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Phrasal Verbs

January 30, 2014 by Bret Tutor

Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal Verb Eat Up Medium


A verb that is followed by a prepositional phrase or an adverb is a phrasal verb. The verb, in combination the adverb or preposition that follows it, creates an entirely different meaning than when the original verb is used alone.

For example:

To break = to damage Jim always breaks his toys.
To break up = to separate, interrupt or disperse something I’d hate to break up their lunch meeting for something so trivial.

The word particle is sometimes used as a definition of the preposition or adverb that follows the phrasal verb. The large group of verbs referred to as “multi-word” or “multi-part” verbs includes phrasal verbs. The large variety of multi-word verbs, including phrasal verbs, are important parts of informal or casual spoken and written communication in the English language. They should not be used in formal writing, such as academic texts, where they would be considered inappropriate. For example, an article for a medical journal should use the words “to dissect” rather than “to cut up.”

Transitive and Intransitive phrasal verbs:
Some phrasal verbs are referred to as transitive.Transitive verbs always have a direct object.
For example:The police broke up the loud party. (The object of the verb is “party.”)

Some other phrasal verbs are called intransitive verbs. Intransitive verbs have no object.
For example: I cracked up when he was telling his story.

Separable or Inseparable phrasal verbs:
Transitive phrasal verbs that have the object placed between the verb and the preposition are separable phrasal verbs.
For example: I broke the meeting up at noon. (The object, “the meeting” is placed between the verb and the adverb.)
Another example : I tore the carpet up.

When transitive phrasal verbs have the object placed after the preposition or adverb, they are inseparable.
For example : Amy broke off the engagement. (The object of the verb, “the engagement” is placed after the adverb.)

There are some transitive phrasal verbs that can have an object in either place:
For example: “Amy broke the engagement off.” has the same meaning as “Amy broke off the engagement.”

If the object is a pronoun however, it can only be placed between the verb and preposition.
For example, we must say: I cracked them up.
We can not say: I cracked up them.

Verb Meaning Example
add up make sense She knew the girls were lying because their stories just didn’t add up.
add on put something together with another object We plan to add on to the house next year.
add in to insert Do you mind if I add in a few more details?
bang about move around noisily I love when the kids visit, but I can’t stand the way they bang about the house.
bang something up damage something They always bang up my cabinet doors when they slam into them.
bow to someone permit someone’s will I usually bow to my Tom’s ideas.
bow over be overly permissive I don’t know why I always bow over to make you happy.
carry on continue Rich will carry on the presentation despite the interruptions.
carry someone through provide support Amy didn’t know how she would have made it without Jim to carry her through during her struggles.
carry over continue past a certain point The meeting will probably carry over through lunch time.
chew off remove by biting Emily always chews the eraser off her pencils.
chew someone out criticize harshly The boss is really going to chew him out for that mistake.
chew up damage something If you don’t lubricate the gears, they are going to be all chewed up soon.
chew over something ponder Terry wanted to chew over the idea before he committed to it.
eat up consume all of something Every time she makes apple pie, the kids just eat it up.
eat over have a meal at someone else’s house. Dave is going to eat over at Jim’s house.
eat away erode The water will eventually eat away at the bedrock.
eat out dine at a restaurant Maybe we should eat out tonight, I don’t feel like cooking.
eat into use something This renovation is really going to eat into our savings.
fall out stop out of exhaustion I couldn’t run any longer, I knew I was going to fall out of the marathon.
fall in get in line Fall in kids, we’re headed back to class.
fall into something accidentally involve Diane is going to fall into a bad situation if she doesn’t choose her friends carefully.
fall for something to believe I’m not going to fall for that old lie!
fall for someone to be in love with, or infatuated with someone He loved seeing her so much, he just knew he was going to fall for her.
fall over something trip because of an item Clean your mess up before someone falls over the toys.
far out amazing Man, that movie was far out.
fill in work for someone Dave asked Bill to fill in for him during his vacation.
fill out something complete a form Just fill out this release while you wait for the doctor.
fill up something completely fill something Can you believe how much it costs to fill up the gas tank?
finish off consume entirely Gary will finish off the leftovers tomorrow night.
finish with something done using As soon as I finish with the hammer, I will put it away.
fish for try to find information Rob seemed to be fishing for something with his questions.
flow over move freely on top of something The stream of water flows over the stones.
flow over fill over capacity Stop pouring, the milk will flow over!
flow in move easily inside of The open windows let the scent of grass flow in.
flow through move between points That stream flows through three counties.
freeze someone out be rude to, exclude I don’t want to freeze him out, but he’s so rude to the rest of us.
freeze up paralyzed with fear Every time she has to make a public speech, she freezes up.
freeze over become covered with ice They will go ice skating as soon as the lake freezes over.
front for represent something else That shop is just a front for an illegal operation.
frown on disapprove of George will frown on our plans.
get up wake in the morning She has to get up extra early because of the commute.
get out leave a place I can’t wait to get out of this boring meeting.
get over something heal emotionally Bill really needs to get over Michelle.
get into argue Sam and Bill always get into it over politics.
get through maintain presence through a time period or event I just have to get through the next hour and then I’m free.
get away not get caught The robber is going to get away with the crime.
get by have just enough to live on Gene barely has enough money to get by on.
get around visit many places Everyone knows him, he really gets around the night scene.
get at someone criticize He is really going to get at me when he finds my mistake.
get along with someone have good relationship Tara and Bill get along with each other well.
get back to return communication I’ll have to get back to you a little later.
give up something stop or let go of something I just cannot seem to give up cigarettes.
give someone up to tattle or tell on someone for doing something wrong If I get in trouble for this, I’m going to give him up too.
give in collapse or no longer support My dad is always worried the roof will give in during heavy snow.
give into something relent or allow something or someone She’s finally going to give into his demands.
give something over release That’s her toy, give it over.
go after chase They were going to go after her, but she was long gone.
go through endure You wouldn’t believe what I had to go through to get here on time!
go around mingle in a crowd Just go around and introduce yourself.
go under fail usually in a business due to lack of money If they can’t meet their overhead, the business will soon go under.
go for try to achieve something Fred is going to go for the management position.
go away take a vacation We are going to go away for the weekend.
go away to leave I wish he would go away
go over examine or review with others Can you go over this essay for me?
hand something back return Just hand it back when you’re finished using it.
hand something over give an object Just hand over the keys and I’ll drive.
hand out disperse to a group They hand out free donuts every Friday.
hand something off pass something over She had too many chores, so she had to hand some off to her husband.
hang up terminate phone conversation Why does she always hang up before I say goodbye?
hang out socialize with I’m going to go hang out with Dave after school.
hang in maintain or continue to do Hang in there, it will get easier soon.
have around object in presence Tim’s a good guy to have around.
have over entertain Jim is going to have Tina and Bill over for dinner.
have down record I have you down for an appointment on Monday.
have out fight The way they were arguing, I thought they were going to have it out right there!
have something out take object from storage It’s July, why do you have your winter coat out?
have something on to wear an item I don’t even have my shoes on yet!
have to required She will have to drop him off before work.
jump up rise suddenly Dave knew he was running late, so he jumped up from his bed to get dressed.
jump down hop off something Jump down off the counter and get your things ready.
jump over something make efforts Jim had to jump over several hurdles to complete the project on time.
lash something down to tie securely Make sure to lash down the luggage before we leave.
lash out react angrily She can’t handle any criticism, she will lash out at the nearest person.
lash into someone attack or criticize verbally, angrily The simple mistake did not warrant the way he lashed into his employee.
make up fabricate She can make up stories right off the top of her head.
make out took away with Bella always makes out like a bandit on Christmas!
make off to take Burglars usually make off with their victim’s jewelry and cash.
make of understand or have an opinion Bill is not sure what to make of his daughter’s fashion style.
make over change appearance of something or someone Susan decided to make over her kitchen’s outdated design.
make it to arrive I’m never going to make it to work on time in this traffic.
make for head towards Every time Sam comes in, Ellen immediately makes for the door.
make up to apologetic compensation for an action I’m sorry I have to cancel our dinner plans, I promise I’ll make it up to you.
measure up be good enough She just didn’t measure up to the company’s standards.
measure against judge by comparison Tim hates being measured against his brother.
measure out weigh the exact amount needed Carol measures out each ingredient before she begins cooking.
opt for something choose She will probably opt for the green coat instead of the red one.
opt in choose to be a part of Sara will opt in the PTO committee this year.
opt out choose to not be a part of something Bill says he will opt out of the PTO committee this year.
pay someone back return money borrowed Tim said he’d pay me back next week.
pay off settling a debt Jim was thrilled because he could finally pay off his car loan.
pay for something purchase It’s Andy’s turn to pay for dinner.
pay back revenge Tim vows to pay George back for the practical joke he played this morning.
pay down reduce debt Hank will pay down the loan gradually over the next three months.
pick up clean an area Bill has to pick up his room before he can go out to play.
pick something out make a choice of objects Just pick out the dress you want so we can leave!
pick on someone tease or taunt If you pick on your brother one more time today, you’re going to be punished.
pick at dig at or irritate Don’t pick at those pimples, you’ll get scars from them.
pick over examine thoroughly She picked over all the apples in the bin before choosing one.
pick something apart examine and determine flaw She is going to pick apart my whole essay since I didn’t check my grammar.
reel in attract She plans to reel investors in with her presentation.
reel off state facts rapidly The way she can reel off facts off the top of her head is impressive.
ride something out maintain presence during We are just going to ride out the hurricane at home.
ride off leave on a horse, bike, etc Jane plans to ride off on her motorcycle and never return.
ride up rise on the body Amy has a hard time finding shirts that don’t ride up on her waist.
ride through travel in and out of We’ll ride through Indiana on our way to California.
rise up increase level of Eventually, the water will rise up to the ceiling.
rise up to meet standards Jim’s submission didn’t rise up to the magazines standards.
rise against protest The whole group will rise against the government regulations.
roll back reduce, as in prices or expenses They are going to roll back their expenses by laying off employees.
roll over on someone provide information about someone The criminal is going to roll over on his accomplice for a reduced sentence.
roll around time in the future By the time Christmas rolls around she’ll be all done with her shopping.
roll out launch a plan We are going to roll out our new marketing strategy in May.
run after to chase Sue didn’t run after the school bus because she knew it wouldn’t stop.
run around activity in a certain area Dan had to run around and pick up the house before his guests arrived.
run up increase money owed Sally didn’t mean to run her debt up so high.
run for vie for an elected position I hear he’s going to run for Congress next term.
run about frenzied activity The guests are nearly here, we have run about and finish cleaning.
run in go in quickly I just need to run in this store for a moment.
run into someone accidentally meet a person Sally was hoping they wouldn’t run into her ex-boyfriend at the party.
run into something accidentally hit an object Look out! You’re going to run into that telephone pole at the end of the driveway.
scrape by barely manage He barely makes enough to scrape by.
scrape something up manage to collect funds needed Joe was somehow able to scrape up enough to pay for a concert ticket.
scrape through manage to barely pass Jan only just managed to scrape through final exams last semester.
set something up to arrange something It’s time to set up the Christmas decorations.
set someone up deceive, cause blame The defendant claimed he was set up by the police.
set something aside postpone You’ll just have to set your plans aside until you’re finished with your work.
set into something begin I was just about to set into a new novel.
set back cost money That car set Jim back $30,000.
set something back caused delay or demotion That mistake set his career goals back significantly.
set apart distinguish from a group Her ambition and drive really set her apart from other employees.
set forth begin journey Bill set forth, headed for the Alaskan wilderness.
set off detonate The mines are set off by weight sensors.
set someone off cause anger Just a simple mistake is enough to set off the boss.
set off complements The wall color really sets off the floor’s coloring.
sit on something be seated on top of Shelly knew she wasn’t supposed to sit on the counters but she did anyway.
sit up rise from prone position Every morning she has to sit up and push the snooze button on the alarm clock.
sit in something be seated inside of I don’t know why the dog likes to sit in laundry baskets.
sit in on to observe without participating I sometimes sit in on the morning meetings.
sit through be present during Bill hates having to sit through boring presentations.
slam into something hit forcefully Slow down before you slam the car into the mailbox!
sleep in rise late in the morning Gary didn’t mean to sleep in and be late for work.
sleep tight sleep comfortably Goodnight sweetheart, sleep tight and have sweet dreams.
steal someone away take someone somewhere quietly Jim asked if he could steal her away for a week in the tropics.
steal in sneak into You distract the guard and I’ll steal in the room.
steal over experience emotion She felt anger stealing over her.
take in care for Mary takes in every stray animal she sees.
take something over take authority of something Bill is going to take over the project since I don’t have enough time to complete it.
take off leave a place Jim is about to take off, you should go say goodbye.
talk around avoid a topic during conversation Bill likes to talk around problems instead of addressing them.
talk into persuade Sue is trying to talk Jim into going out this evening.
talk out discuss problem to find solution Instead of yelling, Amber suggested they sit and calmly talk it out.
talk through communicated by Sam and Ed only talk through text or email.
talk someone/something up offer praise to 3rd party Jill managed to talk the product up so well, everyone bought one.
time out pause a game or conversation Time out guys, I need to use the bathroom.
tip someone off tell someone information Sue called the police to tip them off about the criminal activity in her neighborhood.
tip something over make something spill She hit the table and made the glass of water tip over.
think of someone to have an opinion Sara didn’t think much of Joe.
think on to consider or ponder I’ll have to think on it a little while before I can answer you.
think back remember When I think back now, it should have been easy to see my mistakes.
think out plan or prepare Bill should really think out his travel arrangements before he travels.
think up use imagination to create an idea Amber is trying to think up a way to leave to the party politely.
think over reassess, reconsider That’s a pretty horrible idea, are you sure you don’t want to think it over first?
throw in give up That’s it, I’m going to throw in the towel and let you handle it.
throw up vomit Jeff had food poisoning, which made him throw up for three days.
throw something over toss something Hey, will you throw the remote over here?
throw over something toss higher than Just throw the keys over the car, I’ll catch them.
throw something away get rid of Bill would never throw anything away.
toss back drink quickly Dan can really toss back some sodas.
toss around discuss an idea informally If we could just toss this around, we could come up with a few more ideas.
toss up undecided ending We couldn’t agree on anything, the meeting was a toss up.
trade something up replace with something better Even though it cost more, the more expensive car was a good trade up from her old car.
trade something down replace with something lesser She wanted to trade down on her vehicle to save money.
trade off bargain or deal They made a trade off that was mutually beneficial.
trade something in replace Bill is going to trade his van in for a new one.
turn something in hand in assignment Sara needs to finish her essay, she has to turn it in tomorrow morning.
turn something off Stop machine Turn off the television when this show is over.
turn to someone ask someone for help When I am upset and overwhelmed, I usually turn to my mother for advice.
turn up appear Don’t worry, I’m sure your watch will turn up soon.
tune in watch t.v. or listen to a radio Thirty thousand people tune in to our program every day.
tune out ignore, not pay attention The presentation was so boring, Sara tuned out after ten minutes.
tune something up maintain and enhance performance I should really tune up my car this year before winter.
wait on someone serve someone food or drink The waitress didn’t have the patience to wait on the large group very well.
wait up hold on Hey, wait up Jenna, you’re going too fast.
work someone up excite Football games always work Jim up.
work out settle differences It took a few hours, but we able to work out our problems.
work something out plan details Jim said he’d work out the travel arrangements later.
work someone over assault violently By the look of his black eye, I’d say someone really worked him over.
work through examine Jim must work through the monthly budget each week.
zip around move quickly It’s amazing the way she zips around the place.
zip by something go by quickly Did you see that car zip by?
zip it be quiet Zip it kids, the movie is about to start.
zoom off leave quickly Right after the speaker is done, we will zoom off to the party.
zoom in focus closely You’ll need to zoom the lens in for the best photo.
zoom out focus less closely Zoom out so you get more of the background in the photo.
zoom by something go past quickly By the way that car zoomed by, I’d say the driver was going well above the speed limit.

Filed Under: Verbs Tagged With: Phrasal Verbs, Verbs

Infinitive

January 28, 2014 by Bret Tutor

Infinitive

Infinitive_LifeIsTooSHortToLive_Lesson_Main

Deciding when to use either a verb in the infinitive, present participle or as a gerund can be difficult. Look at these three sentences focused on the verb eat:

  • Jack likes to eat at Tim’s house. (infinitive)
  • Jack likes eating at Tim’s house. (gerund)
  • Jack is eating at Tim’s house. (present participle)

This lesson will explain when and why to use the infinitive.

When to use the Infinitive

After certain verbs and combinations of helping and main verb:
forget, help, learn, teach, train, choose, expect, hope, need, offer, want, would like, agree, encourage, pretend, promise, allow, can/can’t afford, decide, manage, mean, refuse
Here are a few examples:

  • I forgot to close the gap.
  • Mary needs to leave now.
  • Why are they encouraged to learn square dancing?
  • We can’t afford to ignore your brother.

If there is an adjective you need to use the infinitive.

  • She was pleased to see her last night.
  • Tim is sad to leave you alone again.

If there is an adjective + enough you will use the infinitive:

  • He was small enough to squeeze in the door.
  • She is smart enough to work with him.

When To Use Ing Gerund

Gerunds are typically used in place of an infinitive. Be careful though since the verb with ing can also be a present participle. The easiest way to tell the difference is if it is acting like a noun.

  • Smoking is an expensive habit. (gerund)
  • Jack is smoking outside. (present participle)

The -ing form is used after a preposition and is almost always a gerund.

  • She saw her before leaving Arizona.
  • After working for so long it was time for sleep.

The only exception to this is when “to” is used as a preposition:

to as Preposition Preposition
I am used to running.
I am used to leaving.
to as Infinitive Infinitive
I used to run.
I used to leave.

You can also determine if you are going to use an infinitive or gerund is based on the words in front. There are certain words that are usually followed by a gerund: admit, appreciate, avoid, carry on, consider, defer, deny, detest, dislike, endure, enjoy, escape, excuse, face, feel like, finish, forgive, give up, can’t help, imagine, involve, leave off, mention, mind, postpone, practice, put off, report, resent, risk, can’t stand, suggest
Here are a few examples:

  • She enjoys talking with her mom.
  • Tim really detests eating at Jack’s.
  • I feel like walking the dog.

Be careful since there are some words that can be followed by an infinitive or gerund. Some of these words include: allow, advise, begin, continue, hate, intend, like, love, permit, prefer, propose, start, stop, urge

  • She prefers to sing with Timmy.
  • She prefers singing with Timmy.
  • He stopped to help his mom.
  • He stopped helping his mom.

Be careful since there are times when using the infinitive or gerund can change the meaning of the sentence. In the first two examples the sentences take on the same meaning. In the last two there is a difference between “stopped to help” and “stopped helping”.

Filed Under: Verbs Tagged With: Infinitive, Verbs

Gerunds

January 27, 2014 by Bret Tutor

Gerunds

Online Learning Message Showing Web Learning

Gerunds can be confusing since they are similar to a verb in the present participle. Examples of verbs in the present participle are running, walking and sleeping. The reason for the confusion is they are both verbs ending in ing.

Look at the difference in these sentences:

  • Running is tiresome. (gerund)
  • Jimmy is outside running. (present progressive)
  • I like sleeping on the weekends. (gerund)
  • Jack is sleeping in the room. (present progressive)

One rule that works almost all of the time when trying to determine if a verb ending in ing is a gerund is to add “the act of” in front of the word. Take the examples above and try this rule:

  • The act of Running is tiresome. (gerund)
  • Jimmy is outside the act of running. (present progressive)
  • I like the act of sleeping on the weekends. (gerund)
  • Jack is the act of sleeping in the room. (present progressive)

Although the sentences sound slightly odd, the rule can be used to help determine how the verb is being used.

Gerunds as Subject, Object or Complement

Gerunds are used as nouns. Since they are nouns they can be the subject, object or complement of the sentence just like any other noun. Here are a few examples:

  • Acting is a difficult career. (subject)
  • I don’t like swimming. (object)
  • Her only hobby is bowling. (complement)

Gerunds can also have objects since it is like a verb in that way. With that structure the entire expression can be the subject, object or complement.

  • Acting alone is a difficult career.
  • I don’t like swimming the front-stroke.
  • Her only hobby is bowling with Frank.

Since a gerund is similar to a noun it can take on adjectives. These can be possessive adjectives, articles and other forms of adjectives. Here are a few examples:

  • trivial reading 
  • the writing of the paper
  • her eating of cake

Gerunds after Prepositions

When using a verb after a preposition you cannot use the infinitive form of the verb. What is used in place of it is a gerund.

  • I will finish that after leaving the park.
  • Please read this book before testing.
  • I always thought about eating at that new place.

It can be confusing since it is common to see the use of “to” before a verb with ing. That is because “to” is being used as a preposition. Here is a chart to explain how:

to as preposition

Preposition

I am used

to

running.

I am used

to

leaving.

to as infinitive

Infinitive

I used

to run.

I used

to leave.

Gerunds after Certain Verbs

When we use one verb after another we typically use either the infinitive or a gerund. Look at these two examples:

  • She needs to travel to Europe.
  • She likes traveling.

It is hard to know when to use what form. One of the best ways to determine if you are going to use an infinitive or gerund is based on the words in front. There are certain words that are usually followed by a gerund: admit, appreciate, avoid, carry on, consider, defer, deny, detest, dislike, endure, enjoy, escape, excuse, face, feel like, finish, forgive, give up, can’t help, imagine, involve, leave off, mention, mind, postpone, practice, put off, report, resent, risk, can’t stand, suggest

Here are a few examples:

  • She enjoys talking with her mom.
  • Tim really detests eating at Jack’s.
  • I feel like walking the dog.

Be careful since there are some words that can be followed by an infinitive or gerund. Some of these words include: allow, advise, begin, continue, hate, intend, like, love, permit, prefer, propose, start, stop, urge

  • She prefers to sing with Timmy.
  • She prefers singing with Timmy.
  • He stopped to help his mom.
  • He stopped helping his mom.

You also have to be careful since there are times when using the infinitive or gerund can change the meaning of the sentence. In the first two examples the sentences take on the same meaning. In the last two there is a difference between “stopped to help” and “stopped helping”.

Filed Under: Verbs Tagged With: Gerunds, Verbs

Active Voice vs Passive Voice

January 18, 2014 by Bret Tutor

Active Voice vs Passive Voice

Active Passive Voice Verbs Lady Reading

Verbs have many different tenses. They also have two primary forms that they take called active voice and passive voice. Active voice is the most common, and we typically speak using the active voice.

  • Active Voice: Tim drove the car.
  • Passive Voice: The car was driven by Tim.

With the active voice the object receives the action. In the example below the object is books. Here is the structure:

subject verb object
>
We read books.

With the passive voice the subject receives the action. In the example below books becomes the subject. As you will learn later in this lesson you do not always need an object when using the passive voice. Here is the structure:

subject verb object
<
Books are read by us.

The object of the active verb is the subject of the passive verb. They switch places.

subject verb object
active We read books.
passive Books are read by us.

Construction of the Passive Voice

When writing in the passive voice, there is a very simple sentence structure to keep in mind:
subject + auxiliary verb (be) + main verb (past participle)
Just keep in mind that the main verb is always in past participle form. Here are a few examples:

subject auxiliary verb (to be) main verb (past participle)
Books are read by us.
Tim was kissed by Jenny.
Fish are cared for by me.
The tire was changed by Fred.
The house was painted by Bill.

We use the passive voice when we want to make the active object more important or we do not know the active subject.

subject verb object
give importance to active object (Money) Money was donated by Joseph.
active subject unknown My cell phone has gone missing (we do not know the object)

Remember that we always use the word by to introduce the passive object if we include the passive object.
Now, let’s take a look at another example:

  • She was hit with a candlestick.

In the other examples, we used the word by to introduce the passive object, but in this case the candlestick is not the active subject. While it might be amusing to debate whether or not the candlestick decided to hit her on its own accord, it is much more likely that she was hit by someone with a candlestick. This would make the candlestick an instrument, rather than the active subject. The someone with the candlestick would be the active subject or what is also referred to as the agent.

Conjugation for the Passive Voice

We can form a passive voice in any tense. Conjugating verbs in the passive tense is actually a very simple process because the auxiliary verb is always “be” and the main verb is always written in past participle form. In order to get the tense we need the auxiliary verb must be conjugated.

  • present simple: It is broken
  • present continuous: It is being broken
  • present perfect: It has been broken

Here are some examples with most of the possible tenses:

infinitive to be thrown
simple present It is thrown
past It was thrown
future It will be thrown
conditional It would be thrown
continuous present It is being thrown
past It was being thrown
future It will be being thrown
conditional It would be being thrown
perfect simple present It has been thrown
past It had been thrown
future It will have been thrown
conditional It would have been thrown
perfect continuous present It has been being thrown
past It had been being thrown
future It will have been being thrown
conditional It would have been being thrown

Filed Under: Verbs Tagged With: Active Voice, Grammar, Passive Voice, Verbs

Tag Questions

January 18, 2014 by Bret Tutor

Tag Questions

TagQuestions_IsntItDoYou_Lesson_Main
You passed language arts, didn’t you? A tag question is a format unique to the English language. It is a statement followed by a short, usually informal question. The tag refers to a short question at the end of a regular sentence. The ending is called a “question tag”, while the whole sentence is referred to as a “tag question”
Tag questions are used at the end of a statement to confirm a thought. They are there to ask for confirmation or approval: “Do you agree with me?” or “Is this right?”.

Here is the basic structure of a Question Tag:

Statement Question Tag
+ Positive statement, – Negative tag?
It is Sunday, isn’t it?
– Negative statement, + Positive Tag?
You don’t believe that, do you?

See how the question tag repeats the auxiliary verb and changes it from a positive to a negative, or vice versa? It’s starting to make sense now, isn’t it?

Positive Tag Questions

Below, you will find a chart of tag questions with positive statements. Take your time reading the examples, and notice how often the auxiliary verb is repeated and changed into a negative tag.

Positive Statement [+] Negative Tag [-]
subject auxiliary main verb auxiliary not personal pronoun
(same as subject)
That is mine, is n’t it?
We are there, are n’t we?
You do enjoy cake, do n’t you?
You enjoy cake, do n’t you?
He will drive, wo n’t he?
I can play, can ‘t I?
We should leave, should n’t we?
He would rush, would n’t he?
You are hungry, are n’t you?
Jane left, did n’t she?

In some of the examples the auxiliary verb “do” in the statement is understood and not expressed because the tense is normal present simple. But the question tag uses the do auxiliary to make “don’t you?” Hence, both examples work.

Negative Tag Questions

In the chart below, you will find tag questions with Negative statements. Negative verbs within the statements are changed to positive tags, so keep that in mind as you read the examples.

Negative Statement
[-]
Positive Tag
[+]
subject auxiliary main verb auxiliary personal pronoun
(same as subject)

It is n’t raining, is it?
We have n’t watched it, have we?
You do n’t enjoy cake, do you?
He will not eat that, will he?
They wo n’t call, will they?
I should never do that, should I?
She can n’t play yet, can she?
We should n’t be here, should we?
You should n’t be napping, should you?
He is n’t annoyed, is he?
Joe has not arrived, has he?

Did you notice how the auxiliary verb was repeated in the tag most of the time, instead of the main verb? This is how it is used unless the example used the verb “be” in present simple and past simple.

How To Answer Tag Questions

The easiest way to answer a tag question clearly is by repeating the tag, and reversing it. For example, You don’t know them, do you? Yes, I do. It is possible to answer a tag question with a simple Yes or No, but that can cause confusion, especially when communicating with ESL or non-native English speakers. This is because in many languages, the opposite answering system is used.
When you’re answering a tag question, make sure that your answer is based on factual truth, rather than the question.
For our chart below, let’s use the example “Water is wet”.

Tag Question Correct Answer
Water is wet, isn’t it? Yes (it is). The answer is the same in both cases – because water IS WET!
Water isn’t wet, is it? Yes it is! Notice the change of stress when the answerer does not agree with the questioner.
Water is dry, isn’t it? No it isn’t! The answer is the same in both cases – because water IS NOT DRY!
Water isn’t dry, is it? No (it isn’t).

In other languages, people might respond to a question tag like “Water isn’t dry, is it?” with a Yes. This is because they’re trying to show agreement (“Yes, water isn’t dry”), but in English this is the wrong response.

Below are a few more examples, with the correct responses:

  • Orange juice is made from oranges, isn’t it? Yes, it is.
  • Jupiter is bigger than the Earth, isn’t it? Yes.
  • Gravity is just a rumour, isn’t it? No, it isn’t!
  • Google isn’t a search engine, is it? Yes, it is!
  • Zebras eat lions, don’t they? No, they don’t!
  • Penguins don’t fly, do they? No.
  • A sailboat doesn’t fly, does it? No, it doesn’t.
Positive Statement treated as Negative Statement Positive Tag
He could never return again, could he?
She rarely shows up these days, does she?
You hardly ever eat cake, do you?
I barely had enough, did I?
You could scarcely breathe, could you?

Special Case: Intonation

By changing the pitch of our voice, we can change the meaning of a phrase. Rising intonation causes statements to sound like questions, where as if the intonation falls, the statement sounds like it doesn’t require a real answer.

Intonation
You wouldn’t know where I placed my phone, would you? / rising Real question, requires an answer.
She’s beautiful, isn’t she? \ falling Not a real question, does not require an answer.

Special Case: Imperatives

Question tags can also contain imperatives (phrases that tell you to do something). Even though it is technically still a question, the sentence will remain an imperative sentence. As a result, it doesn’t require a direct answer. For invitations, we use the word won’t for orders we use the words can, can’t, will, and would.

Imperative + Question tag notes:
invitation Try a bite, won’t you? polite
order Copy that, can you? quite friendly
Copy that, can’t you? quite friendly (some irritation?)
Hear me out, would you? quite polite
Fix it now, will you. less polite
Don’t break it, will you. with negative imperatives only will is possible

Special Case: Same-Way Tag Questions

As we have recently discussed, the basic structure of tag questions is positive-negative or negative-positive. Though this is the most common tag question structure, it is occasionally possible to have a structure that is either positive-positive or negative-negative. This is referred to as Same-Way structure.
We do not use same-way structure to make actual questions; instead we use it to express feelings of surprise, anger, interest, etc etc.
Here are a few examples of positive-positive:

  • So you’re moving, are you? That sounds lovely.
  • He wants to buy a new car, does he? As if.
  • You think you’re quite the funny guy, do you? Think again.

Negative-negative tag questions usually sound rather hostile:

  • So you don’t like my car, don’t you?

Special Case: Asking For Information Or Help

As you may have noticed, tag questions are often used to ask for assistance or information. Instead of bursting out with a question (“Where is the bathroom?” or “Do you know where the bathroom is?”) we can ask a tag question, starting with a negative statement. This is considered a kind way to start a conversation and request information. In our example, you would say “You wouldn’t know where the bathroom is, would you?”
Here are a few examples, to help you get the hang of things:

  • You wouldn’t know how to get to main street, would you?
  • You couldn’t lend me a hand, could you?
  • You haven’t got time to talk, have you?

More Special Cases

I am correct, aren’t I? aren’t I (not amn’t I)
You have to eat, don’t you? you (do) have to eat…
I have been talking, haven’t I? use first auxiliary
Nothing showed up, did it? treat statements with nothing, nobody etc like negative statements
Let’s leave, shall we? let’s = let us
She’d better do it, hadn’t she? she had better (no auxiliary)

Mixed Examples

As you read through these examples, notice how the different context can affect the sound of the tag question. Ask yourself which of the following examples seem “normal” and which ones do not, and then ask yourself why.

  • You don’t want this job, do you?
  • This won’t work, will it?
  • You sang it, did you?
  • It couldn’t be helped, could it?
  • You wouldn’t lie, would you?
  • I’ll never know, will I?
  • It’s flooding there, isn’t it?
  • No one knows, do they?
  • You think it’s horrid, do you?
  • You like rain, don’t you?
  • Be quiet, will you!
  • She can’t go wrong, can she?
  • It all ends well, doesn’t it?

Filed Under: Verbs Tagged With: Grammar, Tag Questions, Verbs

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