Question tags

A tag question is a statement followed by a mini-question. The whole sentence is a TAG QUESTION, and the mini-question at the end is called a QUESTION TAG.

QUESTION TAG You are English,

arent you ?

TAG QUESTION

We use questions tags at the end of statements to ask for confirmation or to make the other person say something in reply and encourage conversation. Question tags are very commonly used in English.

1) Positive and negative tags POSITIVE STATEMENT, NEGATIVE TAG? NEGATIVE STATEMENT, POSITIVE TAG?

Ex: It is hot, isnt it? Ex: It isnt warm, is it?

Pay attention: never, nothing, none, neither, nobody and no one are negative constructions.

Ex:

Nobody is coming tomorrow, are they? He never says that, does he?

A negative question tag is always contracted.

Question tags

2) Auxiliary verb

If an auxiliary verb is used in the statement, the same auxiliary is used in the question tag

Ex: She is married, isnt she? You can stay, cant you? He might come, mightnt he? I ought to go, oughtnt I? We shant be late, shall we? You didnt want it, did you? They havent paid, have they? You dont like chocolate, do you?

3) No auxiliary

If there is no auxiliary in the sentence (= affirmative sentence in the present simple tense), the correct form of do/did is introduced in the question tag.

Ex:

He comes every Friday, doesnt he? You went to the supermarket, didnt you?

4) Subject
After the auxiliary verb we introduce the subject, always in the form of a personal pronoun:

Ex:

Mary is your friend, isnt she? Mary is your friend, isnt Mary?

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5) Imperatives Invitation wont
Ex: Take a seat, wont you?

Order can, cant, would, will

Ex: Help me, cant you? Close the door, would you? Go away, will you?

With negative imperatives only will is possible!

6) Be careful:

Subject anybody/anyone somebody/someone everybody/everyone that

Subject in question tag they they they it/he/she

Example Anyone could have done it, couldnt they? Somebody has come, havent they? Everybody has understood, havent they? That is a strange book, isnt it? That woman is very intelligent, isnt she? That man is so handsome, isnt he?

this these those

it/he/she they they

This is the best film weve ever seen, isnt it? These are apples, arent they? Those books arent boring, are they?

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Verb Im have (no possession) used to did We used to go to bed early, didnt we? Verb in question tag arent I dont Example Im optimistic, arent I? You have breakfast every morning, dont you?

7) Answers in tag question

Ex:

The moon is bigger than the sun, isnt it? No, it isnt! Chinese people dont eat rice, do they? Yes, they do! Zebras live in Europe, dont they? No, they dont!