SEBA Class 9 English Grammar Question Pattern

The rule for using auxiliary verbs and without an auxiliary verb

When "Who" is the Subject (No Need for "Did")

1. The teacher explained the lesson.

Ans- Who explained the lesson?

(Here, "the teacher" is the subject, so no "did" is needed.)

2. John fixed the car.

Ans- Who fixed the car?

(Here, "John" is the subject, so no "did" is needed.)

When "Who" is the Object (Using "Did")

1. Sarah met the new manager.

Ans- Who did Sarah meet?

(Here, "the new manager" is the object, so "did" is used.)

2. They hired Emily for the job.

Ans- Who did they hire for the job?

(Here, "Emily" is the object, so "did" is used.)

When "What" is the Subject (No "Did" Needed):

1. The noise startled me.

Ans- What startled you?

("The noise" is the subject; no "did" is needed.)

When "What" is the Object (Using "Did"):

1. She bought a new car.

Ans- What did she buy?

TYPE -1

1. She is buying bananas.

What is she buying?

2. That tall boy won the prize.

Which boy won the prize?

3. He lives in Delhi.

Where does he live?

4. He comes from Dibrugarh.

Where does he come from?

5. These are my books.

Whose books are these?

6. I saw the boy in the shop.

Where did you see the boy?

7. You can go there by bus or by taxi.

How can you go there?

8. I have two brothers. (Here have is the main verb)

How many brothers do you have?

9. He is unpopular for his rough behaviour.

Why is he unpopular? (Here we do not use the ‘did’ because the auxiliary verb is already there, i.e. ‘IS’)

10. The child is much better now.

How is the child now?

11. Ruhi was late because she missed the bus.

Why was Ruhi late?

12. Sameer will come at 5 PM

When will Sameer come?

13. Manab was absent because he was ill.

When was Manab absent?

14. Mr. Sharma is my English teacher.

Who is your English teacher?

TYPE -2

Q. Answer as directed in brackets.

1. We played cricket. (Use 'what')

Ans- What did you play?

2. My father is a doctor. (Ask a question to get this answer)

Ans- What does your father do?

3. The Brahmaputra is the biggest river in Assam. (Rewrite the sentence using which)

Ans- Which is the biggest river in Assam?

4. I want to go to school.

Ans- Where do you want to go?

5. He has none to help him. (Ask a question using 'Who')

Ans- Who is there to help him? (Here we do not use A.V ‘do’ because we have to make a question from subject)

6. I came here yesterday. (Put a question to get this answer)

Ans- When did you come here?

7. We visited Delhi last year. (Ask a question using 'When')

Ans- When did you visit Delhi?

8. Sushmita lives in Guwahati. (Ask a question using 'Where')

Ans- Where does Sushmita live?

9. Anirban got the first prize. (Ask a question using 'Who')

Ans- Who got the first prize?

10. I like swimming. (Ask a question using 'What')

Ans- What do you like?

11. Ravi is the tallest boy in the class. (Ask a question using 'Who')

Ans- Who is the tallest boy in the class?

12. This is my book. (Ask a question using 'Which')

Ans- Which is your book?

13. This is our house. (Use 'Whose')

Ans- Whose house is this?

14. She is ten years old. (Ask a question using 'How')

Ans- How old is she?

15. Yes, she did her work well. (Ask a question using 'Did')

Ans- Did she do her work well?

16. No, they are not my friends. (Put a question using 'Are')

Ans- Are they your friends?

17. Yes, my mother speaks Assamese at home. (Frame a question using 'Does')

Ans- Does your mother speak Assamese at home?

TYPE -3

Q. Ask a question to get the underlined part as your answer.

1. My brother has bought the gold ring for me.

Ans- Who has bought the gold ring for you?

2. The headmaster distributed the prizes.

Ans- What did the headmaster distribute?

3. The train left the station at 10 PM

Ans- When did the train leave the station?

4. She is fine now.

Ans- How is she now?

5. The Chief Minister inaugurated the program.

Ans- Who inaugurated the program?

6. The baby cried loudly.
Ans: How did the baby cry?

7. They play football in the evening.
Ans: When do they play football?

8. Ravi won the first prize.
Ans: Who won the first prize?

9. She wrote a letter.
Ans: What did she write?

10. He lives in Mumbai.
Ans: Where does he live?

11. The students are going to the library.
Ans: Where are the students going?

12. My uncle gave me a watch.
Ans: What did your uncle give you?

13. I met her yesterday.
Ans: When did you meet her?

14. He opened the door with a key.
Ans: How did he open the door?

15. She cooked dinner for her family.
Ans: For whom did she cook dinner?

TYPE -4

Q. Ask questions to get the following as your answers. Turn it into an interrogative.

1. No, the doctor hasn’t arrived.

Ans- Has the doctor arrived?

2. Yes, there is a canteen in the college.

Ans- Is there a canteen in the college?

3. Yes, I have done the work.

Ans- Have you done the work?

4. No, there is no one inside the house.

Ans- Is there anyone inside the house?

5. Yes, she called me by my name.

Ans- Did she call you by your name?

6. Yes, I am going home.

Ans- Are you going home?

7. Yes, they want to meet him.

Ans- Do they want to meet him?

8. No, he will not come tomorrow.

Ans- Will he come tomorrow?

9. No, he was not present in the meeting.

Ans- Was he present at the meeting?

10. No, she did not help me.

Ans- Did she help you?

11. Yes, Ravi has done the work.

Ans- Has Ravi done the work?

12. Yes, Amrita wants to visit Assam.

Ans- Does Amrita want to visit Assam?

13. My father is a teacher.

Ans- Is your father a teacher?

14. My father walks every morning.

Ans- Does your father walk every morning?

15. He came to school yesterday.

Ans- Did he come to school yesterday?

TYPE-5

TAG QUESTION

A tag question is a short question added to the end of a statement to confirm or check information.

Rules for making a question Tag

1. The sentence and the question tag must be in the same Tense.

2. If the sentence is positive, the question tag must be Negative, and vice versa.

3. Always use pronouns in the question tag.

4. For the Negative question Tag, use the contracted form of the Helping verb. E.g.: didn’t, hadn’t, won’t, etc.

Some contracted forms-

1. Do + not = don’t

2. Does + not = doesn’t

3. Did + not = didn’t

4. Is + not = isn’t

5. Are + not = aren’t

6. Have + not = Haven’t

7.Has + not = Hasn’t

8.Had + not = Hadn’t

9.Was + not = wasn’t

10. Were + not = weren’t

11. Shall + not = shan’t

12. Will + not = won’t

13. Can + not = can’t

14. May + not = mayn’t

15. Might + not = mightn’t

16. Could + not = couldn’t

17. Would + not = wouldn’t

18. Should + not = shouldn’t

19. Ought + not = oughtn’t

20. Must + not = mustn’t

21. Need + not = needn’t

22. Dare + not = daren’t

23. Used + not = didn’t

24. Am + not = aren’t

25. Let + us = let’s

SOME BASIC EXAMPLE-

1. The students were doing the work, weren’t they?

2. The teacher is teaching, isn’t he?

3. He is not working on the project, is he?

4. They did not come on time, did they?

5. The students were working on the project, weren’t they?

(Without auxiliary verb)

6. Children like to eat sweets, don’t they?

7. The Earth revolves around the sun, doesn’t it?

8. The student did the work, didn’t he?

Rule no-1

Some words are negative in meaning. For e.g.- hardly, barely, seldom, scarcely, rarely, barely, no, not, and never. If we find such a word in a sentence, we need to make positive question tag.

E.g.: a) He hardly does any work, does he?

b) He found barely anything to eat, did he?

c) He is seldom absent, is he?

d) He always comes on time, doesn’t he?

e) Barking dogs seldom bite, do they?

f) They often help me, don’t they?

g) It hardly rains here, does it?

Rule no-2

If the ‘little’ and ‘few’ are used in a sentence, the sentence becomes negative in meaning. Such sentences will

have positive question tags.

Note- A little/the little and a few/the few do not make the sentence negative.

E.g.: a) He did little work, did he?

b) He did a little work, didn’t he?

c) Few students did the work, did they?

d) A little knowledge is a dangerous, isn’t it?

e) The little milk left in the bottle turned sour, didn’t it?

Rule no-3

Am and are

a) I am happy, aren’t I?

b) I am not happy, am I?

Rule no-4

Difference between have and other auxiliary verbs

Some example

1. The woman has a beautiful car, doesn’t she?

2. You have to take a taxi, don’t you?

3. She had her bedroom redone, didn’t she?

4. I had a house, didn’t I?

5. I had lived in that house, hadn’t I?

6. I had the house cleaned by him, didn’t I?

7. I had cleaned the house, hadn’t I?

Rule no -4

There are certain nouns which are singular as well as plural. Ex. Team, jury, audience, panel, board, committee, council, mob, government, parliament.

E.x.: a) The team won the match, didn’t it? (Here the team is singular)

b) The team tried the uniforms, didn’t they? (Here the team is plural)

c) The mob killed the magistrate, didn’t it? (Here the mob is singular)

d) The jury gave a unanimous opinion, didn’t it? (Here the jury is singular)

e) The jury gave a divided opinion, didn’t they? (Here the jury is plural)

The jury gave a divided opinion means the people in the jury disagreed. Because they're acting individually, we use the plural tag:
“Didn’t they?” — referring to those people.

1. The audience was enjoying the concert, wasn’t it?
➡️ Singular – The audience is seen as one group doing the same thing.

2. The audience were clapping their hands, weren’t they?
➡️ Plural – The audience members are acting individually.

3. The class has submitted its project, hasn’t it?
➡️ Singular – The class is acting as a single unit.

4. The class have gone to their homes, haven’t they?
➡️ Plural – The students are acting separately.

5. The committee has reached a decision, hasn’t it?
➡️ Singular – The committee made one collective decision.6. The committee are arguing among themselves, aren’t they?
➡️ Plural – The committee members are not in agreement.

7. The family is moving to Delhi, isn’t it?
➡️ Singular – The family is doing one action together.

8. The family are packing their bags, aren’t they?
➡️ Plural – Each member is packing separately.

9. The crew was sailing smoothly, wasn’t it?
➡️ Singular – The crew is functioning as one unit.

10. The crew were fixing their own equipment, weren’t they?
➡️ Plural – Crew members are acting individually.

11. The government has passed the bill, hasn’t it?
➡️ Singular – Treated as a single authority or body.

12. The government are debating among themselves, aren’t they?
➡️ Plural – Refers to individual members discussing.

13. The team is wearing its new jersey, isn’t it?
➡️ Singular – The team is acting as one unit.

14. The team are putting on their boots, aren’t they?
➡️ Plural – Focus is on individual actions.

15. The board has taken its final decision, hasn’t it?
➡️ Singular – One decision made collectively.

16. The board were disagreeing with each other, weren’t they?
➡️ Plural – Each member had a different opinion.

17. The staff is highly trained, isn’t it?
➡️ Singular – Staff is seen as one group.

18. The staff are planning their vacations, aren’t they?
➡️ Plural – Individual members are doing different things.

19. The army was deployed at the border, wasn’t it?
➡️ Singular – The army acts as a single force.

20. The army were preparing their individual gear, weren’t they?
➡️ Plural – Focus is on individual soldiers.

Rule no-5

1. He’s got a beautiful house, hasn’t he?

2. It’s raining heavily today, isn’t it?

3. He’s busy with his work, isn’t he?

4. She’s finished her homework, hasn’t she?

5. It’s been a long day, hasn’t it?

6. He’s coming to the party tonight, isn’t he?

7. She’s gone to the market, hasn’t she?

8. It’s not your fault, is it?

9. He’s not telling the truth, is he?

10. She’s been there before, hasn’t she?

1. I’d like to have tea rather than coffee, wouldn’t I?

2. He’d completed the work on time, hadn’t he?

3. She’d never seen such a place before, had she?

4. You’d go there if you had time, wouldn’t you?

5. They’d forgotten the keys, hadn’t they?

6. He’d rather stay home tonight, wouldn’t he?

7. I’d already told her the truth, hadn’t I?

8. She’d be happy to help you, wouldn’t she?

9. They’d arrived before the guests, hadn’t they?

10. We’d never agree to that, would we?

Rule no-6

Let’s (Let + us) – It takes the tag, shall we? (In case of both positive and negative)

E.g.: a) Let’s help her to complete the work, shall we?

b) Let’s not disturb them, shall we? /shan’t we?

c) Let’s play together, shall we?

1. Let’s go for a walk, shall we?

2. Let’s not waste our time, shall we?

3. Let’s try our best in the exam, shall we?

4. Let’s have lunch now, shall we?

5. Let’s watch a movie tonight, shall we?

6. Let’s be honest with each other, shall we?

7. Let’s not talk during the meeting, shall we?

Rule no -7

E.g.: a) He dare not go there, dare he? (modal)

b) He dares to go there, doesn’t he? (Main verb)

c) He needs a book, doesn’t he? (Main verb)

d) I need not ask him, need I? (modal)

1. He need not worry about the result, need he?
➡️ Modal – Negative sentence with “need” acting as a modal (no “do/does”).

2. Dare she open the letter without permission, dare she?
➡️ Modal – Interrogative with modal use (bare verb “open”).

3. She needs to attend the meeting on time, doesn’t she?
➡️ Main Verb – “Needs” uses -s, requires “does” in tag.

4. They dare not question the manager, dare they?
➡️ Modal – Negative, no auxiliary used, modal behavior.

5. You need to bring your ID card, don’t you?
➡️ Main Verb – Uses “need” as regular verb with “do”.

6. He dared to speak the truth in public, didn’t he?
➡️ Main Verb – Past tense, uses “did” in tag.

7. She does not need to come today, does she?
➡️ Main Verb – Uses “does not”, showing regular verb use.

8. He need not stay longer than required, need he?
➡️ Modal – Negative modal construction, bare verb.

9. Dare you jump from that height, dare you?
➡️ Modal – Interrogative with modal “dare”, bare verb follows.

Rule no-8

E.g.: a) One should do one’s duties, shouldn’t one?

b) One must respect one’s elders, mustn’t one?

c) One of the students was absent, wasn’t he?

d) One girl did the work, didn’t she?

1. One should always speak the truth, shouldn’t one?
➡️ Pronoun — general subject “one”

2. One must obey the rules, mustn’t one?
➡️ Pronoun — referring to people in general

3. One has to try harder to succeed, hasn’t one?
➡️ Pronoun — universal subject

4. One mustn’t ignore one’s responsibilities, must one?
➡️ Pronoun — negative modal structure

5. One of the boys was late, wasn’t he?
➡️ Pronoun — “One” means one person from the group

6. One of the girls is singing, isn’t she?
➡️ Pronoun — “One” refers to a specific girl

7. One girl solved the puzzle, didn’t she?
➡️ Adjective — “one” describes “girl”

8. One student complained about the noise, didn’t he?
➡️ Adjective — “one” describes “student”

9. One of the books is missing, isn’t it?
➡️ Pronoun — “one” refers to one item from many

10. One should help one’s neighbours, shouldn’t one?
➡️ Pronoun — general moral subject.

Rule no-11

E.g.: a) Somebody was present, wasn’t they?

b) Something was present, wasn’t it?

c) Nobody was present, were they? (Here we can’t write was because with they we use were)

d) Nothing was present, was it?

e) Somebody stole the pen, didn’t they?

f) Nobody was present, were they?

g) Everything is clear to you, isn’t it?

h) Something is to be done, isn’t it?

i) Nothing is to be done, is it?

j) Nothing was available, was it?

Rule no-12

(with different sentences)

E.g.: a) All were present, weren’t they?

b) All of you were present, weren’t you?

c) All of them were present, weren’t they?

d) All of us were present, weren’t we?

1. All were happy with the result, weren’t they?

2. All of you were at the function, weren’t you?

3. All of them completed the task, didn’t they?

4. All of us worked hard, didn’t we?

5. All had left before noon, hadn’t they?

6. All the boys were in uniform, weren’t they?

7. All of the girls danced well, didn’t they?

8. All the books were missing, weren’t they?

9. All of the answers were correct, weren’t they?

10.All of us know the truth, don’t we?

11.All of them will come tomorrow, won’t they?

12.All of you can solve this, can’t you?

13.All the players have arrived, haven’t they?

14.All of us should help the poor, shouldn’t we?

15.All the students were present yesterday, weren’t they?

Rule no-13

(In imperative sentences order, request, advice, suggestion) the tag is used “will you/won’t you/would you”.)

In a request type of sentence, we basically used, would you?

And in positive imperative sentences we can write both won’t you or will you.

OR/

Sentence Type

Tag Used

Request / Polite offer

Would you?

Positive order / suggestion

Will you? / Won’t you?

Negative command (Don’t…)

Will you?

Irritation / anger / sarcasm

Can you? / Can’t you?E.g.: a) Somebody was present, wasn’t they?

b) Something was present, wasn’t it?

c) Nobody was present, were they? (Here we can’t write was because with they we use were)

d) Nothing was present, was it?

e) Somebody stole the pen, didn’t they?

f) Nobody was present, were they?

g) Everything is clear to you, isn’t it?

h) Something is to be done, isn’t it?

i) Nothing is to be done, is it?

j) Nothing was available, was it?

Rule no-12

(with different sentences)

E.g.: a) All were present, weren’t they?

b) All of you were present, weren’t you?

c) All of them were present, weren’t they?

d) All of us were present, weren’t we?

1. All were happy with the result, weren’t they?

2. All of you were at the function, weren’t you?

3. All of them completed the task, didn’t they?

4. All of us worked hard, didn’t we?

5. All had left before noon, hadn’t they?

6. All the boys were in uniform, weren’t they?

7. All of the girls danced well, didn’t they?

8. All the books were missing, weren’t they?

9. All of the answers were correct, weren’t they?

10.All of us know the truth, don’t we?

11.All of them will come tomorrow, won’t they?

12.All of you can solve this, can’t you?

13.All the players have arrived, haven’t they?

14.All of us should help the poor, shouldn’t we?

15.All the students were present yesterday, weren’t they?

Rule no-13

(In imperative sentences order, request, advice, suggestion) the tag is used “will you/won’t you/would you”.)

In a request type of sentence, we basically used, would you?

And in positive imperative sentences we can write both won’t you or will you.

OR/

E.g.: a) Shut the door, won’t you/will you?

b) Don’t shut the door, will you?

c) Open the window, will you/won’t you?

d) Don’t open the window, will you?

e) Have some more tea, will you?

NOTE- In case of irritation or anxiety type of sentences we use, can you? or Can’t you?

f) Shut your mouth, can’t you/can you?

g) Mind your language, can’t you/can you?

1. Close the door, will you? / won’t you?

2. Don’t make noise, will you?

3. Please pass me the salt, would you?

4. Take your seat, will you? / won’t you?

5. Don’t be late again, will you?

6. Kindly wait here, would you?

7. Help me with this bag, will you? / won’t you?

8. Don’t touch that switch, will you?

9. Come in and sit down, won’t you?

10.Have some more rice, will you?

11.Listen to me carefully, will you? / won’t you?

12.Don’t lie to me again, will you?

13.Keep your voice down, can’t you? / can you? (irritation)

14.Watch where you're going, can’t you? (annoyance)

15.Stop that noise, can’t you? / can you? (anger or frustration)