TAG

QUESTION
 What is a tag question ?
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.

1
positive statement negative tag

Snow is white, isn't it?

2
negative statement positive tag

You don't like me, do you?

Notice that the tag repeats the auxiliary verb (or main verb when be) from the
statement and changes it to negative or positive.
 Positive Statement Tag Questions

Look at these examples with positive statements. You will see that most of the time, the auxiliary
verb from the positive statement is repeated in the tag and changed to negative.

(+) POSITIVE STATEMENT (-) NEGATIVE TAG

subject auxiliar main verb   auxiliary not personal pronoun

y 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?

They will help,   wo n't they?

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?

• the use of doJohn   coffee questions.

 in the two was there, thatwas
Remember n'tSimple, 
in Present he?do is optional in positive statements
(You like coffee/You do like coffee). But the do must appear in the tag. The same applies to Past Simple  did.
• in last two questions, no auxiliary for main verb be in Present Simple and Past Simple. The tag repeats the main
verb.
 Negative Statement Tag Questions
Look at these examples with negative statements. Notice that the negative verb in the
original statement is changed to positive in the tag.

 negative statement (+) positive tag

subjec auxiliary   main     auxiliary personal pronoun same
t verb 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 wo n't be   late, will you?
You     are n't English, are you?
 Won't is the contracted
John  
form
 
of will
was
not not there, was he?
 The tag repeats the auxiliary verb, not the main verb. Except, of course, for the verb  be in Present
Simple and Past Simple.
 Answering Tag Questions
 How do we answer a tag question? Often, we just say Yes or No.
Sometimes we may repeat the tag and reverse it (They don't live
here, do they? Yes, they do). Be very careful about answering tag
questions. In some languages, an opposite 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 notes

Snow is white, isn't it? Yes (it is). Answer is same in both But notice change
cases - because snow is of stress when answerer
Snow isn't white, is it? Yes it is! white! does not agree with
questioner.
Snow is black, isn't it? No it isn't! Answer is same in both
cases - because snow is
Snow isn't black, is it? No (it isn't). not black!

In some languages, people answer a question like "Snow isn't black, is it?" with "Yes" (meaning "Yes, I agree
with you"). This is the wrong answer in English!

More example
•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.
Tag Question Special Cases
Negative adverbs
The adverbs never, rarely, seldom, hardly, barely and scarcely have a negative sense.
Even though they may be in a positive statement, the feeling of the statement is negative.
We treat statements with these words like negative statements, so the question tag is
normally positive.
positive statement positive tag
treated as negative statement

He never came again, did he?

She can rarely come these days, can she?
You hardly ever came late, did you?
I barely know you, do I?
You would scarcely expect her to know that, would 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

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

Take a seat, won't you? polite invitation

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 tag questions
 Although the basic structure of tag questions is positive-negative or
negative-positive, it is sometimes possible to use a positive-positive or
negative-negative structure. We use same-way tag questions to express
interest, surprise, anger etc, and not to make real questions.
 Look at these positive-positive tag 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 funny, do you? Think again.
 Negative-negative tag questions usually sound rather hostile:
• So you don't like my looks, don't you? (British English)
Asking for information/ help
 Notice that we often use tag questions to ask for information or help, starting
with a negative statement. This is quite a friendly/polite way of making a
request. For example, instead of saying "Where is the police station?" (not very
polite), or "Do you know where the police station is?" (slightly more polite), we
could say: "You wouldn't know where the police station is, would you?" Here
are some more examples:

• 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?

Some more special cases

example notes
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)
 Mixed Examples of Tag Questions
Here is a list of examples of tag questions in different contexts. Notice that some
are "normal" and others seem to break all the rules:

•But you don't really love her, do you? •Nobody knows, do they?
•This'll work, won't it? •You never come on time, do you?
•Oh you think so, do you? •You couldn't help me, could you?
•Well, I couldn't help it, could I? •You think you're clever, do you?
•But you'll tell me if she calls, won't you? •So you don't think I can do it, don't you?
•We'd never have known, would we? (British English)
•Oh you do, do you? •Shut up, will you!
•The weather's bad, isn't it? •She can hardly love him after all that, can
•You won't be late, will you? she?
•Nothing will happen, will it?