English Grammar - Question tags

Use

frequently used in spoken English when you want s.o. to agree or disagree

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Form

positive statement ->question tag negative - You are Tom, aren't you?
negative statement->question tag positive - He isn't Joe, is he?

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Examples

with auxiliaries
You've got a car, haven't you?
without auxiliaries (use: don't, doesn't, didn't)
They play football on Sundays, don't they?
She plays football on Sundays, doesn't she?
They played football on Sundays, didn't they?
Questions tags are used to keep a conversation going. You can agree or refuse to a sentence with a question tag.

You go to school, don't you?
You agree.	You refuse.
Yes, I do.	No, I don't.

You aren't from Germany, are you?
You agree.	You refuse.
No, I'm not.	Yes, I am.

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Questions tags - Special

Although the negative word not is not in the sentence, the sentence can be negative. Then we use the "positive" question tag.

He never goes out with his dog, does he?

have is a main verb in the sentence -> two possibilities

We have a car, _____?
We have a car, haven't we?	We have a car, don't we?
mostly British English	mostly American English

We use will/would with the imperative (Simple Present).

Open the window, will you? Open the window, would you?

Don't open your books, will you?

We use won't with a polite request.

Open the window, won't you?

We use shall after Let's.

Let's take the next bus, shall we?

Auxiliary must

We must be at home at 8 pm, mustn't we?
Yes, we must.	No, we needn't.

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Procedure adding a question tag

Look at the sentence.
1	Is an auxiliary or a form of to be in the sentence?
	yes	no
	auxiliary or form of to be affirmative -> negate auxiliary (add n't) auxiliary or form of to be negative -> (delete n't)	affirmative sentence -> Negate sentence (e.g. don't; doesn't; didn't) negative sentence -> (delete n't)
2	Is a personal pronoun the subject of the sentence?
	yes	no
	Use the personal pronoun.	Form the personal pronoun.
3	Complete the sentence.

 

Example 1: He can play football, ________.
1	Is an auxiliary or a form of to be in the sentence?
	yes -> can
	auxiliary or form of to be affirmative -> negate auxiliary (add n't) can't
2	Is a personal pronoun the subject of the sentence?
	yes
	Use the personal pronoun.
3	He can play football, can't he?

 

Example 2: Peter can play football, ________.
1	Is an auxiliary or a form of to be in the sentence?
	yes -> can
	auxiliary or form of to be affirmative -> negate auxiliary (add n't) can't
2	Is a personal pronoun the subject of the sentence?
		no
		Form the personal pronoun. Peter -> he
3	Peter can play football, can't he?

 

Example 3: Peter plays football, ________.
1	Is an auxiliary or a form of to be in the sentence?
		no
		affirmative sentence -> Negate the verb. verb plays -> Negation: doesn't play We only use the auxiliary doesn't.
2	Is a personal pronoun the subject of the sentence?
		no
		Form the personal pronoun. Peter -> he
3	Peter plays football, doesn't he?