Question tags
Introduction
Her birthday is in February, isn't it?
Definition
Question tags are short questions at the end of a sentence. They are commonly used as a different way of asking a question:
You're coming to the meeting, aren't you? = Are you coming to the meeting?
But they also have different uses.
Construction
Affirmative statement + negative question tag
You like sugar in your tea, don't you?
Negative statement + affirmative question tag
You don't like sugar in your tea, do you?
Note that we always use a comma between the statement and the question tag.
The construction of the question tag depends on the kind of verb in the statement:
| 'to be' | Auxiliary (modal) verbs | Other verbs |
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Repeat the verb 'to be'.
He was English, wasn't he? We're not late, are we? I'm not good at this, am I? I'm good at this, aren't I?
[note the irregular negative form with 'I']
|
Repeat the modal verb.
You've finished, haven't you? We should go, shouldn't we? She can't drive, can she? He's working, isn't he? We've got to go now, haven't we? |
Use the appropriate form of 'do'.
She left early, didn't she? He doesn't speak Spanish, does he? You like tea, don't you? We have to go now, don't we? |
Note that
The construction is different for imperative sentences - see below.
The first part of the sentence needn't contain a verb:
"Where did we last meet?"
"In Miami, wasn't it?"
I just heard about the new contract. Great, isn't it?
The tag can also be just one word. For example:
So, you've finished that, yes?
You were on holiday last week, right?
These are more familiar tags, used with people we know well.
There are also non-contracted negative forms but these are considered old-fashioned and are rarely used unless we are playing with the language. For example:
I'm good at this, am I not?
You've finished, have you not?
She left early, did she not?
Uses
| Uses | Examples |
|
To get confirmation when we think we already know the answer
Using negative statements, we show that we wish something weren't true.
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You've read the report, haven't you? He applied for the job, didn't he?
She isn't going to wear that to the party, is she?! He can't be serious about us working longer hours, can he?
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Expressing opinions and encouraging a response to keep a conversation flowing |
It's a beautiful day, isn't it? It wasn't a very useful meeting, was it? He can't sing very well, can he?
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Polite requests
|
You couldn't lend me your dictionary, could you?
You wouldn't happen to have a moment to talk about the sales figures, would you?
I don't suppose you could help me with this, could you?
You don't know where I can find a bank, do you?
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With 'let's' |
Let's take a break, shall we?
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Making the imperative more polite |
Close the door, would you? Be careful on the road, won't you? Don't forget to get some bread, will you?
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To be ironic or confrontational
Note that in these situations, we use an affirmative tag with an affirmative statement.
|
I'm unreliable, am I? I don't know why you think that.
So, you want to be a film star, do you? That's interesting!
"I'm going to the party - you can't stop me!" "Oh you are, are you? Well, we'll see about that!"
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Note that when we ask questions about likes and dislikes, we avoid the stronger verbs and use the more neutral 'like':
Do you love going to concerts? 
Do you like going to concerts? 
But we can use stronger verbs with a tag:
You love going to concerts, don't you?
She hates fish, doesn't she?
They can't stand people being late, can they?
Responses to negative questions with tags
It's important to note the correct responses:
| "You're not English, are you?" | No./No, I'm not. [I'm not English] |
|
| Yes./Yes, I am. [I'm English] |
See also negative questions and the imperative.
Examples
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We'll never finish this on time, will we?
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"You're going to burn the sausages again, aren't you?" "No, I'm not - stop worrying, will you?"
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I don't suppose you could give this to Andrew, could you? I've got to go out now. |
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There isn't any cake left, is there? |
Oh no, it isn't raining again, is it?! |
"Do you know when the interviews are starting?" "At 10.00, aren't they?" |
