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Sentence structureIntermediate

Question Tags

A question tag is a short question added to the end of a statement, such as 'isn't it?' or 'do you?'. It checks information or asks the listener to agree. The tag repeats the statement's auxiliary verb (or uses do / does / did when there is none), and it has the opposite polarity: a positive statement takes a negative tag, and a negative statement takes a positive tag.

WHEN TO USE

Use it when you think you know the answer and want the listener to confirm it, or to invite agreement in conversation. With falling intonation, the tag asks for agreement (It's cold, isn't it?). With rising intonation, it is a real question (You haven't seen my keys, have you?).

STRUCTURE

positivePositive statement, negative auxiliarypronoun?

You are a teacher, aren't you?

negativeNegative statement, positive auxiliarypronoun?

She doesn't eat meat, does she?

formNo auxiliary in the statement → do / does / did

They went home early, didn't they?

exceptionI am → aren't I? · Let's → shall we?

I'm late, aren't I?

SIGNAL WORDS

  • isn't it
  • aren't you
  • don't you
  • didn't they
  • have you
  • can you
  • aren't I
  • shall we

EXAMPLES

  1. It's a beautiful day, isn't it?

  2. You can swim, can't you?

  3. He didn't call you, did he?

  4. We've met before, haven't we?

  5. Let's take a break, shall we?

COMMON MISTAKES

You like coffee, isn't it?

You like coffee, don't you?

The tag repeats the statement's auxiliary and subject. 'Like' has no auxiliary, so use don't + you. 'Isn't it' is not a universal tag

She is a doctor, isn't he?

She is a doctor, isn't she?

The pronoun in the tag must match the subject of the statement

I'm right, amn't I?

I'm right, aren't I?

With 'I am', the standard negative tag is 'aren't I'

Nobody called, didn't they?

Nobody called, did they?

Words like nobody, never and nothing make the statement negative, so the tag is positive. Use 'they' after nobody and somebody

Tip

Find the auxiliary first (be, have, can, will…). If there is none, use do / does / did. Then flip it: positive becomes negative, negative becomes positive, and end with the subject as a pronoun.

Sentence structure