B1 · Question Tags — Lesson

What are question tags?

Question tags are short questions added to the end of statements. They invite agreement or check information.

Positive → negative tag

It's nice, isn't it?

Negative → positive tag

You didn't call, did you?

Rule

Positive statement + negative tag / Negative statement + positive tag

Tags with different auxiliaries

to be

She is ready, isn't she? / They aren't coming, are they?

do/does

You like coffee, don't you? / She doesn't know, does she?

did

They went, didn't they? / He didn't see it, did he?

have/has

You've finished, haven't you? / She hasn't arrived, has she?

will

You'll come, won't you?

can

She can swim, can't she?

Special cases

I am → aren't I?

I'm late, aren't I? (NOT amn't I)

Imperatives → will you?

Open the door, will you?

Let's → shall we?

Let's go, shall we?

nothing/nobody → positive

Nobody called, did they?

used to

You used to live here, didn't you?

Intonation: two very different meanings

Falling intonation ↘

It's cold today, isn't it? ↘

expects agreement — not really a question

You're Mark, aren't you? ↘

I'm fairly sure

Rising intonation ↗

She called, didn't she? ↗

genuinely unsure — asking

You haven't met her, have you? ↗

really asking

Common mistakes

She is clever, isn't she is?

→

She is clever, isn't she?

tag = auxiliary + subject only

You went, didn't you went?

→

You went, didn't you?

tag uses auxiliary only (not full verb)

They can't swim, can't they?

→

They can't swim, can they?

negative statement → positive tag

I'm late, amn't I?

→

I'm late, aren't I?

I am → aren't I (special form)

Recap

Rule

positive → negative tag · negative → positive tag

She's clever, isn't she?

Tag form

auxiliary + subject pronoun

don't you? · didn't they?

Special

I am → aren't I · let's → shall we

I'm right, aren't I?

Intonation

falling ↘ = expects agreement · rising ↗ = asking

Beautiful day, isn't it? ↘

Practice now →