ASKING AND ANSWERING TAG QUESTIONS Leading Questions Used

ASKING AND ANSWERING TAG QUESTIONS Leading Questions Used in cross-examination, NOT direct examination

RULES Main clause in affirmative, tag in negative • • If you AGREE with assumption, simply answer YES. If you DISAGREE with assumption, answer NO + appropriate negative tag No I don’t/am not/have not/did not/was not, etc. EXAMPLE Q: Mr. Hudson, you have a history of arguments with prison guards, don’t you? Yes (=Yes, I do. This is the expected answer based on the question, so it requires only a one-word answer. ) No, I don’t (Stated emphatically because it is not the expected answer based on the question. )

RULES Main clause in negative, tag in affirmative • • If you AGREE with assumption, simply answer NO. If you DISAGREE with assumption, answer YES + appropriate affirmative tag Yes I do/am/have/did/was, etc. EXAMPLE Q: Officer Mc. Millian, you don’t like Mr. Hudson very much, do you? No. (=No, I don’t. This is the expected answer based on the question, so it requires only a one-word answer. ) Yes I do. (Stated emphatically because it is not the expected answer based on the question. )