Tag questions

1. Tag questions

TAG QUESTIONS

2. When do we use 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!

3. Compare:

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)

4. When do we use tag questions?

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!

5.

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)

6. The formation of tag questions

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

7. The formation of tag questions

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?

8. The formation of tag questions

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

9.

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

10.

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

11. exceptions

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?

12. Short answers

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)

13. practice

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, _____ ___?

14.

Good job, isn’t it?