Question Tags

Question Tags

rated by 10 teachers
by
Question Tags
Form: auxiliary verb + subject

1. If the auxiliary verb in the sentence is positive, the tag is negative.
You are Spanish, aren't you?
2. If the auxiliary verb in the sentence is negative, the tag is positive.
You're not Spanish, are you?
3. If there is no auxiliary verb in the sentence, we use do.
You live in Spain, don't you?
Functions and examples
1. We use tag questions to confirm information.
This meal is horrible, isn't it?
That film was fantastic, wasn't it?
2. We use tag questions when we are already sure of the answer and just want confirmation (falling intonation with the tag question).

3. We use tag questions to check information.
You haven't got a piece of paper, have you?
You don't know where the boss is, do you?
The meeting's tomorrow at 9am, isn't it?
4. If we do not know the answer, these are real questions, and we use a rising intonation with the tag question.