telling someone later about a previous conversation.

Reported or indirect speech is usually used to talk about the past, so we normally change the tense of the words spoken. We use reporting verbs like 'say', 'tell', 'ask', and we may use the word 'that' to introduce the reported words. Inverted commas are not used.

She said, "I saw him." (direct speech) = She said that she had seen him. (indirect speech)

'That' may be omitted:
She told him that she was happy. = She told him she was happy.

'SAY' AND 'TELL'

Use 'say' when there is no indirect object:
He said that he was tired.

Always use 'tell' when you say who was being spoken to (i.e. with an indirect object):
He told me that he was tired.

'TALK' AND 'SPEAK'

Use these verbs to describe the action of communicating:
He talked to us.
She was speaking on the telephone.

Use these verbs with 'about' to refer to what was said:
He talked (to us) about his parents.

SO, SUCH AND THIRD CONDITIONAL

SO and SUCH often have the same meaning : 'very' or 'to this degree'.

So is used before an adjective or an adverb (without a noun after it):

§  so big

§  so carefully

Such is followed by 'a' or 'an', + an adjective + a singular noun : 

§  such a long time

§  such an incredible story

Such is used without a, an before plural nouns, mass nouns (luggage, furniture)
and abstract nouns (advice, courage, generosity, kindness ... )

§  such fools

§  such (beautiful) furniture

§  such generosity

Compare the following sentences:

§  This book is so interesting.

§  This is such an interesting book.

§  Such interesting books are hard to find.

§  I was amazed that the crowd was so big.

§  I was amazed that there was such a big crowd.

§  Such big crowds can be frightening.

§  The story was so complicated.

§  It was such a complicated story.

§  Such complicated stories are difficult to follow.

§  You are so intelligent.

§  You are such an intelligent person.

§  A person of such intelligence is a pleasure to meet.

So ... that and such ... that are used to describe reasons and results.
So + adjective + that :
◊ The hotel was so comfortable that we decided to stay another night. 
Such + adjective + noun + that :
◊ It's such a comfortable hotel that we'll definitely stay there again. 

We can use the Third Conditional to talk about 'impossible' conditions, impossible because they are in the past and we cannot change what has happened.

·         If I had worked harder at school, I would have got better grades.

·         If I had had time, I would have gone to see him. But I didn't have time.

·         If we had bought that house, we would have had to rebuild the kitchen.

·         If we had caught the earlier train, we would have got there on time but we were late.

Notice that the main clause can contain 'would', 'could' or 'might.

·         If I had seen him at the meeting, I would have asked him. (But he wasn't there so I didn't.)

·         If I had seen him at the meeting, I could have asked him. ( But he wasn't there so it wasn't possible.)

·         If I had seen him at the meeting, I might have asked him. (But I'm not sure. Perhaps if the opportunity had arisen.)

·         If I had paid more attention in class, I would have understood the lesson.

Also notice that sometimes the 'if clause' is implied rather than spoken.

·         I'd have done it. ("if you had asked me but you didn't.")

·         I wouldn't have said that. ("if I'd been there.")

·         He wouldn't have let him get away with that. ("if he had tried that with me.")

Muhammad Nabil Al Mahdhy

1EA18

1. Definite Article

2. Indefinite Articles

3. Zero Article (without a, an, the)

A, an and the (articles) are words which used to limit the meaning of noun.

·Articles consist of definite, indefinite and zero article which means without articles.

I. Definite Article                                                                           

Definite article is used for specific thing or refer to a person, an object, or a particular idea that have been mentioned previously.

I 1.The

·      “The” is used for definite article.

·      “The” is placed before a countable noun nor an uncountable noun.

Examples :

1.    I usually read the book in a bus when I go to school.

2.    The library that I just visited is cozy.

3.    He was the man who never lied.

II. Indefinite Articles

·      Indefinite article is used to a noun which does not refer to a person, an object, or a particular idea, but instead refers to the person, thing, or idea in general.

·      “A” and “an” are used for indefinite article.

·      Those words are placed before singular countable noun.

II. 1.A

·  “A” is used for something that is not necessarily and only for a singular noun that can be calculated.

·  “A” used before words that begin with consonants such as b, c, d, g, p.

Examples :

1.    I have a pen.

2.    The squirrel live in a tree.

3.    The cat eat a rat.

II. 2.An

1.      “An” have the same meaning as a.

2.      An” used before words that begin with the letters / vowels such as a, e, i, o, or u.

3.      “An” also can be used in front of words that begin with the letter "h". For example is “hotel”, this word actually starts with the vowel "o". So, we need to use an.

Examples :

1. I have been waiting you for an hour.

2. He got an Oscar’s trophy last year.

3. We will make an invention.

III.     Zero Article (without a, an, the)

·      Zero article means we don’t have to use articles (a, an, the) for a noun.

·      Several kinds of noun that doesn’t or can’t use the articles (without a, an, the), are languages, sports, academic subjects, etc.

Examples :

1. Can you speak Japanese?

2. That children played football.

3. My favorite subject is math.

Muhammad Nabil Al Mahdhy

1EA18

1. Aktive Form

2. Pasive Form

Active Form

In active sentences, the thing doing the action is the subject of the sentence and the thing receiving the action is the object. Most sentences are active.

Passive Form

In passive sentences, the thing receiving the action is the subject of the sentence and the thing doing the action is optionally included near the end of the sentence. You can use the passive form if you think that the thing receiving the action is more important or should be emphasized. You can also use the passive form if you do not know who is doing the action or if you do not want to mention who is doing the action.

Present Simple :

·         Active :

·         Verb 1 (+s/es)

·         Once a week, Tom cleans the house.

Passive :

·         Is/am/are + verb 3

·         Once a week, the house is cleaned by Tom.

·         Present Continous :

·         Active :

·         Is/ame/are + verb ing

·         Right now, Sarah is writing the letter.

Passive :

·         Is/am/are + being + verb 3

·         Right now, the letter is being written by Sarah.

·         Present Perfect :

·         Active :

·         Has/have + verb 3

·         Many tourists have visited that castle.

Passive :

·         Has/have + been + verb 3

·         That castle has been visited by many tourists.