Tag Questions

Tag questions are short questions we add to the end of a statement.

You are going to the party, aren’t you?(tag question)

Tag questions are normally used in conversation and informal writing. They are used to ask real questions, but also to confirm information or to request agreement.

The meaning of a tag question will depend on how it is asked, as you will see in the next slide.

If you are asking a real question, your voice goes up:

The meeting is here, isn’t it?

If you are looking for confirmation or agreement, your voice goes down:

You know Jim, don’t you?

HOW ARE THEY FORMED?Tag questions are formed with an auxiliary verb

and a subject pronoun:

They are great students, aren’t they?

She didn’t go to class today, did she?We can’t do this, can we?

auxiliary verb

subject pronoun

HOW ARE THEY USED?A positive statement uses a negative tag question:Lara has three dogs, doesn’t she?

A negative statement uses a positive tag question:Mike can’t swim, can he?

Always separate the tag question with a comma (,).

positive statement negative tag

negative statement positive tag

The choice of the auxiliary depends on the main verb in the statement:

We are getting late, aren’t we.

You like the classes, don’t you?

She didn’t sing in the choir, did she?

They haven’t arrived yet, have they?

present simple auxiliary DO

past simple

present perfect

auxiliary DID

auxiliary HAVE

auxiliary BEpresent continuous

If you’re not completely sure of which auxiliary

verb you should use in each situation, we suggest you go back to week 1 and take

another look at the auxiliary verb review.

Tag questions with the main verb TO BE

As you know, the verb TO BE doesn’t need an auxiliary to form questions. You just have to invert its position with the subject’s. Similarly, when the statement uses TO BE as a main verb, you

don’t need another auxiliary to form the tag question. You simply use the verb TO BE.

• Peter is 25, isn’t he?• Sharon isn’t in the office, is she?• The kids are happy, aren’t they?

Please notice this:If the subject of the positive statement is “I”, the tag question follows the same pattern as the others: I am not in trouble, am I?

However, if the subject of the negative statement is “I”, there are two possible tag questions: I am correct, am I not? [very formal, rarely used] I am correct, aren’t I? [this is what speakers normally use!)(incorrect: I am correct, am not I?)______________________

This what there is to tag questions!It’s very easy, isn’t it?

Now all you have to do is practice doing the exercises!!