Question Tags

In English it is common to end the sentences with another short phrase, of the opposite sign, which has the intention of asking for the opinion or seeking approval from the interlocutor: these are called question tags. These phrases are equivalent to: right ?, Is not that right ?, right ?, Is not it? really?

Examples:

You eat meat, don’t you?(Comes carne, ¿verdad?)

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Grammatical Rules

To form question tags, we use the auxiliary verb from the main phrase in the opposite form plus the subject. If there is no auxiliary in the main phrase, we use “to do”.

If the sentence is affirmative, the question tag is therefore in the negative and vice versa.

Examples:

Affirmative sentences:

Your brother is older than you, isn’t he?

You can help me, can’t you?

John is getting married, isn’t he?

You worked yesterday, didn’t you?

Sarah likes ice cream, doesn’t she?

Negative sentences:

You’re not from here, are you?

Kate’s not American, is she?

Peter never liked Susan, did he?

They didn’t go to class yesterday, did they?

You can’t dance, can you?

Note: Be careful with the verbs “to have” and “have got”.

Examples:

To have got:

They’ve got a dog, haven’t they?

To have:

They have a dog, don’t they?

Exception: With the verb “to be” in the first person in affirmative sentences, we use the third person in the question tag (“aren’t”).

Examples:

I am not wrong, am I?

I am wrong, aren’t I?

https://www.curso-ingles.com/aprender/cursos/nivel-intermedio/questions/question-tags Exercises: Question Tags  Q1 of 8 They've got a dog, _____ ?   don't they   have they   haven't they  Q2 of 8 Sarah plays the piano, _____?   doesn't she   don't she   isn't she  Q3 of 8 We can use this box, _____?   can we   can't we   are we  Q4 of 8 You didn't do your homework, _____ ?   do you   didn't you   did you  Q5 of 8 You were on the bus this morning, _____?   didn't you   wasn't you   weren't you  Q6 of 8 He never liked eating at restaurants, _____ ?   did he   didn't he   wasn't he  Q7 of 8 He isn’t from Mexico, _____?   isn't he   is he   he is  Q8 of 8 I am in this group, _____?   am I   aren't I   I am