TAG QUESTION

Form
auxiliary verb + subject 1. If the auxiliary verb in the sentence is positive, the tag is negative. You are Spanish, aren't you? 2. If the auxiliary verb in the sentence is negative, the tag is positive. You're not Spanish, are you? 3. If there is no auxiliary verb in the sentence, we use do. You live in Spain, don't you?

Functions and examples

1. We use tag questions to confirm information. This meal is horrible, isn't it? That film was fantastic, wasn't it? 2. We use tag questions when we are already sure of the answer and just want confirmation (falling intonation with the tag question). 3. We use tag questions to check information. You haven't got a piece of paper, have you? You don't know where the boss is, do you? The meeting's tomorrow at 9am, isn't it? 4. If we do not know the answer, these are real questions, and we use a rising intonation with the tag question.

Important points
1. In the present tense, if the subject is 'I', the auxiliary changes to 'are' or 'aren't'. I'm sitting next to you, aren't I? 2. With 'let's', the tag question is 'shall we'. Let's go to the beach, shall we? 3. With an imperative, the tag question is 'will you'. Close the window, will you?

4. We use a positive tag question after a sentence containing a negative word such as never, hardly, nobody. Nobody lives in this house, do they? You've never liked me, have you? 5. When the subject is nothing, we use 'it' in the tag question. Nothing bad happened, did it? 6. When the subject is nobody, somebody, everybody, no one, someone, or everyone, we use 'they' in the tag question. Nobody asked for me, did they? 7. If the main verb in the sentence is 'have' (not an auxiliary verb), it is more common to use 'do' in the question tag. You have a Ferrari, don't you? 8. With used to, we use 'didn't' in the tag question. You used to work here, didn't you? 9. We can use positive question tags after positive sentences to express a reaction such as surprise or interest. You're moving to Brazil, are you?

Past Perfect
Notes:
1. The written lesson is below. 2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

The past perfect is formed by combining the auxiliary verb "had" with the past participle. I had studied. He had written a letter to Mara. We had been stranded for six days.

Because the past perfect is a compound tense, two verbs are required: the main verb and the auxiliary verb.

I had studied. (main verb: studied ; auxiliary verb: had) He had written a letter to Mara. (main verb: written ; auxiliary verb: had) We had been stranded for six days. (main verb: been ; auxiliary verb: had)

In Spanish, the past perfect tense is formed by using the imperfect tense of the auxiliary verb "haber" with the past participle. Haber is conjugated as follows: haba habas haba habamos habais haban

You have already learned in a previous lesson that the past participle is formed by dropping the infinitive ending and adding either -ado or -ido. Remember, some past participles are irregular. The following examples all use the past participle for the verb "vivir." (yo) Haba vivido. I had lived. (t) Habas vivido. You had lived. (l) Haba vivido. He had lived. (nosotros) Habamos vivido. We had lived. (vosotros) Habais vivido. You-all had lived. (ellos) Haban vivido. They had lived. For a review of the formation of the past participle [click here].

When you studied the past participle, you practiced using it as an adjective. When used as an adjective, the past participle changes to agree with the noun it modifies. However, when used in the perfect tenses, the past participle never changes. Past participle used as an adjective: La puerta est cerrada. The door is closed. Past participle used in the past perfect tense: Yo haba cerrado la puerta. I had closed the door. Here are a couple of more examples: Past participle used as an adjective: Las puertas estn abiertas. The doors are open. Past participle used in the past perfect tense: Juan haba abierto las puertas. Juan had opened the doors. Note that when used to form the perfect tenses, only the base form (abierto) is used.

Let's look more carefully at the last example: Juan haba abierto las puertas. Juan had opened the doors. Notice that we use "haba" to agree with "Juan". We do NOT use "haban" to agree with "puertas." The auxiliary verb is conjugated for the subject of the sentence, not the object. Compare these two examples: Juan haba abierto las puertas. Juan had opened the doors. Juan y Mara haban puesto mucho dinero en el banco. Juan and Maria had put a lot of money in the bank. In the first example, we use "haba" because the subject of the sentence is "Juan." In the second example, we use "haban" because the subject of the sentence is "Juan y Mara."

The past perfect tense is used when a past action was completed prior to another past action. Expressions such as "ya", "antes", "nunca", "todava" and "despus" will often appear in sentences where one action was completed before another. Cuando llegaron los padres, los nios ya haban comido. When the parents arrived, the children had already eaten. Yo haba comido antes de llamarles. I had eaten prior to calling them.

This idea of a past action being completed before another past action need not always be stated; it can be implied. Juan haba cerrado la ventana antes de salir. (stated) Juan had closed the window before leaving. Juan haba cerrado la ventana. (implied) Juan had closed the window.

The auxiliary verb and the past participle are never separated. To make the sentence negative, add the word "no" before the conjugated form of haber. (yo) No haba vivido. I had not lived. (t) No habas vivido. You had not lived. (l) No haba vivido. He had not lived. (nosotros) No habamos vivido. We had not lived. (vosotros) No habais vivido. You-all had not lived. (ellos) No haban vivido. They had not lived.

Again, the auxiliary verb and the past participle are never separated. Object pronouns are placed immediately before the auxiliary verb. Pablo le haba dado mucho dinero a su hermana. Pablo had given a lot of money to his sister. To make this sentence negative, the word "no" is placed before the indirect object pronoun (le). Pablo no le haba dado mucho dinero a su hermana. Pablo had not given a lot of money to his sister.

With reflexive verbs, the reflexive pronoun is placed immediatedly before the auxiliary verb. Compare how the present perfect differs from the simple present, when a reflexive verb is used. Me lavo las manos. (present) I wash my hands. Me haba lavado las manos. (past perfect) I had washed my hands. To make this sentence negative, the word "no" is placed before the reflexive pronoun (me). No me haba lavado las manos. I had not washed my hands. For a review of reflexive verbs click [here] and [here].

Questions are formed as follows. Note how the word order is different than the English equivalent. Haban llegado ya las chicas? Had the girls arrived yet? Habas probado ya el postre? Had you tried the dessert yet? Here are the same questions in negative form. Notice how the auxiliary verb and the past participle are not separated.

No haban llegado ya las chicas? Hadn't the girls arrived yet? No habas probado ya el postre? Hadn't you tried the dessert yet?

Let's add another verb flashcard for the past perfect tense:

Verb Flashcards
Complete List
Past Perfect haber + past participle haba hablado, haba comido, haba vivido haba habas haba habamos habais haban

Past Perfect
Past Perfect Summary Use Signal words Form of affirmative, negative sentences and questions Spelling Special verbs Diagram Long forms and short forms Exercises - Past Perfect

Past Perfect - Use

1) Together with the Simple Past
Mary had read the book before she watched a film.

2) the past equivalent of the Present Perfect

He had played hockey.

Signal words
no unambiguous ones

Form
had + past participle

Examples
Affirmative sentences:
I had played hockey. You had played hockey. I'd played hockey. You'd played hockey.

Negative sentences:
I had not played hockey. I'd not played hockey. I hadn't played hockey. You had not played hockey. You'd not played hockey. You hadn't played hockey.

Questions:

Had you played hockey? Had you played hockey?

Attention
Past Perfect - Simple Past Simple Past - Simple Past

The match had started when he arrived. The match started when he arrived. CAN/COULD/MAY
1._______________ you please pass me that book over there? 2. ________-When he was young he___________ dance all night long 3. you ____________speak Chinese? 4. You at least come with us and meet our new neighbour, don't you think? 5. She________ drive but she takes the bus to go to work 6. In that country citizens__________ now make suggestions openly, it is a new democracy. 7. Nowadays, people___________ travel very easily all over Europe 8. _________you please let me know your answer by the end of the week? 9. I don't know yet, but I________- come with you after all ! 10. Children____________________ bring their teddy bears to school

Can and could are modal verbs. They are used with other verbs to convey ideas such as possibility, permission, etc.

We use can to:

talk about possibility and ability; Example: I can ride a horse. / He can speak three languages.

make requests or give orders; Example: Can you buy me a can of beer. / Can you complete now what you are doing.

ask for or give permission. Example: Can I come in now?

Note: we may also use could, may and might for permission.

Example: We can go swimming tomorrow.

We do not use can with infinitive verb.

Example: We can play football today. NOT: We can to play football today. Sometimes it is necessary to use (be) able to in place of can
2. In 1st conditional if is used to speculate about the future consequences of a specific event. In this case, the verb in the second part of the sentence is preceded by will. If they offer a good price, we will buy the whole consignment. COMMON MISTAKE. We do not use will in the if part of the sentence. 3. When we talk about an event that will take place in the future, we can use if or when. I am flying to the States tonight. I'll give you a ring if I can find a phone. (The speaker is not sure if he will be able to find a phone or not.) I am flying to the States tonight. I'll give you a ring when I get there. (The speaker has no doubt that the plane will arrive safely.)