{"id":75072,"date":"2021-04-15T11:24:47","date_gmt":"2021-04-15T11:24:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lingobest.com\/free-online-english-course\/?p=75072"},"modified":"2023-02-23T11:11:17","modified_gmt":"2023-02-23T11:11:17","slug":"question-tags-english","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lingobest.com\/free-online-english-course\/question-tags-english\/","title":{"rendered":"Question Tags: How to Ask for Confirmation in English, plus Exercises"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You know what questions tags are, don\u2019t you?<\/strong> If you have never heard of this before, go back to the first sentence of this blog post. The clause don\u2019t you?<\/em> is what we call a question tag. There are positive tags and negative tags. Keep reading to understand the difference between them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These types of question help us ask for confirmation. However, there are several rules you should know in order to use question tags correctly. They can be super helpful for any English learner, so keep reading this blog post for more information about them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are question tags? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most questions start with a WH question word or a verb like do, doesn\u2019t, is, are<\/em>, <\/em><\/strong>etc. These are punctuated with a question mark (?).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, some questions can be written like a normal sentence, with a little something extra added at the end. This is called a question tag. It is a short clause (a clause is a group of words) that we add to the end of a sentence with either one of these purposes: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • to confirm that something is true<\/strong>\u00a0<\/mark>
    Example: They are\u00a0married,\u00a0aren\u2019t they?\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • to encourage the person we are having a conversation with to give us a reply\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0
    <\/mark>Example:<\/em> That is a brilliant idea, isn\u2019t it?\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n
    \n
    \"couple
    They are married, aren’t they<\/strong>? Yes, they got married last month.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

    A question tag is similar to asking something like Am I right?<\/em> or Do you agree with me?<\/em> after a sentence. It is important to mention that question tags<\/em> are also called tag questions<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The structure of a question tag <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    In this section, you will learn how to form a question using a tag. Remember, the tag is always at the end of the sentence. The question in this form has two important parts: the sentence<\/strong> and the tag<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A question tag is special because the two parts are opposites. They are like magnets with a positive end and a negative end. If we have a positive sentence, we need a negative tag. However, if we have a negative sentence, we add a positive tag to it. Look at the examples below:  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • She is<\/strong> your sister, isn\u2019t she<\/strong>? <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      Positive sentence:<\/span> She is your sister 
      Negative tag:<\/span> isn\u2019t she? <\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • Luke doesn\u2019t have<\/strong> kids, does he<\/strong>? <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        Negative sentence:<\/span> Luke doesn\u2019t have kids\u00a0
        Positive tag:<\/span> does he?\u00a0<\/p>\n

        \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n

        \n
        \"man\n
        He doesn’t have kids, does he?<\/strong> Yes, he does! He has two little girls.<\/em><\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

        [convertkit form=2182327]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Positive tags <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        Now, let\u2019s take a look at the rules for forming the positive tags. Remember: a negative sentence asks for a positive tag. Read more about the difference between simple past and present perfect here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n

        Verb Tense<\/strong> <\/span><\/td>Negative Sentence<\/span><\/strong> <\/span><\/td>Positive Tag<\/span><\/strong> <\/span><\/td><\/tr>
        To Be <\/td>He isn\u2019t American, <\/td>is he? <\/td><\/tr>
        Simple Present <\/td>Lucy doesn\u2019t like to drive, <\/td>does she? <\/td><\/tr>
        Simple Past <\/td>Kelly didn\u2019t go to class, <\/td>did she? <\/td><\/tr>
        Past Continuous <\/td>Paul wasn\u2019t cooking dinner, <\/td>was he? <\/td><\/tr>
        Present Perfect <\/td>You haven\u2019t been to Canada, <\/td>have you? <\/td><\/tr>
        Future (Will) <\/td>She will not come to the party, <\/td>will she? <\/td><\/tr>
        Future (Going to) <\/td>Joanna isn\u2019t going to the doctor tomorrow, <\/td>is she? <\/td><\/tr>
        Modal Verbs <\/td>Julie can\u2019t drive, <\/td>can she? <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n\n\n
        \n
        \"woman
        Julie can’t drive, can she?<\/strong> Yes, she can actually!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

        Negative tags <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        Now, let\u2019s take a look at the rules for forming the negative tags. Remember: a positive sentence asks for a negative tag. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Verb Tense<\/strong> <\/span><\/td>Positive Sentence<\/strong> <\/span><\/td>Negative Tag<\/strong> <\/span><\/td><\/tr>
        To Be <\/td>Sarah is tall, <\/td>isn\u2019t she? <\/td><\/tr>
        Simple Present <\/td>They like pizza, <\/td>don\u2019t they? <\/td><\/tr>
        Simple Past <\/td>They went to the party, <\/td>didn\u2019t they? <\/td><\/tr>
        Past Continuous <\/td>They were making pizza, <\/td>weren\u2019t they? <\/td><\/tr>
        Present Perfect <\/td>He has worked there for 5 years, <\/td>hasn\u2019t he? <\/td><\/tr>
        Future (Will) <\/td>We will go home, <\/td>won\u2019t we? <\/td><\/tr>
        Future (Going to) <\/td>They are going to Paris, <\/td>aren\u2019t they? <\/td><\/tr>
        Modal Verbs <\/td>He can speak English, <\/td>can\u2019t he? <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n
        \n
        \"woman
        She is going to Paris, isn’t she?<\/strong>
        Yes, she is flying there tomorrow.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

        Intonation  <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        There are two possible kinds of intonation in question tags: the rising<\/strong> intonation and the falling<\/strong> one. We use the rising intonation<\/em> when we are not sure about what we just said. It\u2019s a way to ask for clarification. Meanwhile, the falling intonation<\/em> is used when we are pretty sure about our statement and just want somebody else to confirm our thoughts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Exceptions <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        Almost all question tag situations follow the rules from the tables above, but of course, there are a few exceptions! That\u2019s the nature of English, isn\u2019t it? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        1. When we use the expression Let\u2019s<\/em>, the question tag is always shall we?<\/em> <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

        If the sentence part of your question tag starts with “Let’s”<\/em>, you should use “shall we”<\/em> as the tag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Here are some examples: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        • Let\u2019s go to the party, shall we? <\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Let\u2019s get to work, shall we?  <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          2. When a sentence starts with I am<\/em>, the question tag must be aren\u2019t I?<\/em> <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

          If you use the first-person singular in the present tense (read: I am<\/em><\/strong>) for the sentence part of your question tag, you should use aren’t I<\/em> as the tag. Take a look at this sentence: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n
          • I am late, aren\u2019t I? <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n
            \n
            \"man
            I am late, aren’t I?<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

            3. Imperatives and question tags<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

            An imperative is a sentence that starts with an action verb. They are used a lot for instructions. You might hear a teacher or a boss talk with imperatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Imperative examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \n
            • Sit down.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Bring that to me.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

              Whenever we have a sentence in the imperative, the tag needs to be will you<\/em> \/ would you<\/em> \/ or won’t you?<\/em> You can choose which tag to use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Here are three examples: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \n
              • Pass me the sugar, will you? <\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Close the door, would you? <\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Sit down, won’t you?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                4. Negative words, such as nobody, never, no, <\/em>and hardly<\/em>, need positive tags<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

                Negative words need positive tags. These are words like nobody, never, no, hardly, <\/em>etc. Also, for words like nobody, everybody, <\/em>and somebody<\/em>, the question tag should be they<\/em>. Take a look at some examples: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  \n
                • Nobody wants to go home, do they? <\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • We have never been to your grandma\u2019s house, have we? <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n

                  [fusion_fusionslider name=”english-courses” full_height=”no” offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” \/]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  Pratice time<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                  Check your understanding with the exercises below. Have fun!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  \n

                  Exercise 1 – Drag the words<\/h3>\n\n\n\n