Question tags

Hello, guys! Welcome to Grammar Zone! My name’s Harry Jones.

My best friends Allan and Kate will help me make our lessons useful and enjoyable.

Harry: I’m really looking forward to summer holidays!

Alan: So am I!

Harry: I want to do something different this time, don’t you?

I don’t want to do the same things again and again.

Alan: Neither do I.

Harry: I’d like to go to summer camp, wouldn’t you?

Alan: No, we’ve been to summer camp, haven’t we? How about Africa? I want to go on safari!

Harry: Oh, yes… You’ve never been to Africa before, have you?

Alan: No, but I’ve seen documentaries on TV. It looks so amazing, doesn’t it?

Harry: Yes, it does …(вздыхает)

Alan: Or how about Australia? I’d love to go to the Great Barrier Reef!

Harry: Sounds good…

Alan: Well, it doesn’t hurt to dream, does it?

Harry: I guess not…

First, let’s translate the highlighted sentences.

I want to do something different this time, don’t you? – Я бы хотел заняться чем-нибудь другим в этот раз. Ты согласен со мной?

I’d like to go to summer camp, wouldn’t you? – Я бы хотел поехать в лагерь. Ты тоже?

We’ve been to summer camp, haven’t we? – Мы уже были в летнем лагере, так ведь?

You’ve never been to Africa before, have you? – Ты никогда не был в Африке, верно?

It looks so amazing, doesn’t it? – Она выгладит потрясающе, правда?

Well, it doesn’t hurt to dream, does it? – Мечтать не вредно, да?

As you see, question tags are short questions at the end of statements.

Question tags are mainly used in speech when we want to confirm that something is true or not and have the following meaning: «Прав ли я?», «Ты согласен со мной?».

Here are some more examples of Russian translations:

They didn’t give you a key, did they?

Они не давали тебе ключ, верно?

Paul has been talking on the phone, hasn’t he?

Пол все еще разговаривает по телефону, не так ли?

We are going to see our parents tomorrow, aren’t we?

Мы завтра собираемся навестить родителей, да?

You can always trust me, can’t you?

Ты всегда можешь мне доверять, хорошо?

It’s a lovely day, isn’t it?

Замечательный день, не так ли?

How do you make a Question tag?

Look through the sentences. What do they have in common?

Work out the rule and complete the table:

He is twelve years old, isn’t he?

I’m telling the truth, aren’t I?

You haven’t invited us to the party, have you?

They have been walking, haven’t they?

We had finished by that time, hadn’t we?

He can’t play tennis, can she?

Give me your bag, will you?

Your sister never wears jeans, does she?

They didn’t give you a key, did they?

It wasn’t going fast, was it?

The man hadn’t left, had he?

She won’t answer the phone, will she?

We mustn’t leave now, must we?

Let’s not fight, shall we?

The basic structure of a tag question is:

If the sentence is positive, we use a negative question tag;

E.g. He has got a sister, hasn’t he?

If the sentence is negative, we use a positive question tag;

E.g. He hasn’t got a sister, has he?

When there is a negative word in the sentence (no, little, never, nobody, no one, nothing, rarely, seldom, hardly, barely and scarcely) the question tag is positive.

E.g. They never enjoy their holidays, do they?

Question tags are formed with the auxiliary verb from the statement and a subject pronoun to replace the noun or noun phrase.

The tense of the auxiliary verb in the question tag corresponds to the tense of the main verb.

If the main verb is be or a modal verb, we repeat it in the question tag.

You are very excited, aren’t you?

Sally can speak Chinese, can’t she?

The question tag for I’m is aren’t I?

I’m a good player, aren’t I?

I’m taller than her, aren’t I?

The question tag for I’m not is am I?

I’m not ill, am I?

With let’s, the tag question is shall we?

Let’s change the design, shall we?

Let’s have a coffee, shall we?

With let me/him etc, the tag question is will/won’t you?

Let the children decide, will you?

Let her explain this, will you?

With an imperative, the tag question is will you?

Don’t leave the door open, will you?

Lend me, please, some money, will you?

When the subject is everything, something, anything or nothing, we use “it” in the tag question.

Nothing bad happened, did it?

Everything was done perfectly, wasn’t it?

If the subject is nobody, somebody, everybody, no one, someone or everyone, we use “they” in the tag question.

Everyone is going to be there, aren’t they?

Nobody lives here, do they?

If the main verb is have – иметь, обладать, we repeat it in the question tag.

Tom has a lovely voice, hasn’t he?

She has got a new laptop, hasn’t she?

If have/has is a part of a set expression, then we use an auxiliary verb of the corresponding tense.

He had dinner at five, didn’t he?

She has a shower every morning, doesn’t she?

With I used to the tag question is didn’t I?

She used to fight with her brother, didn’t she?

I used to ski, when I was younger, didn’t I?

With There is/are the tag question is isn’t/aren’t there?

There is some coffee for me, isn’t there?

There are six chairs in the room, aren’t there?

With This/That is the tag question is is/isn’t it?

This coat is Helen’s, isn’t it?

That is Tom’s backpack, isn’t it?

Pronunciation

If we don’t know the answer, it is a real question and we use a rising intonation with the tag question.

You and John go to the same school, don’t you? ↗

He has been to Paris, hasn’t he?

If we know the answer and are just confirming the information a falling intonation is used with the tag question.

That film was fantastic, wasn’t it? ↘

She has got a pet dog, hasn’t she?

Now it’s time to practice the rule.

Complete the questions with question tags. Then answer the questions.

1. Man walked on the moon for the first time in 1999, didn’t he? … Wrong

2. You’ll find the “Mona Lisa” in the Louvre, won’t you? … Right

3. Ice skating isn’t an Olympic sport, is it? … Wrong

4. William Shakespeare wrote “Hamlet”, didn’t he? … Right

5. An iguana is a fish, isn’t it? … Wrong

6. Pandas live in Africa, don’t they? … Wrong

7. Dolphins lay eggs, don’t they? … Wrong

8. Cats can see in the dark, can’t they? … Right

That`s all for today.

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