Notes on the form of echo tags

1 An echo tag is a response, in tag form, to an affirmative or negative
statement by which we may or may not request further information
depending on the intonation we use.
He has resigned He hasn't resigned

Has he? etc. - Hasn 't he? etc.

2 Where there is no auxiliary (i.e. in the affirmative), do does or did
must be used:
She works all night She doesn't work all night

Does she? Doesn't she?

13 Questions, answers, negatives

3 Echo tags can be formed with there:
There'll be a strike soon. There won't be a strike tomorrow

Will there? - Won't there?

4 Negative - negative combinations (He won't, won't he?) may be
used to express anger or menace, but are very unusual.

When we use echo tags

Echo tags are used constantly in everyday conversation to request further information, seek confirmation, to express interest, concern, anger, surprise, disbelief, suspicion, etc., or to show that we are listening.

1 To request more information, express interest, etc., rising tone: I've just won £500! - Have you?/You have? - You haven't, have you? (= How interesting! Tell me more!)

2 To confirm what might already be known/guessed, falling tone: I'm afraid he's made a bad mistake - He has, hasn't he?

3 To express anger, disbelief, suspicion, etc.: / ve got the sack' - You haven't! (falling tone) Falling tone on the statement, rising on the tag:

You haven't, have you? (= disbelief) You have, have you? (= anger)

Reinforcement tags for emphasis

Reinforcement tags are similar to echo tags: they emphasize the speaker's point of view. They are usually affirmative - affirmative and are typical of colloquial English:

You're in trouble, you are

Gilbert annoyed me, he did

Jim's lied to me, he has

You're making a fool of yourself, you are