A question tag is a short question added to the end of a statement to check information or invite agreement. The pattern is simple: a positive sentence gets a negative tag, and a negative sentence gets a positive tag. The tag repeats the auxiliary verb of the sentence and uses a pronoun.
Form
| Structure | Example |
|---|---|
| positive statement, negative tag | You like tea, don't you? |
| negative statement, positive tag | She isn't here, is she? |
| tag uses the same auxiliary (be / do / have / modal) | He can swim, can't he? |
When to use it
- Checking facts (falling intonation = you expect “yes”): You live in Gdańsk, don't you?
- Real question (rising intonation): You haven't seen my keys, have you?
- Making small talk: Lovely weather, isn't it?
- Present Simple → do/does; past → did: He left, didn't he?
Examples
- It's a nice day, isn't it?
- You don't smoke, do you?
- She works here, doesn't she?
- They have finished, haven't they?
- You can drive, can't you?
- Let's go, shall we?
Common mistakes
- A positive tag after a positive sentence: She is a nurse, is she? → isn't she? (the pattern shows surprise)
- “Isn't it?” for every sentence: You like it, isn't it? → don't you?
- “I am …, aren't I?” is the standard exception: I'm right, aren't I?