Tag Question, isn’t it?By: Hussain Al-ghawi

What is Tag Questions

A tag question is a special construction in English.

It is a statement followed by a mini-question.

We use tag questions to ask for confirmation. They mean something like: "Is that right?" or "Do

you agree?"

They are very common in English

Tag questions with be, have, or modal

Positive statement Negative tag answer

Statement with be, Have, or Modal

Be, have, or modal + Not

Subject Affirmative Negative

I’m right, Aren’t I ? Yes, you are No, you aren’t

He was tried, Wasn’t He? Yes, he was No, he wasn’t

We have finished, Haven’t We? Yes, you have No, you haven’t

They should come, Shouldn’t They? Yes, they should

No, they shouldn’t

Continue

Positive statement Negative tag answer

Statement with be, Have, or Modal

Be, have, or modal Subject Affirmative Negative

I’m not right, am I ? Yes, you are No, you aren’t

He wasn’t tried, Was He? Yes, he was No, he wasn’t

We haven’t finished, Have We? Yes, you have No, you haven’t

They shouldn’t come, Should They? Yes, they should

No, they shouldn’t

Tag Questions with Do

Positive statement Negative tag answer

Simple present or past statement

Do/does + Not Subject Affirmative Negative

I play badly, Don’t I? Yes, you do. No, you don’t.

It costs a lot, Doesn’t It? Yes, it does. No, it doesn’t.

You live nearby, Don’t You? Yes, we do. No, we don’t.

They sang well, Don’t They? Yes, they did. No, they didn’t.

Continue Negative statement Positive tag answer

Statement with be, Have, or Modal

Do/does Subject Affirmative Negative

I don’t play badly, Do I? Yes, you are No, you aren’t

It doesn’t cost a lot, Does It? Yes, he was No, he wasn’t

They didn’t sang well, Did They? Yes, they should

No, they shouldn’t

Note: After simple present or past statement with all verbs except be, use the correct form of do in the

tag.

You live nearby, don’t you? It doesn’t cost a lot, does it?

They sang well, didn’t they? They didn’t sing well, did they?

Answer tag questions with do in the same way you answer YES/NO questions with do.

A. It cost a lot, doesn’t it? B. They didn’t sing well, did they?

B: yes, it does. Or No, it doesn’t B. yes, they did. OR No, they didn’t.

Subject Pronouns In Tag Questions

Statement Tag

He seems shy, Doesn’t he?

John seems shy Doesn’t he?

This is fun, Isn’t it?

These are Ana’s, Aren’t they?

Those are mine, Aren’t they?

There’s more hot water Isn’t there?

Note:• When a personal pronoun is used in the statement, it is always repeated in the tag.

• When a noun is used in the statement, use the appropriate pronoun in the tag.

Gina is nice, isn’t she? His car is really old, isn’t it?

• When this or that is used in the statement, substitute it in the tag.

• When these or those is used in the statement, substitute they in the tag.

• When there is used in the statement, substitute there in the tag

Meaning and use notes 1. Tag questions VS. Yes/No Questions

Tag questions are different from Yes/No questions

Use a tag question when you have a previous idea or opinion about something and want to

confirm.

Use Yes/No question when you have no previous idea or opinion

tag questions are more common in spoken English than in writing English.

2. Intonation patterns and certainty

2 A. use tag question with falling intonation if you are very certain of your pervious idea or opinion.

Use tag question with rising intonation if you are less certain.

Falling intonation Rising intonation

He makes a lot money, doesn’t he? He makes a lot money, doesn’t he?

(I’m sure he makes a lot of money.) (I think he makes a lot of money, but not sure.)

Continue 2 B. we often use tag questions with rising intonation to express doubt or surprise.

We also use them to make polite requests with modals, especially when we’re not sure that the

listener will agree to our request.

Expressing doubt or surprise

That box won’t fit in the trunk, will it?

Making a polite request

You couldn’t lend me five dollars, could you?

Continue 2 C. We often use tag question with falling intonation information we are already sure of, or to

ask for agreement.

Confirming information

we’ve met before, haven’t we?

Asking for agreement

We haven’t had rain for a long time, have we?

Negative words in affirmative statements

3. an affirmative statement that uses a negative adverb of frequency (such as rarely, hardly,

seldom, and never) or a word with no (such as nobody, nowhere, and nothing) has a negative

meaning. It requires an affirmative tag.

You never go to class, do you?

There’s nobody here, is there?