Question Tags

इन वक्यो पर विचार करे-

1. तुम राम को जानते हो न।     You know Ram, don't you?

2. वह घर गया था न?              He went home, didn't he?

3. तुम राम के भाई हो न?        You are Ram's brother, aren't you?

4. तुम मांस नहीं खाते हो न?    You don't eat meat, do you?

5. आप मेरी मदद करेंगे न?      You will help me, won't you?

6. तुमने ऐसा किया है न?        You have done so, haven't you?

इस प्रकार के वाक्य ज्यादातर बोलचाल की भाषा में प्रयुक्त होते हैं। वक्ता ऐसे वाक्यों से अपने अनुभव, विचार आदि व्यक्त करते हैं, परंतु साथ ही अपनी जिज्ञासा, शक या संदेह के कारण इसकी पुष्टि श्रोता से चाहते हैं। ऐसे English sentences का एक भाग Assertive/Imperative तथा दूसरा भाग Interrogative होता है। यह दूसरा भाग Question Tag कहलाता है।

Question और Question Tag में अंतर होता है। Question पूर्ण वाक्य होता है तथा इसका प्रयोग स्वतंत्र रूप से होता है। Question Tag का प्रयोग स्वतंत्र रूप से नहीं होता है; इसे किसी वाक्य के अंत में जोड़कर प्रयोग किया जाता है।

यदि हम किसी बात को नहीं जानते हैं, तो Question का प्रयोग करते हैं। परंतु यदि हमारे सामने कोई ऐसा तथ्य/अनुमान/विचार आता है जिसपर हम पूर्णतः आश्वस्त नहीं होते हैं, तो इसकी पुष्टि के लिए Question Tag का प्रयोग करने वाला व्यक्ति श्रोता से यह उम्मीद रखता है कि वह उसकी कथन की पुष्टि करेगा। Question Tag का प्रयोग आम बोलचाल की भाषा में अनौपचरिक रूप से किया जाता है।

Question tags are short addition to sentences, to ask for confirmation of something we are not sure about, or to ask for agreement. Question tags are not full questions. They cannot stand by themselves like other questions. The use of question tags is colloquial.

Question Tag बनाने के लिए Anomalous Finite का प्रयोग किया जाता है। अतः आप निमनलिखित 24 Anomalous Finites तथा Anomalous Finite + not के संक्षिप्त रूप (contracted forms) को अवश्य याद कर लें----

Do+not = don't

Does+not = doesn't

Did+not = didn't

Am I not = Aren't I 

Is + not = isn't

Are+not = aren't

Have+not = haven't

Has + not = hasn't

Had+not = hadn't

Was+ not = wasn't

Were+not = weren't

Shall+not = shan't

Will+ not = won't

Can+not = can't

May+not = mayn't

Might+not = mightn't

Could+not = couldn't

Would+not = wouldn't

Should+not = shouldn't

Ought+not = oughtn't

Must+not = mustn't

Need+not = needn't

Dare+not = daren't

Used+not = usedn't

Question Tags के Pattern-

1. Anomalous Finite + Subject?

2. Anomalous Finite+n't+ subject?

Note 1. Question Tag बनाने में Lexical Verb (go, eat, laugh, etc) का प्रयोग नहीं होता है।

Note 2. यदि किसी statement के अंत में Question Tag का प्रयोग करना हो, तो Question Tag के Anomalous Finite का चयन statement में प्रयुक्त Anomalous Finite पर निर्भर करेगा। अगर statement में कोई Anomalous Finite न रहे, तो Question Tag में do/does/did का प्रयोग होगा। Question Tag का Anomalous Finite, singular number में होगा कि plural number में इसका चयन Question Tag में प्रयुक्त subject के अनुसार होगा न कि statement में प्रयुक्त subject के अनुसार।

Note 3. Question Tag का subject सिर्फ pronoun या introductory "there" ही हो सकता है। Question Tag में Noun का प्रयोग नहीं होता है।

Question Tags बनाने का नियम -----

1. यदि मुलकथन positive हो, तो Negative Question Tag का प्रयोग होगा और यदि मुलकथन Negative हो, तो positive question Tag का प्रयोग होगा।

Example-

You take tea, don't you?

You don't take tea, do you?

She is beautiful, isn't she?

She is not beautiful, is she?

Ram went home, didn't he?

Ram did not go home, did he?

He will help me, won't he?

He will not help me, will he?

I am right, aren't I ?

I am not right, am I?

Note: एक बात याद रखें कि Negative statement का अर्थ यह नहीं है कि वाक्य में negative verb का प्रयोग अवश्य हो। आपको अनेक ऐसे वाक्य मिलेंगे जिनमें positive verb का प्रयोग है, परंतु negative subject/object/complement/adverb के प्रयोग से वाक्य में नकारात्मक भाव है। ऐसे वाक्यों के साथ भी Positive Question Tag का प्रयोग होता है। यदि neither, no, none, no one,  no body, nothing, few, little, hardly, rarely, scarcely या seldom किसी clause या sentence में प्रयुक्त हो, तो अभीष्ट clause या sentence, negative statement कहलाएगा।

Example-

They had no friends, had they?

No one knows this, do they?

Nobody is allowed to come, are they?

Nothing is perfect, is it?

They have nothing, have they?

A barking dog seldom bites, does he?

A few people will come, will they?

Neither of them helped you, did they?

He knows little about her, does he?

 

परन्तु a few तथा a little जो positive expressions हैं, के साथ negative question tags का प्रयोग किया जाता है।

Example-

They have a little money, haven't they?

Only a few students will get the awards, won't they?

2. Request/Command के साथ प्रायः will you/won't you Question Tag के रूप में आता है। Negative request/Command के साथ will you का प्रयोग होता है। लेकिन positive request / Command के साथ will you तथा won't you दोनों में से किसी एक का प्रयोग हो सकता है।

Example-

Don't go there again, will you?

Don't forget, will you?

Open the window, will you?

Open the window, won't you?

Please pass me your notebook, will you?

Please pass me your notebook, won't you?

Note 1: ज्यादा urgency दिखाने के लिए Positive request/Command के साथ won't you, Question Tag का ही प्रयोग होता है। 

Example-

Remember to shut the door, won't you?

Be careful while counting rupees, won't you?

Note 2: जब Imperative Verb से डांट/फटकार का भाव व्यक्त होता है, तब can't you, Question Tag का प्रयोग होता है।

Example-

Use your own own, can't you?

Use your own sense, can't you?

3. Let's (let us....) के साथ shall we, Question Tag का प्रयोग होता है।

Example-

Let us dance, Shall we?

Let's go, shall we?

Let us play together, shall we?

परन्तु Let him/her/them/Ram इत्यादि के साथ will you, Question Tag आता है।

Example-

Let him do that, will you?

Let them go, will you?

Question Tag के Subject का चयन -----

1. अगर मुलकथन का subject कोई peraonal pronoun है, तो Question Tag का Subject भी वही personal pronoun होगा। अगर मुलकथन का subject कोई noun है, तो Question Tag का subject उक्त noun के number और Gender के अनुसार he/she/it/they होगा ।

Example-

They read, don't they?

She reads, doesn't she?

You know it, don't you?

We saw him, didn't we?

I have not cheated you, have I?

It is true, isn't it?

Ram and Shyam are fast friends, aren't they?

Ram was absent, wasn't he?

Sita is not beautiful, is she?

The boys are not going tomorrow, are they?

The chair is not strong enough, is it?

2. यदि मुलकथन के subject there, One, This/That, these/those हो, तो Question Tags के Subjects क्रमशः there, one, it और they होंगे।

Example-

There is beauty in it, isn't there?

One can't do this, can one?

This is mine, isn't it?

This is enough, isn't it?

There are his cows, aren't they?

Those are good examples, aren't they?

Note: यदि one, this, that, these और those का प्रयोग Adjective की तरह हो यानि इनके तुरंत बाद Noun प्रयुक्त रहे, तो Question Tag का subject Noun के अनुसार he/she/it/they होगा।

Example-

One boy can lift it, can't he?

This girl came yesterday, didn't they?

Somebody stole my pen, didn't they?

Anyone can do so, can't they?

Nobody has seen God, have they?

Someone may come today, mayn't they?

Everybody is your enemy, aren't they?

4. यदि no, any, every, some इत्यादि के साथ thing लगा रहे यानि nothing, anything, something या everything मुलकथन का subject रहे, तो Question Tag के subject के रूप में it का प्रयोग होगा, they का नहीं।

Example-

Everything is clear to you, isn't it?

Nothing could be done, could it?

Something is to be done, isn't it?

Anything can be done for them, can't it?

5. यदि statement का subject All of us/ None of us/ One of us/ Anyone of us/ Some of us/ Most of us/ Everyone of us/ Either of us/ Neither of us रहे, तो Question Tag के subject के रूप में we आएगा। यदि us के बदले you या them रहे, तो Question Tag के subject के रूप में क्रमशः you और they आएगा।

Example-

All of us can do this, can't we?

All of you can do this, can't you?

All of them can do this, can't they?

Most of us have read the book, haven't we?

Most of you have read the book, haven't you?

Most of them don't know this, do they?

Neither of you has done this, have you?

Either of you is guilty, aren't you?

None of us have seen the Tajmahal, have we?

Some Special Notes:

1. I am your best friend, aren't I? यहां " aren't I " सही Question Tag है। इसके बदले amn't I लिखना या बोलना गलत है।

2. Negative Question Tag में Anomalous Finite+not के संक्षिप्त रूप (contracted forms) का ही प्रयोग होगा।

3. Dare/Need का प्रयोग Full Verb तथा Auxiliary Verb दोनों ही प्रकार से होता है। यदि मुलकथन में dare/need का प्रयोग Auxiliary Verb के तरह हो, तो Question Tag में dare/need का ही प्रयोग होगा। यदि मुलकथन में dare/need का प्रयोग Full Verb के रूप में हो, तो Question Tag में dare/need का प्रयोग न होकर कोई अन्य उपयुक्त Anomalous Finite का प्रयोग होगा।

Example-

He dare not go there, dare he?

He doesn't dare to go, does he?

They have dared to beat him, haven't they?

I needn't ask him, need I?

I don't need to ask him, do I?

He dares to go there, doesn't he?

He needs a book, doesn't he?

I will need nothing, will I?

No students dare disobey, dare they?

You need have no fear, need you?

Nobody will dare to beat us, will they?

(Auxiliary Verb के रूप में dare/need का प्रयोग मुख्यत:  Negative तथा Interrogative sentences में ही होता है।)

4. अगर मुलकथन में used to का प्रयोग हो, तो Question Tag में usedn't / didn't का प्रयोग होगा। अगर usedn't to का प्रयोग हो, तो used/did का प्रयोग होगा।

Example-

He used to go there, usedn't he?

He used to go there, didn't he?

They usedn't to go there, used they?

They usedn't to go there, did they?

Thanks