Question tags
What are question tags?
Question tags are the small questions that often
come at the ends of sentences in speech, and
sometimes in informal writing.
The film wasn’t very good, was it?
Usage
We use question tags to make sure something is
true or to ask someone if they agree with us.
It is used in affirmative and negative sentences but
not in questions.
Form
In affirmative sentences question tag is negative
and vice versa.
You’re a new secretary, aren’t you?
You’re not the new secretary, are you?
Specific forms
Present Simple Tense
You like pizza, don’t you?
She doesn’t like pizza, does she?
If there is no auxiliary verb in the sentence
question tag is in the suitable tense.
Past Simple Tense
He wasn’t prepared for the test, was he?
She didn’t study, did she?
They worked all day, didn’t they?
Present Perfect Tense
She has been to the doctor’s, hasn’t she?
Susan hasn’t gone to the pub, has she?
With Future Simple Tense, question tag is won’t or
wouldn’t.
They will invite you to the party, won’t they?
They won’t give you the money, wouldn’t they?
Subject
When the subject is not a pronoun, we use
appropriate pronoun in question tags.
Chris’s father doesn’t like football, does he?
Chris’s grandparents live in the country, don’t they?
Everybody/somebody
When the subject is everybody/ somebody the
question tag is they.
Everybody here speaks English, don’t they?
Somebody knew her, didn’t they?
Here’s something for you to practice
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You’ve bought a new car, …….?
You speak German, …….?
You’ll help me, …….?
The clock isn’t working, ……..?
Jill doesn’t like me, ……?
That isn’t your house, ……?
You haven’t met my mother, ……?
And the correct answer is…
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You’ve bought a new car, haven’t you?
You speak German, don’t you?
You’ll help me, won’t you?
The clock isn’t working, is it?
Jill doesn’t like me, does she?
That isn’t your house, is ti?
You haven’t met my mother, have you?