Tag questions
Tag questions, also called question tags are short questions that we add at the end of a statement.
— He is in his forties, isn't he? (= is that true? do you agree?)
— Yes, he's 43.
We use tag questions in dialogues when we want another person to confirm our statement or agree with it.
To make a tag question, we simply invert the auxiliary verb. It's very much like short answers.
Examples
— Angela lives in Manchester, doesn't she?
— Yes, she does.
— Alex and Joan are coming on Sunday, aren't they?
— Yes, they are.
— You haven't read that article yet, have you?
— No, I haven't.
As you can see, if the statement is positive, the verb in the tag question is negative. And vice versa, if the statement is negative, the verb in the tag question is positive.
Which auxiliary verb to use, depends on the verb tense in the statement. The most common tenses are covered in the table below. In negative tag questions, we use the contracted form of the verb.
| Verb tense | Verb in tag question | Tag question positive | Tag question negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present simple "be" | am / is / are aren't / isn't |
He is here, isn't he? | He isn't married, is he? |
| "have got" | have / has haven't / hasn't |
She has got a lot to do, hasn't she? | We haven't got much time, have we? |
| Present simple | do / does don't / doesn't |
You like ice-cream, don't you? | You don't eat meat, do you? |
| Present continuous | am / is / are aren't / isn't |
She is having fun, isn't she? | She isn't coming, is she? |
| Present perfect | have / has haven't / hasn't |
They have arrived, haven't they? | They haven't left, have they? |
| Past simple "be" | was / were wasn't / weren't |
It was late, wasn't it? | It wasn't cold, was it? |
| Past simple | did didn't |
I called you yesterday, didn't I? | I didn't tell you the news, did I? |
| Past continuous | was / were wasn't / weren't |
We were looking for you, weren't we? | We weren't talking, were we? |
| Future simple | will won't |
He will come soon, won't he? | He won't be late, will he? |
We can make tag questions with modal verbs in the same way.
You must get up early tomorrow, mustn't you?
He can't speak Korean, can he?
Now there are a few exceptions and special cases to pay attention to.
I am → aren't I?
Remember that "I am" becomes "aren't I" in the tag question.
I'm always on time, aren't I?
To make a tag question with an imperative statement, we add "will you" or "shall we" at the end.
Please wash the dishes, will you?
Don't touch that vase, will you?
Let's play some table game, shall we?
A question tag to "this is" is "isn't it".
This is Dolly's house, isn't it?
Intonation in tag questions
Intonation plays a big role in tag questions. It affects the meaning of the sentence.
1. When the voice goes down, it means you invite another person to agree with you.
— The food was delicious, wasn't it? ↘
— Yes, it was great.
2. With the voice going up, you are really asking a question.
— You haven't seen my sunglasses, have you? ↗
— Sorry, I haven't.