Choose the alternative that best suits as a question tag for the following sentence :
Don't pick the flowers __________.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Don't pick the flowers, will you ?
Question tags after an imperative:
- An imperative sentence (a command or request) has "you" as its hidden subject, so the tag uses you.
- The tag for an imperative is made with will (or would, can):
- A positive command can take "will you?" or "won't you?".
- A negative command (Don't ...) takes only "will you?".
- This sentence: "Don't pick the flowers" is a negative command, so the tag is "will you?".
- Complete sentence: Don't pick the flowers, will you?
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: Don't pick the flower, Do you? — Incorrect.
- An imperative never takes a tag with do.
- It also changes "flowers" to "flower".
Option 3: Don't pick the flowers, won't you ? — Incorrect. "Won't you?" follows a positive request ("Sit down, won't you?"). A negative command takes "will you?".
Option 4: Don't pick the flowers, don't you? — Incorrect.
- Do is not used in a tag after an imperative.
- A negative sentence followed by a negative tag breaks the basic rule of tags.
Contrast: a negative command takes "will you?" (Don't pick the flowers, will you?). "Won't you?" follows a positive request (Sit down, won't you?).