Sentence Structure

Question Tags

Question tags are short questions added to the end of statements to seek confirmation or involve the listener. They follow a strict pattern: positive statement → negative tag; negative statement → positive tag. The tag must use the same auxiliary as the main sentence.

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Form

A question tag is a short question added to the end of a statement: an auxiliary verb plus a pronoun, usually with the opposite sign to the statement.

A positive statement normally takes a negative tag, and a negative statement takes a positive tag (You speak German, don't you? / They didn't leave early, did they?). The tag repeats the auxiliary of the statement, and when the statement has no auxiliary, the tag supplies do, does or did (This soup tastes strange, doesn't it?). The subject comes back as a pronoun, never a full noun (Your parents are visiting, aren't they?). A few tags are set phrases: I am takes aren't I, Let's takes shall we, an order or instruction usually takes will you or won't you, have to takes do or don't, used to takes did or didn't, and had better takes hadn't.

When to Use It

1
Confirm something you already believe is true
It's a beautiful day, isn't it?
2
Ask a genuine question when you are not sure
You haven't seen my keys, have you?
3
Soften an order into a request after an imperative
Open the window, will you?
4
Invite agreement after Let's with the fixed tag shall we
Let's go over the numbers one more time, shall we?
5
Match the tag to there when the statement starts with there
There's a problem, isn't there?
6
Treat nobody, nothing and never as negatives, so the tag turns positive
Nobody called while I was out, did they?

Common Mistakes

She's can be is or has: write She's finished the report, hasn't she?, not She's finished the report, isn't she? — here it is has, so the tag uses has.
Be instead of do: write This soup tastes strange, doesn't it?, not This soup tastes strange, isn't it? — with no auxiliary in the statement, the tag uses do, does or did.
Amn't I: write I'm late, aren't I?, not I'm late, amn't I? — this one tag is irregular in standard English.
A noun in the tag: write Your parents are visiting, aren't they?, not Your parents are visiting, aren't your parents? — the tag always uses a pronoun.
Have for have to: write I have to finish this tonight, don't I?, not I have to finish this tonight, haven't I? — have to is an obligation, so its tag uses do.