Question tags

We use tags in spoken English but not in formal

written English.
They are not really questions but are a way of
asking the other person to make a comment and
so keep the conversation open.
Making a tag is very mechanical. To make a tag,
use the first auxiliary. If there is no auxiliary, use
do, does or did.

The two basic rules about tag questions are:

If the statement is negative, the tag must
be positive. If the statement is positive the tag
must be negative.

Ex: You don't like me, do you?

He doesn't speak English, does he?
You're coming to my party, aren't you?
She's very sad, isn't she?

Positive statement tag questions

Subject

auxiliary

Main verb

auxiliary

not

Personal
pronoun

You

are

coming,

are

n't

you?

We

have

finished,

have

n't

we?

do

n't

you?

You

like

drink,

They

will

help

wo

n't

they?

can

come

can

`t

I?

We

must

go

must

n't

we?

He

should

try

harder

should

n't

he?

You

are

teacher

are

n't

you?

She

was

here

was

n't

she?

Negative statement positive tags

Subject

auxiliary

main verb

auxiliary

Personal
pronoun

It

is

n't

raining,

is

it?

We

have

never

seen

that,

have

we?

You

do

n't

like

wine,

do

you?

They

will

not

help,

will

they?

They

wo

n't

report

us,

will

they?

can

never

do

it right,

can

i?

We

must

n't

tell

her,

must

we?

Kate

should

n't

drive

so fast

should

she?

You

won

n't

be

late

will

you?

You

are

n't

Russian

are

you?

Pit

was

not

there

was

he?

Notice that in the tag, we repeat the auxiliary verb,

not the main verb. Except, of course, for the
verb be in present simple and past simple.
* You are teacher, aren't you?
* She was here, wasnt she?
* You aren't Russian, are you?
* Pit was not there, was he?

The tense of the tag is determined by the tense

of the auxiliary/modal verb of the statement that
precedes it. If the statement does not use an
auxiliary/modal (i.e. it is in the present or past
simple tense), then the auxiliary to do must be
used.
Examples:
She comes from Japan, doesn't she?
You like house music, don't you?
He got top grade in the math test, didn't he?
I really messed up, didn't I?

The intonation
A problem with tags is getting the intonation right.
Basically, it depends whether or not you are
expecting an answer to your question.
- She's from Macedonia, isn't she?
(flat or falling intonation - short pause before the
tag - more a statement than a question, not
really expecting an answer)

She's from Macedonia, isn't she?

(sharply rising intonation - longer pause before the
tag - a question expecting an answer)
-

Answering question tags

How do we answer a tag question? Often, we just
say Yes or No. Sometimes we may repeat the tag
and reverse it (They dont live here, do they? Yes,
they do).
* Answer a tag question according to the truth of the
situation. Your answer reflects the real facts, not
(necessarily) the question.
* In some languages, people answer a question like Moon
isn't red, is it?" with "Yes" (meaning "Yes, I agree with
you"). This is the wrong answer in English!

Examples with correct answers:

- The English alphabet doesn't have 31 letter, does
it? No, it doesn't.
- Men don't have babies, do they? No, they don't.
- The earth is bigger than the sun, isn't it? No,
it isn't!

Thanks for your attention !