This document discusses question tags and their use and formation. Question tags are short questions added to the end of statements to check if the information is correct. They follow certain rules depending on whether the statement is positive or negative. The question tag will have the opposite polarity. They consist of an auxiliary verb and a pronoun referring to the subject. Certain verbs like 'be' form question tags differently. Question tags often elicit short yes/no answers and intonation is used to indicate the speaker's certainty of the answer.

1. Question tags

2. USE
A question tag is a short question at the end of a
statement:
He won the prize, didn’t he?
question tag
We use question tags when we want to check if
information is correct.

3. FORM
1. Use question tags at the end of a sentence:
He won the prize, didn’t he?
question tag

4. FORM
2.a. NEGATIVE QUESTION TAG:
If the sentence is positive, the question tag is negative:
You have seen that film, haven’t you?
+ -
2.b. POSITIVE QUESTION TAG:
If the sentence is negative, the question tag is positive:
You haven’t seen that film, have you?
- +
If the sentence contains a negative word (never, hardly…) the
question tag is positive:
Ann never goes anywhere, does she?
- +

5. FORM
3. Questions tags consist of …
AUXILIARY VERB + PRONOUN:
I shouldn’t laugh, shouldshould II?
Sarah was winning, wasn’twasn’t sheshe?
We use the auxiliary verb that is used in the previous
sentence. If there is no auxiliary verb, se use “do/does”
(present tense) and “did” (past tense):
You live near here, don’tdon’t you?
You turned left, didn’tdidn’t you?
The pronoun refers to the subject of the previous
sentence.

6. FORM
4. Some verbs form question tags differently:
I am  aren’t I?
I’m helpful, aren’t I?
There is  isn’t there?
There is a chemist’s near here, isn’t there?
There are  aren’t there?
There are many shops in the area, aren’t there?
This is / That is  isn’t it?
That’s your wife over there, isn’t it?

7. FORM
5. When we answer question tags, we often use short
answers:
A: You are French, aren’t you?
B: Yes, I amYes, I am. / No, I’m notNo, I’m not.  SHORT ANSWERS
A: She’s got a dog, hasn’t she?
B: Yes, she hasYes, she has. / No, she hasn’tNo, she hasn’t.  SHORT ANSWERS
A: You smoke, don’t you?
B: Yes, I doYes, I do. / No, I don’tNo, I don’t.  SHORT ANSWERS

8. FORM
6. Intonation:
When we are sure of the answer, the voice goes
down in the question tag:
John doesn’t like gold, does he?
The speaker knows John doesn’t like gold.
When we are not sure of the answer, the voice
goes up:
They left for Milan, didn’t they?
 The speaker doesn’t know if they left for Milan
or not.