Karamö, le prof virtuelLeçon 7 sur 15
Question tags
Je sais ajouter la bonne question tag (isn't it?, don't you?, did she?…) à la fin d'une phrase anglaise, à tous les temps et dans les cas particuliers.
- 45 min
- 6 exercices corrigés
- 1 schéma
- QCM de 5 questions
À la fin de la leçon, tu sauras :
- Former une question tag avec le bon auxiliaire, la bonne forme et le bon pronom
- Appliquer la règle « phrase affirmative → tag négatif, phrase négative → tag affirmatif »
- Traiter les cas particuliers (I am, let's, impératif, never, nobody, there is)
- Comprendre le sens selon l'intonation
Avant de commencer : Les auxiliaires be, have, do et les modaux ; les pronoms personnels ; les 12 temps de l'anglais.
1Je découvre
Au marché de Madina, Sékou, un étudiant, discute avec un visiteur anglophone venu du Ghana. Le visiteur regarde les étals et dit :
« It's very hot today, isn't it? »
Sékou répond : « Yes, it is. You like our mangoes, don't you? »
Le visiteur sourit : « Yes, I do. You don't speak Twi, do you? »
Sékou remarque ces petites questions ajoutées à la fin des phrases : isn't it? don't you? do you? Elles ressemblent au « n'est-ce pas ? » ou au « hein ? » du français. Mais en français, on dit toujours « n'est-ce pas », alors qu'en anglais, la petite question change à chaque phrase.
L'exercice « Add the correct question tags » est un classique des épreuves d'anglais, et il est facile à réussir… si l'on connaît la règle.
Comment former la bonne question tag pour chaque phrase ?
2Je comprends
1. Définition et rôle
Une question tag (ou tag question) est une courte question placée à la fin d'une phrase, après une virgule. On l'utilise pour :
- demander une confirmation quand on pense déjà connaître la réponse ;
- entretenir la conversation, montrer qu'on attend une réaction.
Elle se compose de deux mots : auxiliaire + pronom sujet : isn't it? can you? did they?
2. La règle de base : on inverse la forme
- Phrase affirmative → tag négative : *You are tired, aren't you?*
- Phrase négative → tag affirmative : *You aren't tired, are you?*
- 1Je repère l'auxiliaire de la phrase (be, have, will, can…) ; s'il n'y en a pas, j'utilise do, does ou did.
- 2Je regarde si la phrase est affirmative ou négative.
- 3J'inverse : affirmative → tag négative (contractée) ; négative → tag affirmative.
- 4Je reprends le sujet sous forme de pronom (Fanta → she, the children → they).
- 5J'écris : virgule + auxiliaire + pronom + point d'interrogation.
3. Le choix de l'auxiliaire
S'il y a un auxiliaire ou un modal dans la phrase, on le reprend :
- She is a nurse, isn't she?
- They were playing, weren't they?
- You have finished, haven't you?
- He will come, won't he? (won't = will not)
- We can swim, can't we?
- You should apologise, shouldn't you?
S'il n'y a pas d'auxiliaire (present simple ou past simple à la forme affirmative), on utilise do / does / did :
- *You live in Faranah, don't you?*
- *Alpha plays football, doesn't he?*
- *They arrived late, didn't they?*
La tag reprend le temps de la phrase : présent → do/does, passé → did.
4. Le pronom
La tag contient toujours un pronom personnel sujet, jamais un nom :
*Mariama is clever, isn't she?* (pas ~~isn't Mariama?~~)
*The pupils have left, haven't they?*
*This book is yours, isn't it?* (this / that → it ; these / those → they)
5. Les cas particuliers
| Phrase | Tag | Remarque |
|---|---|---|
| I am right, | aren't I? | on ne dit pas ~~amn't I~~ |
| I'm not late, | am I? | négatif normal |
| Let's go to the stadium, | shall we? | proposition |
| Close the door, | will you? / would you? / can you? | impératif : demande polie |
| Don't be late, | will you? | impératif négatif |
| There is a problem, | isn't there? | there est repris |
| There were many people, | weren't there? | |
| Nobody called, | did they? | nobody, somebody, everybody → they |
| Everything is ready, | isn't it? | nothing, everything → it |
| He never lies, | does he? | never, hardly, seldom, nothing, nobody rendent la phrase négative |
| I have to go, | don't I? | have to se construit avec do |
| He had a shower, | didn't he? | have = action → did |
Attention à la forme contractée 'd : *You'd better go, hadn't you?* (had better) mais *You'd like some tea, wouldn't you?* (would like). De même, 's peut être is ou has : *She's finished, hasn't she?* (has finished), *She's tired, isn't she?* (is tired).
6. Le sens de l'intonation (à l'oral)
- Intonation descendante : on est presque sûr, on attend un simple accord. It's hot today, isn't it? ↘
- Intonation montante : on n'est pas sûr, c'est une vraie question. You're coming tomorrow, aren't you? ↗
La réponse reprend l'auxiliaire : — You like mangoes, don't you? — Yes, I do. / No, I don't.
Méthode
Pour ajouter une question tag :
- Je cherche l'auxiliaire ou le modal (am, is, are, was, were, have, has, had, will, can, must…).
- S'il n'y en a pas : present simple → do/does ; past simple → did.
- Je regarde si la phrase contient une négation (not, n't, never, nobody, nothing, hardly) : si oui, tag affirmative ; sinon, tag négative contractée.
- Je remplace le sujet par un pronom (there reste there ; nobody → they ; everything → it).
- Je vérifie les cas particuliers : I am → aren't I ; let's → shall we ; impératif → will you.
Exemple
Add question tags.
a) Hawa speaks Pular.
b) The children didn't sleep well.
c) Your brother has been to Kankan.
a) Pas d'auxiliaire, present simple, 3e personne → does ; phrase affirmative → doesn't ; Hawa → she.
Hawa speaks Pular, doesn't she?
b) Auxiliaire did, phrase négative → tag affirmative ; the children → they.
The children didn't sleep well, did they?
c) Auxiliaire has, affirmative → hasn't ; your brother → he.
Your brother has been to Kankan, hasn't he?
Exemple
Add question tags.
a) I am your best friend.
b) Nobody knows the answer.
c) Let's start the revision.
d) He never eats meat.
a) Cas particulier : I am… → aren't I? → I am your best friend, aren't I?
b) Nobody rend la phrase négative ; pronom they ; present → do : Nobody knows the answer, do they?
c) Let's → shall we? : Let's start the revision, shall we?
d) Never rend la phrase négative ; present, he → does : He never eats meat, does he?
3Je retiens
Je retiens
Question tag = virgule + auxiliaire + pronom sujet + ?
Phrase affirmative → tag négative ; phrase négative → tag affirmative.
On reprend l'auxiliaire ou le modal ; sans auxiliaire : do / does / did.
On remplace le sujet par un pronom (this → it ; there → there ; nobody → they).
Cas particuliers : I am → aren't I? ; Let's → shall we? ; impératif → will you? ; never / nobody / nothing → tag affirmative.
Réponse courte : Yes, I do. / No, she isn't.
4Erreurs fréquentes
- Garder la même forme que la phrase : on écrit « She is tired, isn't she? », pas « She is tired, is she? ».
- Répéter le nom au lieu du pronom : « Kadiatou works hard, doesn't she? », pas « doesn't Kadiatou? ».
- Oublier que never et nobody sont négatifs : « He never comes late, does he? », pas « doesn't he? ».
- Se tromper de temps avec do : « They went home, didn't they? », pas « don't they? ».
5Je m’exerce
1Exercice 1
Add question tags (verb be and modals).
a) You are from Kissidougou, ...
b) It wasn't difficult, ...
c) They can drive, ...
d) She will help us, ...
e) We mustn't smoke here, ...
Voir le corrigéCacher le corrigé
a) aren't you? b) was it? c) can't they? d) won't she? e) must we?
2Exercice 2
Add question tags (do, does, did).
a) Your father works at the port, ...
b) You like attiéké, ...
c) They visited Dalaba last year, ...
d) Ousmane doesn't eat fish, ...
Voir le corrigéCacher le corrigé
a) doesn't he? b) don't you? c) didn't they? d) does he?
3Exercice 3
Add question tags (special cases).
a) I am late, ...
b) Let's go to the cinema, ...
c) Nobody came, ...
d) There is some water in the bottle, ...
e) Open the window, ...
f) She never complains, ...
Voir le corrigéCacher le corrigé
a) aren't I? b) shall we? c) did they? d) isn't there? e) will you? (ou would you? / can you?) f) does she?
4Exercice 4
Correct the mistakes in the question tags.
a) He is a doctor, is he?
b) Fatoumata sings well, isn't she?
c) You didn't call me, didn't you?
d) The pupils have finished, haven't the pupils?
Voir le corrigéCacher le corrigé
a) He is a doctor, isn't he? (affirmative → négative)
b) Fatoumata sings well, doesn't she? (pas d'auxiliaire → does)
c) You didn't call me, did you? (négative → affirmative)
d) The pupils have finished, haven't they? (pronom)
5Exercice 5
(BAC format) Add the correct question tags.
a) Guinea became independent in 1958, ...
b) You've already done your homework, ...
c) Lansana hardly ever goes out, ...
d) The rainy season hasn't started yet, ...
e) Everybody was happy, ...
f) You'd better see a doctor, ...
Voir le corrigéCacher le corrigé
a) didn't it? (past simple, Guinea → it)
b) haven't you? (You've = you have)
c) does he? (hardly ever rend la phrase négative)
d) has it? (négative → affirmative)
e) weren't they? (everybody → they, avec le verbe au pluriel dans la tag)
f) hadn't you? (You'd better = you had better)
6Exercice 6
Write a short dialogue (6 lines) between two friends meeting after the holidays. Use at least four different question tags and short answers.
Voir le corrigéCacher le corrigé
Example answer:
Fanta: Hello Aïssatou! You spent the holidays in Labé, didn't you?
Aïssatou: Yes, I did. The evenings were cool there. You stayed in Conakry, didn't you?
Fanta: Yes, I did. You didn't forget my English book, did you?
Aïssatou: No, I didn't. Here it is.
Fanta: We'll revise together this weekend, won't we?
Aïssatou: Yes, we will. Let's start on Saturday, shall we?
Cherche d’abord seul, sur ton cahier, puis ouvre le corrigé pour comparer.
6Je vérifie
Choisis une réponse pour chaque question : la correction s’affiche aussitôt.
Crée ton compte élève gratuit pour cocher les leçons terminées, suivre ta progression et gagner des points au QCM.
