Tag Questions
You speak English, don't you? |
A "tag" is something small that we add to something larger. For example, the little piece of cloth added to a shirt showing size or washing instructions is a tag.
We use tag questions at the end of statements to ask for confirmation. They mean something like: "Am I right?" or "Do you agree?" They are very common in English.The basic structure is:
+ Positive statement, | - negative tag? |
Snow is white, | isn't it? |
- Negative statement, | + positive tag? |
You don't like me, | do you? |
positive statement [+] | negative tag [-] | notes: | |||||
subject | auxiliary | main verb | auxiliary | not | personal pronoun (same as subject) | ||
You | are | coming, | are | n't | you? | ||
We | have | finished, | have | n't | we? | ||
You | do | like | coffee, | do | n't | you? | |
You | like | coffee, | do | n't | you? | You (do) like... | |
They | will | help, | wo | n't | they? | won't = will not | |
I | can | come, | can | 't | I? | ||
We | must | go, | must | n't | we? | ||
He | should | try | harder, | should | n't | he? | |
You | are | English, | are | n't | you? | no auxiliary for main verb be present & past | |
John | was | there, | was | n't | he? |
negative statement [-] | positive tag [+] | ||||||
subject | auxiliary | main verb | auxiliary | personal pronoun (same as subject) | |||
It | is | n't | raining, | is | it? | ||
We | have | never | seen | that, | have | we? | |
You | do | n't | like | coffee, | do | you? | |
They | will | not | help, | will | they? | ||
They | wo | n't | report | us, | will | they? | |
I | can | never | do | it right, | can | I? | |
We | must | n't | tell | her, | must | we? | |
He | should | n't | drive | so fast, | should | he? | |
You | are | n't | English, | are | you? | ||
John | was | not | there, | was | he? |
I am right, aren't I? | aren't I (not amn't I) |
You have to go, don't you? | you (do) have to go... |
I have been answering, haven't I? | use first auxiliary |
Nothing came in the post, did it? | treat statements with nothing, nobody etc like negative statements |
Let's go, shall we? | let's = let us |
He'd better do it, hadn't he? | he had better (no auxiliary) |
- But you don't really love her, do you?
- This will work, won't it?
- Well, I couldn't help it, could I?
- But you'll tell me if she calls, won't you?
- We'd never have known, would we?
- The weather's bad, isn't it?
- You won't be late, will you?
- Nobody knows, do they?
- You don't know of any good jobs, do you?
- You couldn't help me with my homework, could you?
- You haven't got $10 to lend me, have you?
Intonation
We can change the meaning of a tag question with the musical pitch of our voice. With rising intonation, it sounds like a real question. But if our intonation falls, it sounds more like a statement that doesn't require a real answer:intonation | |||
You don't know where my wallet is, | do you? | / rising | real question |
It's a beautiful view, | isn't it? | \ falling | not a real question |
Answers to tag questions
A question tag is the "mini-question" at the end. A tag question is the whole sentence.
How do we answer a tag question? Often, we just say Yes or No. Sometimes we may repeat the tag and reverse it (..., do they? Yes, they do). Be very careful about answering tag questions. In some languages, an oposite system of answering is used, and non-native English speakers sometimes answer in the wrong way. This can lead to a lot of confusion!Answer a tag question according to the truth of the situation. Your answer reflects the real facts, not (necessarily) the question.
For example, everyone knows that snow is white. Look at these questions, and the correct answers:tag question | correct answer | ||
Snow is white, isn't it? | Yes (it is). | the answer is the same in both cases - because snow IS WHITE! | but notice the change of stress when the answerer does not agree with the questioner |
Snow isn't white, is it? | Yes it is! | ||
Snow is black, isn't it? | No it isn't! | the answer is the same in both cases - because snow IS NOT BLACK! | |
Snow isn't black, is it? | No (it isn't). |
Here are some more examples, with correct answers:
- The moon goes round the earth, doesn't it? Yes, it does.
- The earth is bigger than the moon, isn't it? Yes.
- The earth is bigger than the sun, isn't it? No, it isn't!
- Asian people don't like rice, do they? Yes, they do!
- Elephants live in Europe, don't they? No, they don't!
- Men don't have babies, do they? No.
- The English alphabet doesn't have 40 letters, does it? No, it doesn't.
Question tags with imperatives
Sometimes we use question tags with imperatives (invitations, orders), but the sentence remains an imperative and does not require a direct answer. We use won't for invitations. We use can, can't, will, would for orders.imperative + question tag | notes: | |
invitation | Take a seat, won't you? | polite |
order | Help me, can you? | quite friendly |
Help me, can't you? | quite friendly (some irritation?) | |
Close the door, would you? | quite polite | |
Do it now, will you? | less polite | |
Don't forget, will you? | with negative imperatives only will is possible |
Same-way question tags
Although the basic structure of tag questions is positive-negative or negative-positive, it is sometime possible to use a positive-positive or negative-negative structure. We use same-way question tags to express interest, surprise, anger etc, and not to make real questions.- So you're having a baby, are you? That's wonderful!
- She wants to marry him, does she? Some chance!
- So you think that's amusing, do you? Think again.
- So you don't like my looks, don't you?
Question tags
Use
frequently used in spoken English when you want s.o. to agree or disagreeForm
positive statement ->question tag negative - You are Tom, aren't you?negative statement->question tag positive - He isn't Joe, is he?
Examples
with auxiliariesYou've got a car, haven't you?
without auxiliaries (use: don't, doesn't, didn't)
They play football on Sundays, don't they?
She plays football on Sundays, doesn't she?
They played football on Sundays, didn't they?
Questions tags are used to keep a conversation going. You can agree or refuse to a sentence with a question tag.
You go to school, don't you? | |
You agree. | You refuse. |
Yes, I do. | No, I don't. |
You aren't from Germany, are you? | |
You agree. | You refuse. |
No, I'm not. | Yes, I am. |
Questions tags - Special
Although the negative word not is not in the sentence, the sentence can be negative. Then we use the "positive" question tag.He never goes out with his dog, does he? |
We have a car, _____? | |
We have a car, haven't we? | We have a car, don't we? |
mostly British English | mostly American English |
Open the window, will you? | Don't open your books, will you? |
Let's take the next bus, shall we? |
We must be at home at 8 pm, mustn't we? | |
Yes, we must. | No, we needn't. |
Procedure adding a question tag
Look at the sentence. | ||
1 | Is an auxiliary or a form of to be in the sentence? | |
yes | no | |
auxiliary or form of to be affirmative -> negate auxiliary (add n't) auxiliary or form of to be negative -> (delete n't) | affirmative sentence -> Negate sentence (e.g. don't; doesn't; didn't) negative sentence -> (delete n't) | |
2 | Is a personal pronoun the subject of the sentence? | |
yes | no | |
Use the personal pronoun. | Form the personal pronoun. | |
3 | Complete the sentence. |
Example 1: He can play football, ________. | ||
1 | Is an auxiliary or a form of to be in the sentence? | |
yes -> can | ||
auxiliary or form of to be affirmative -> negate auxiliary (add n't) can't | ||
2 | Is a personal pronoun the subject of the sentence? | |
yes | ||
Use the personal pronoun. | ||
3 | He can play football, can't he? |
Example 2: Peter can play football, ________. | ||
1 | Is an auxiliary or a form of to be in the sentence? | |
yes -> can | ||
auxiliary or form of to be affirmative -> negate auxiliary (add n't) can't | ||
2 | Is a personal pronoun the subject of the sentence? | |
no | ||
Form the personal pronoun. Peter -> he | ||
3 | Peter can play football, can't he? |
Example 3: Peter plays football, ________. | ||
1 | Is an auxiliary or a form of to be in the sentence? | |
no | ||
affirmative sentence -> Negate the verb. verb plays -> Negation: doesn't play We only use the auxiliary doesn't. | ||
2 | Is a personal pronoun the subject of the sentence? | |
no | ||
Form the personal pronoun. Peter -> he | ||
3 | Peter plays football, doesn't he? |
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