Select the most appropriate option to substitute the underlined segment in the given sentence. If there is no need to substitute it, select “No substitution”. I told you not to miss your classes, did I ?
didn’t I?
Understanding Question Tags in English Grammar
Question tags are short questions added to the end of a statement. They are used to ask for confirmation or to check if someone agrees with you.
The basic rule for forming question tags depends on whether the main statement is positive or negative, and the tense of the verb in the statement.
- If the statement is positive, the question tag is usually negative.
- If the statement is negative, the question tag is usually positive.
- The auxiliary verb used in the tag corresponds to the auxiliary verb or tense of the main verb in the statement.
- The subject of the question tag is a pronoun that matches the subject of the statement.
Analyzing the Given Sentence: “I told you not to miss your classes, did I ?”
Let's break down the sentence and identify its key components:
- Statement: “I told you not to miss your classes”
- Subject: “I”
- Verb: “told”
- Tense: Past Simple (from “told”)
- Polarity: The statement is positive (it does not contain words like 'not', 'never', 'no one', etc.).
Forming the Correct Question Tag
According to the rules:
- The statement is positive, so the tag must be negative.
- The verb is in the past simple tense (“told”). The auxiliary verb for past simple in question tags is “did”. To make it negative, we use “didn’t”.
- The subject of the statement is “I”. The pronoun for the subject “I” is “I”.
Combining these elements, the correct negative question tag for a positive past simple statement with subject “I” is “didn’t I?”
So, the sentence should be “I told you not to miss your classes, didn’t I?”
Evaluating the Options for Question Tag Substitution
Let's look at the provided options and compare them to our derived correct tag:
- Option 1: didn’t I? This tag is negative, uses the correct past tense auxiliary “didn’t”, and has the correct subject pronoun “I”. This matches our derived correct tag.
- Option 2: No substitution The original tag “did I?” is positive. Since the statement “I told you not to miss your classes” is positive, the tag should be negative. Therefore, substitution is needed.
- Option 3: do I? This tag uses the auxiliary “do”, which is for the present simple tense. The statement uses the past simple tense (“told”), so “do I?” is incorrect.
- Option 4: didn’t you? This tag uses the pronoun “you”. The subject of the statement is “I”, not “you”. The subject pronoun in the tag must match the subject of the statement. Therefore, “didn’t you?” is incorrect.
Based on this analysis, the most appropriate option to substitute the underlined segment “did I?” is “didn’t I?”.
Revision Table: Common Question Tag Formations
| Statement Type | Statement Example | Correct Question Tag |
|---|---|---|
| Positive, Present Simple (Except ‘be’) | You work hard, ... | don’t you? |
| Negative, Present Simple (Except ‘be’) | You don’t work hard, ... | do you? |
| Positive, Past Simple (Except ‘be’) | She arrived late, ... | didn’t she? |
| Negative, Past Simple (Except ‘be’) | She didn’t arrive late, ... | did she? |
| Positive, with Auxiliary Verb (e.g., is, are, was, were, have, has, had, will, can, could, should, would, must) | He is coming, ... | isn’t he? |
| Negative, with Auxiliary Verb | He isn’t coming, ... | is he? |
| Statement with ‘I am’ | I am late, ... | aren’t I? |
Additional Information on Question Tags
While the basic rules cover most cases, there are some exceptions and special situations for question tags:
- Statements with negative words like 'never', 'hardly', 'seldom', 'barely', 'no one', 'nothing' are treated as negative statements, so they take a positive tag.
Example: Nobody came, did they? - Statements starting with 'Let's' take the tag 'shall we?'.
Example: Let's go, shall we? - Imperative sentences (commands or requests) often take 'will you?' or 'won't you?'.
Example: Open the door, will you? - Statements with 'this' or 'that' as the subject use 'it' in the tag. Statements with 'these' or 'those' use 'they' in the tag.
Example: That is correct, isn't it? - Statements with 'everyone', 'everybody', 'someone', 'somebody', 'no one', 'nobody' use 'they' in the tag.
Example: Everyone is here, aren't they?
Understanding these rules and exceptions is key to correctly forming question tags in English grammar.
Similar Questions
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Important Questions from Phrase Replacement
- Select the option that will improve the underlined part of the given sentence. In case no improvement is needed, select 'No improvement required'.
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Gayatri informed one of the directors that she has sent the material for printing.
Select the most appropriate option to substitute the underlined segment in the given sentence. If there is no need to substitute it, select option No substitution required.
We had been almost halfway there when the left rear tyre blew out
Select the most appropriate option to substitute the underlined segment in the given sentence. If there is no need to substitute it, select option No substitution required.
The man spent a lot because he had so large amount of money.
