In this question on question tags in English, consider the statement "Life offers myriad choices." Choose the correct question tag that should follow this statement.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: doesn't it?

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This question deals with the correct formation of question tags, a common feature in spoken and written English. The main statement is Life offers myriad choices. Question tags are short questions added to the end of a statement to seek confirmation or agreement, such as does it not, does it, or does it not in contracted forms. To form a correct tag, you need to pay attention to the tense and auxiliary verb in the main clause and then choose the opposite polarity for the tag. Here the statement is positive, so the tag must be negative.


Given Data / Assumptions:
The important elements of the sentence are as follows.

  • Main clause: Life offers myriad choices.
  • Verb: offers, simple present tense.
  • Auxiliary verb: none is explicitly present, so we supply a form of do for the tag.
  • Subject: life, which is singular and treated as it in the tag.
  • Polarity: the statement is positive, so the tag must be negative.


Concept / Approach:
The basic rule for forming question tags is that the auxiliary verb in the tag matches the tense and subject of the main clause, and the tag has opposite polarity: positive statement with negative tag, negative statement with positive tag. When the main clause has no auxiliary, we use do, does, or did. For a singular third person subject in the simple present, does is the correct auxiliary. The corresponding negative contracted form is does not, usually written as does not or does not. Therefore, the correct question tag after Life offers myriad choices is does not it?, normally written in contracted form as does not it?.


Step-by-Step Solution:

Step 1: Identify the tense of the main verb offers; it is simple present. Step 2: Recognise that the subject life is a singular third person noun, which takes does in question forms. Step 3: Note that the statement is positive, so the question tag must be negative. Step 4: Form the tag by using does plus the negative not and the pronoun it, giving does not it?, which is written as does not it? in contracted form.


Verification / Alternative check:
Combine the statement and the tag: Life offers myriad choices, does not it? This sounds like a normal English sentence seeking agreement that life provides many options. If we change the tag to a positive one, such as does it?, the sentence would suggest doubt about whether life offers choices, which does not fit the tone of a general affirmative statement. Changing the auxiliary to did or is would introduce tense or aspect mismatches. Therefore, the tag with does not is the only one that fully matches the rules of question tags for this sentence.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A, should not it?, uses should, which is a modal auxiliary expressing suggestion or obligation, not simple present fact, so it does not match the verb offers. Option B, does it?, has the correct auxiliary but is positive, while the main clause is also positive, so the polarity rule is violated. Option D, is it?, uses the verb be, which is not the auxiliary used in the main clause, so it does not agree with the structure of offers. Option E, did not it?, shifts the sentence into past time, which is incorrect for the general present truth expressed in Life offers myriad choices. Only option C correctly uses does not it? as a negative tag to match the simple present main clause.


Common Pitfalls:
Students often become confused about which auxiliary to use in a question tag and may choose any verb that seems to agree with the subject. However, question tags must reflect the same tense and auxiliary pattern as the main clause. Another common error is forgetting the polarity rule and selecting a positive tag after a positive statement. To avoid these problems, first identify the subject and tense of the main clause, decide whether it is positive or negative, and then form the tag accordingly. Regular practice with different sentence types will make this process automatic.


Final Answer:
The correct question tag is: Life offers myriad choices, does not it?

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