Question

He hardly comes to office these days,---------------- ?

• A. did he
• B. does he
• C. doesn't he
• D. don't he

Answer 1

Answer:

B. does he

Question Tag Formation Rules

• Rule 1: Affirmative Sentence, Negative Tag - If the main sentence is affirmative, the question tag must be negative. If the main sentence is negative, the question tag must be affirmative.
• Rule 2: Auxiliary Verbs - Use the same auxiliary verb in the tag as in the main sentence.
• Rule 3: No Auxiliary Verb - If there is no auxiliary verb in the main sentence (simple present or simple past tense), use 'do', 'does', or 'did' in the tag.
• Rule 4: Pronoun Usage - Use a pronoun in the tag that refers to the subject of the main sentence.

Application to the Given Sentence

• The sentence is "He hardly comes to office these days".
• 'Hardly' is a negative adverb. Words like 'hardly', 'scarcely', 'barely', 'seldom', 'rarely', 'never', 'no', 'none', 'nothing' make the sentence negative in meaning.
• Therefore, even though the verb 'comes' is affirmative, the sentence has a negative implication due to 'hardly'.
• Rule 1: Negative Sentence, Affirmative Tag - Since the sentence is considered negative in meaning, the question tag should be affirmative.
• The main verb is 'comes' (simple present tense). There is no auxiliary verb.
• Rule 3: Use of 'does' - For the third-person singular subject 'He' in the simple present tense, we use 'does' as the auxiliary verb in the tag.
• Rule 4: Pronoun Usage - The subject is 'He', so the pronoun in the tag should be 'he'.
• Combining these points, the correct affirmative question tag is 'does he'.

Common Mistakes and Exam Focus

• Misinterpreting 'hardly': Many students mistake sentences with 'hardly', 'scarcely', etc., as affirmative and form a negative tag (e.g., 'doesn't he'). This is incorrect.
• Tense and Auxiliary Verb Consistency: Ensure the correct auxiliary verb ('do', 'does', 'did') is used based on the tense and subject of the main clause.
• Pronoun Agreement: The pronoun in the tag must agree with the subject of the main sentence in number and gender.