TAG QUESTIONS

WHEN DO WE USE TAG QUESTIONS?

 We use tag questions when we want to confirm
some information, don’t we?
 Yes, we do!
COMPARE:
 John is a teacher (I know this is true).
 John is a teacher, isn’t he? (I’m 90% sure, I need
confirmation)

 Mary runs every day (I know this)

 Mary runs every day, doesn’t she? (I’m not 100%
sure)
WHEN DO WE USE TAG QUESTIONS?
 We also use tag questions when we think
someone will agree with us, don’t we?
 Yes, we do!
 This project is good for the environment, isn’t it?
(I know it’s good and I expect you have the same
opinion)

 It wasn’t a nice weather yesterday, was it? (I

think that the weather was bad yesterday and I
expect you agree with me)
THE FORMATION OF TAG QUESTIONS
 Sentence + COMMA (,) + a helping verb (do,
don’t, does, doesn’t, did, didn’t, have, haven’t,
has, hasn’t, can, can’t, etc.) OR the verb TO BE
(is, isn’t, are, aren’t, was, wasn’t, were, weren’t,
etc.) + a pronoun (I, you, we, they, he, she, it).
 Oxford is a school, isn’t it?
sentence a helping verb a pronoun
THE FORMATION OF TAG QUESTIONS
 If the sentence is AFFIRMATIVE (+), the tag will
be NEGATIVE (-)
 Students are smart, aren’t they?

 If the sentence is NEGATIVE (-), the tag will be

AFFIRMATIVE (+).
 Lazy pupils don’t like to study, do they?
THE FORMATION OF TAG QUESTIONS
 To help you with the formation, use QUESTIONS (?).

 Claire likes chocolate.

simple sentence
 Does Claire like chocolate?
question
 Claire likes chocolate, doesn’t she?
tag question
 The committee discussed the local regeneration
project.
simple sentence
 Did the committee discuss the local regeneration
project?
question
 The committee discussed the local regeneration
project, didn’t it?
tag question
 I have a lot of ambitions towards the future.
simple sentence
 Do I have a lot of ambitions towards the future?

question
 I have a lot of ambitions towards the future, don’t I?

tag question
 I haven’t got a lot of ambitions towards the future, have
I?
tag question
EXCEPTIONS
 Some tag questions form differently (they are
irregular):

 I’m right, aren’t I? I’m lucky, aren’t I?

 Nobody is here, are they? (nobody is NEGATIVE,
that’s why the tag is AFFIRMATIVE).
 Everybody has done the homework, haven’t they?
 There is plenty of food, isn’t there?
SHORT ANSWERS
 Michelle went to a restaurant, didn’t she?
Yes, she did. OR No, she didn’t.

 We shouldn’t drink alcohol, should we?

Yes, we should. OR No, we shouldn’t.
(this person wants to drink alcohol) (this person agrees that we shouldn’t drink it)
PRACTICE
 You are French, _____ ___?
 You work at the university, _____ ___?
 Jack isn’t buying a new phone, _____ ___?
 We can put some things in storage, ____ __?
 Pablo is going to help us, _____ ___?
 They haven’t read the novel, _____ ___?
 You didn’t speak to the manager, ____ __?
 I’m tired, ____ __?
 There are a few documents that you have to sign, ____ ___?
 Nobody is here, ____ ___?
 It rains in September a lot, _____ ___?
Good job, isn’t it?