11th August 2020 nfeditor

JSS 2 : GRAMMAR : WEEK 4

TERM/WEEK: THIRD TERM/WEEK 4

DATE: 12th July, 2020

CLASS: JSS 2

SUBJECT: Grammar

TOPIC: Question Tag

Reference: New Concept English for Junior Secondary Schools. Book 1

Brief explanation

Notes for the pupils

Question tags turn a statement into a question. They are often used for checking information that we know is true.

A question tag is a phrase you add to the end of a statement to make it a question or to check that someone agrees with you. It usually has a question mark.

Examples of Question Tags:

  1. You are from Oron, aren’t you?
  2. She looks very well, doesn’t she?

Rules that guide the use of question tags

  1. Question tags are mostly used orally and not in writing. Therefore, we can use the short form of verbs in question tags. g you will now, won’t you?
  2. When the answer to a question is “yes” a negative tag is used after a positive sentence. E.g.

(a) You’re hungry, aren’t you? Yes, I am.

(b) We’ll finish late, won’t we? Yes, around 9pm.

  1. When the answer to a positive question is ‘No’, a positive tag is used within a sentence.

example

(a) She can’t sing, can she? No she can’t.

(b) They won’t deliver the goods, will they? No, not at this time.

  1. If the statement is in the present tense, the tag must also be in the present or vice versa.

(a) He was late, wasn’t he?

(b) She lives here, doesn’t she?

  1. When the sentence has any form of the verb (to be, am, is, are, was, were), the same ‘be’ verb must be used in the tag.

Example

(a) She is kind, isn’t she?

(b) They were not informed, were they?

  1. When the main sentence has an auxiliary a modal verb must be used in the tag.

example

(a) They mustn’t come late, must they?

(b) He can do it, can’t he?

  1. If the verb in the question does not have an auxiliary verb or a modal verb, then use the appropriate form of the verb do (don’t/doesn’t/didn’t) in the tag

(a) She loves rice and beans, doesn’t she?

(b) They play well, don’t they?

  1. If the subject in the main sentence is a noun, change it to a pronoun in the tag.

Example

(a) Michael Tyson was a great boxer, wasn’t he?

(b)  Usher dances well, doesn’t he?

A question tag is made up of two parts – a statement and a question after it, requesting the listener to confirm or reject the statement.

Exercises/Assignment

  1. What is a question tag?
  2. How many parts does a question tag have?

Complete the following statements with the correct question tags.

  1. They have come, _________________________________
  2. We shall overcome, _______________________________
  3. He prays five times, ________________________________
  4. She doesn’t like football, ____________________________
  5. He is smart, ______________________________________
  6. They weren’t leaving, ______________________________
  7. The teacher is very kind, ___________________________
  8. Our roads aren’t good, _____________________________
  9. We have a good class captain, _______________________
  10. He does not evade tax, ____________________________

 

Day 2

Transitive an Intransitive Verbs

A verb can be defined as an action word or a doing word. It is the word which shows the action carried out by a noun.

Examples:

  1. Abuja is the capital of Nigeria.
  2. The baby was crying all the time.
  3. We are writing

 

The main function of a verb is to say something about the subject of the sentence. The subject, which is usually a noun or pronoun, is the one that performs the action of the verb. The thing that receives the action of the verb is known as the object. Therefore, a verb that allows action to pass from the subject to the object is known as a transitive verb while a verb that has a subject but no object to act on is known as an intransitive verb.

Simply put, A transitive verb is a verb which has an object.

Example:

  1. The teacher likes the students

 

Subject      T.V         object

  1. Okocha kicked the ball.

 

Subject      T.V         object

  1. The man shut the door

 

Subject      T.V         object

Intransitive verbs are verbs which have no object.

Examples:

  1. The team played very well.

 

Subject     I.V

  1. The boy is running.

 

Subject   verb        verb

  1. The baby slept.

 

Subject   verb

 

 

Exercises/Assignment

Identify transitive verbs and intransitive verbs in the sentences below

  1. We will visit our father next week.
  2. I have finished my work.
  3. Our supper will be ready in ten minutes.
  4. Abuja is the capital of Nigeria.
  5. The girl is washing the dishes.