Tag Questions: Meaning and basic rules of question tags for Primary 4

Class: Primary 4
Term: First Term
Week: 3
Age: 9 years
Duration: 45 minutes
Subject: English Studies
Curriculum Theme: Listening and Speaking
Focal competence: Effectively engaging in dialogues using tag questions
Skills:

• Asking and answering questions

Previous Lesson: In
Topic: Dialogue Using Tag Questions
Subject Matter: Meaning and basic rules of question tags

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:

Cognitive Domain

• State the meaning of question tags.
• Identify the basic rules for forming question tags.

Affective Domain

• Appreciate the importance of using question tags in everyday conversation.

Psychomotor Domain

• Form simple tag questions correctly.

Social Domain

• Engage in short dialogues using appropriate tag questions.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

• 2025 Revised 9 Years Basic Education Curriculum
• Relevant State Unified Scheme of Work
• A suitable English Studies textbook for Primary 4
• The HeadTeacher Scheme of work

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• Flash cards with statements and their corresponding tag questions
• Course books
• Flannel board (for displaying statements and tags)
• Chart showing examples of positive and negative statements with tags

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson helps pupils understand how to ask short questions at the end of statements to confirm information or invite agreement. Mastering tag questions enhances their conversational skills and makes their spoken English more natural and engaging. It is an important aspect of effective communication.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils should have a basic understanding of statements (positive and negative sentences) and auxiliary verbs like ‘is’, ‘are’, ‘was’, ‘were’, ‘do’, ‘does’, ‘did’, ‘have’, ‘has’, ‘had’.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Dialogue Using Tag Questions

Meaning of Tag Questions

A tag question is a short question added to the end of a statement. It is used to ask for confirmation or to encourage a reply from the listener.

For example:

1. You are happy, aren’t you?
2. She can sing, can’t she?

Basic Rules of Question Tags

There are simple rules to follow when forming tag questions:

1. Opposite Polarity: If the main statement is positive, the tag question is negative. If the main statement is negative, the tag question is positive.
   • Positive statement, negative tag: Tomorrow is Monday, isn’t it?
   • Negative statement, positive tag: You didn’t come, did you?
2. Use of Auxiliary Verb: The tag question uses the same auxiliary (helping) verb as the main statement. If there is no auxiliary verb in a present simple or past simple statement, use ‘do’, ‘does’, or ‘did’.
   • She is a student, isn’t she? (Auxiliary ‘is’)
   • They can swim, can’t they? (Auxiliary ‘can’)
   • He plays football, doesn’t he? (No auxiliary, so ‘does’ is used for present simple ‘plays’)
   • You went to the market, didn’t you? (No auxiliary, so ‘did’ is used for past simple ‘went’)
3. Use of Pronoun: The subject of the tag question is always a pronoun that refers to the subject of the main statement.
   • Musa is tall, isn’t he? (Musa is replaced by ‘he’)
   • The girls are playing, aren’t they? (The girls are replaced by ‘they’)

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Demonstration, Guided Practice, Question and Answer, Explanation, Pair Work

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Activating prior knowledge

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and asks them to recall what a statement is. The teacher then writes a simple statement on the board, e.g., “The sun is hot.” and asks pupils to turn it into a question.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to the greeting and recall what a statement is. They attempt to turn the statement into a question.

Learning Point: Recalling statements and questions

Step 2: Explanation of Tag Questions

Time: 8 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains what a tag question is, using simple examples. The teacher demonstrates how a short question is “tagged” onto the end of a statement to ask for confirmation. For example, “The sun is hot, isn’t it?”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen attentively and observe the examples given by the teacher.

Learning Point: Meaning of tag questions

Step 3: Rule 1 – Opposite Polarity

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Discovery

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher writes several positive statements and their negative tags on flash cards (e.g., “Tomorrow is Monday, isn’t it?”). The teacher asks pupils to identify the pattern (positive statement, negative tag). Then, the teacher shows negative statements with positive tags (e.g., “You didn’t come, did you?”) and guides pupils to identify the pattern.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the flash cards, identify the patterns, and state the rule of opposite polarity.

Learning Point: Positive/negative tag rule

Step 4: Rule 2 – Auxiliary Verb Usage

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Examples

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains that the tag uses the same auxiliary verb as the statement. The teacher provides examples like “She is happy, isn’t she?” and “They can swim, can’t they?”. The teacher also explains using ‘do/does/did’ when there’s no auxiliary in present/past simple statements (e.g., “He likes oranges, doesn’t he?”).

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the explanation and observe how the auxiliary verbs are used in the tag questions.

Learning Point: Auxiliary verb in tags

Step 5: Rule 3 – Pronoun Usage

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Illustration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains that the subject of the tag is always a pronoun. The teacher gives examples like “Musa is tall, isn’t he?” and “The children are playing, aren’t they?”. The teacher ensures pupils understand how to replace nouns with appropriate pronouns.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils practice replacing nouns with pronouns in tag questions.

Learning Point: Pronouns in tag questions

Step 6: Guided Practice

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Collaborative Learning

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher writes various statements on the board and asks pupils to work in pairs to add the correct tag questions. The teacher walks around, providing support and correcting errors.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils work in pairs to form tag questions for the given statements.

Learning Point: Forming tag questions correctly

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

1. What is a tag question?
2. If a statement is positive, what kind of tag do we use?
3. Complete this sentence with a tag question: “She is a good girl, _______?”
4. Complete this sentence with a tag question: “They don’t like beans, _______?”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Understanding tag question rules

Step 8: Note-Taking

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Writing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils to copy the essential Board Summary notes on the meaning and basic rules of question tags into their notebooks.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils copy the notes carefully into their notebooks.

Learning Point: Recording lesson notes

Step 9: Conclusion

Time: 2 minutes

Teaching Skill: Reinforcement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher briefly reminds pupils that tag questions help us confirm information and make our conversations more engaging. The teacher encourages them to practice using tag questions in their daily conversations.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and acknowledge the importance of practising tag questions.

Learning Point: Consolidation of tag questions

Continuous Assessment/Further Study

Type: Homework

Instruction: Complete the following sentences by adding the correct tag questions.

1. You are learning English, ________?
2. He can play football, ________?
3. They didn’t go to school yesterday, ________?
4. She likes to read books, ________?
5. The dog isn’t barking, ________?

Lesson Keywords

• Tag question – a short question added to the end of a statement.
• Statement – a sentence that tells something.
• Auxiliary verb – a helping verb (e.g., is, are, can, do, did).
• Pronoun – a word that replaces a noun (e.g., he, she, it, they, you).

Differentiation

For weaker learners: Provide flash cards with common statements and their corresponding tag questions for repeated practice. Focus on the most basic rule (positive statement, negative tag) with simple auxiliary verbs. Allow them to work in pairs with stronger learners.

For faster learners: Challenge them to create their own statements and add tag questions, including some with ‘do/does/did’ forms. Encourage them to use tag questions in short dialogues.

Suggested Lesson Videos

For further understanding, search on YouTube for: tag questions for primary 4 english

Teacher Guide for Using This Lesson Plan

Before the lesson, prepare flash cards with various positive and negative statements, and their correct tag questions. Ensure you have a clear chart illustrating the basic rules. Start by engaging pupils with simple statements they are familiar with. When explaining the rules, use clear, simple language and provide multiple examples for each point. Encourage pupils to identify the patterns themselves during the “opposite polarity” activity. During guided practice, circulate to provide immediate feedback and correct misconceptions. Emphasize that pupils should copy the Board Summary notes neatly into their notebooks during the note-taking phase. Conclude by encouraging pupils to apply their knowledge of tag questions in their daily conversations to reinforce learning.