UNIT 51. Question tags (do you? isn't it? etc.)

A. Study these examples:

You haven't seen Mary today, have you?

No, I'm afraid not.

It was a good film, wasn't it?

Yes. I really enjoyed it.

Have you? and wasn't it? are question tags (= mini-questions that we often put on the end of a sentence in spoken English). In question tags, we use an auxiliary verb (have/was/will etc.).

We use do/does/did for the present and past simple (see also Unit 50):

* 'Karen plays the piano, doesn't she?' 'Well, yes, but not very well.'

* 'You didn't lock the door, did you?' 'No, I forgot.'

B. Normally we use a negative question tag after a positive sentence:

positive sentence + negative tag

Mary will be here soon, won't she?

There was a lot of traffic, wasn't there?

Jim should pass the exam, shouldn't he?

... and a positive question tag after a negative sentence:

negative sentence + positive tag

Mary won't be late, will she?

They don't like us, do they?

You haven't got a car, have you?

Notice the meaning of yes and no in answer to a negative sentence:

* You're not going out today, are you? Yes. (Yes, I am going out)

* You're not going out today, are you? No. (No, I am not going out)

C. The meaning of a question tag depends on how you say it. If your voice goes down, you aren't really asking a question; you are only inviting the listener to agree with you:

* 'It's a nice day, isn't it?' 'Yes, lovely.'

* 'Tim doesn't look well today, dose he? 'No, he looks very tired.'

* She's very pretty. She's got beautiful eyes, hasn't she?

But if the voice goes up, it is a real question:

* 'You haven't seen Mary today, have you?' 'No, I'm afraid not.'

(= Have you seen Mary today by any chance?)

We often use a negative sentence + positive tag to ask for things or information, or to ask somebody to do something. The voice goes up at the end of the tag in sentences like these:

* 'You haven't got a pen, have you?' 'Yes, here you are.'

* 'You couldn't do me a favour, could you?' 'It depends what it is.'

* 'You don't know where Karen is, do you?'Sorry, I've no idea.'

D. After Let's... the question tag is... shall we?:

Let's go for a walk, shall we?

After the imperative (Do.../Don't do... etc.), the tag is usually... will you?:

Open the door, will you?

Don't be late, will you?

Note that we say... aren't I? (= am I not?):

I'm late, aren't I?

EXERCISES