Tag Questions

A : English is a fun subject, isn’t it?

B : Hey everyone! How’s it going?
C : Before we start let us introduce ourselves, so we are from SH2-LP, I am C .
A : I’m A .
B : And I’m B !
C : Today, we’ll be discussing about tag questions.
A : Let’s start, shall we? So, What are Tag Questions? You know about it, don’t
you?
B : Exactly, A ! The two sentences mentioned previously represent a tag question.
A tag question is a very short question that is placed at the end of a statement.
They are used to request two things: confirmation and agreement. Tag questions
have a simple structure: when the sentence is positive, the tag is usually
negative, and when the sentence is negative, the tag is usually positive. Here’s
an example:

POSITIVE STATEMENT NEGATIVE TAG

You speak English, don’t you?

NEGATIVE STATEMENT POSITIVE TAG

You weren't sleeping, were you?

C : Tag questions are used to seek agreement or to request items, favors, or new
information. Listen to the speaker's tone to figure out which is which. A rising
tone at the end of a tag question indicates that it is a genuine question. The
speaker wants to know something or wants someone to do something. A falling
tone, on the other hand, indicates that the speaker is looking for agreement. So
for example, if I ask you:
“You like pizza, don’t you?”
I'm not sure if you like pizza, so I'm double-checking. But on the other hand, If I
asked you:
“You like pizza, don’t you?”
It means, I know you like pizza, but I'm just confirming that you like pizza.
A : However, when using tag questions, there are a couple of exceptions:
The first is with "let's" and when using "let's" the tag will always start with
"shall." For example, “Let’s eat, shall we?”
The second one is a bit confusing. The tag following "I am" is "aren't I?" So,
instead of "am I not," the tag will use "aren't I," for instance, "I am right, aren't
I."
The third criteria is to use “can”, “could”, “will”, or “would” in imperative
sentences or orders and use “won’t” for polite request tags “Don’t forget, will
you?” “You’ll help me, won’t you?”
The forth one is when the sentence contains the verb "used to" use "didn't" in
the tag. “You used to teach, didn’t you?”
 The fifth rule is to use "they" in the tag when the sentence contains indefinite
pronouns such as nobody, no one, someone, somebody, everyone, everybody.
“Everyone is ready, aren’t they?”
B : Let us demonstrate how tag questions are normally used in daily conversations;
check it out!
C : One day in Lake Toba…
B : Hello, excuse me, you are a local, aren’t you?
A : Yes, yes I am, how can I help you?
C : Actually, I think we’re quite lost, can you please tell us the way to Damasus
restaurant?
A : I assume both of you don’t speak Indonesian, do you? Where are you from?
B : No we don’t, this is our first week here.
C : We are from Canada.
A : Wonderful, anyway, my family and I are actually heading to Damasus
restaurant too, would you like to join us?
C : Sure!
B : I heard that recently, the president visited Damasus too. It is true, isn’t it?
A : Yes, it’s true, Damasus became so crowded because of it. Anyway, not to pry,
but what do you do for a living?
C : You’re curious, aren’t you? Both of us are vloggers.
A : Wow, I should watch your videos. I think my family are ready, let’s head to
Damasus, shall we?
B : Alright, let’s go!
C : Thank you for your attention! Goodbye!