Question tags

Question tags are short questions which are placed at the end of statements.

We use question tags

1. when we are not sure about something and want to confirm it. The tone of your voice goes up. She hasn't passed her test yet, has she? Oh, yes she has.
2. when we expect the other person to agree with what we are saying. The tone of your voice goes down. She sings beautifully, doesn't she? Yes, she does.

Form

1. We form question tags with the auxiliary or modal verb of the sentence and a personal pronoun (I, you, he she, etc.) in the same person as the subject. They aren't leaving, are they? They went to Scotland, didn't they? She can't cook, can she? She must work harder, mustn't she?
2. When the statement is affirmative, the question tag is negative. You've met her, haven't you?
3. When the statement is negative or contains a word with a negative meaning (never, hardly, nothing, etc.), the question tag is positive. You haven't finished the book, have you? She hardly goes out at all, does she?
4. When the verb in the main sentence is in the present simple we form the question tag with "do" or "does". You play the guitar, don't you? Alison likes tennis, doesn't she? When the verb in the main sentence is in the past simple we form the question tag with "did". They went to the cinema, didn't they? She studied in Berlin, didn't she?
5. With imperatives the question tag is formed with "will you?" for negative imperatives or "wont you?" for affirmative imperatives. Be careful, wont you? Don't do it, will you?
6. After "let's" the question tag is formed with "shall we?" Let's play cards, shall we?
7. With the verb "to be" 1st person the question tag is formed with "aren't I?". I'm brilliant, aren't I?
8. With "this/that is" and "these/those are" the question tags are formed with "is it ? and are they?". This is Jack's, isn't it? These are Barry's, aren't they?