TAG

TAG. A term in LINGUISTICS for several types of structure in which one or more words are tagged on to a clause or sentence, including: (1) Continuation tags. Words and phrases used as shorthand at the end of a list: etc.; and so on; and so forth. (2) Questioning and commenting tags. Questions, questioning words, and commenting words that can be added to statements are common in formal conversation: ‘She's pretty, don't you think?’; ‘You'll pay me back tomorrow, OK?’; ‘It's difficult, I suppose’; ‘You know, it can't be easy for her.’ Such forms can usually be rearranged as standard questions and statements: Don't you think she's pretty?; I suppose (that) it's difficult. (3) Focusing and emphasizing tags. These usually restate the subject and sometimes the verb: ‘She's amazing, (is) my grandmother’; ‘My grandmother, she's amazing’; ‘She's amazing, she is’; ‘She comes here often, does Joan’ (a usage common in the North of England). See LATIN TAG, QUESTION TAG, TAG QUESTION.