Tag Questions

We use tags in spoken English but not in formal written English.

They are not really questions but are a way of asking the other person to make a comment and so keep the conversation open.

Making a tag is very mechanical.

 To make a tag, use the first auxiliary. If there is no auxiliary, use do, does or did. With a positive sentence, make a negative tag and with a negative sentence, make a positive tag.

• It's beautiful, isn't it?
• Lucas has been there, hasn't he?
• You can help me to solve the situation, can't you?
• It must be easy, mustn't it?
• You know him from school, don’t you?
• Vanessa finished it, didn't she?
• Ana will come, won't she?

• It isn't very good to lie to your parents, is it?
• It hasn't rained all week long, has it?
• It can't be funny, can it?
• JB doesn't know Kate Perry, does he?
• They didn't leave early, did they?
• He won’t do it again, will he?

Notice these:

• There isn't an ATM here, is there?
• Let's have a cup of coffee, shall we?
• ATM = Automatic Teller Machine

To reply, use the same auxiliary:

• It's beautiful to watch the stars, isn't it? ~ Yes, it is. I think it's fabulous.
• It isn't very good to fart in a meeting, is it? ~ No, it isn't. In fact, it's terrible.

Although, the rules are very simple and mechanical, in order to use them easily in conversation, they have to be automatic. So you need to hear and practice them very often.

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