💋 So, you think you're smooth, don't you?
You’ve got your Dutch courage, and now you’re ready to deploy a chat-up line in some dodgy club in Torquay. But instead of asking a boring, direct question, native speakers love to use Question Tags. We use them to fish for compliments, confirm our suspicions, or trap someone into agreeing with us. It’s highly manipulative, isn't it?
- Chat-up line (noun): A rehearsed remark used to start a conversation with someone you want to pull. Usually terrible.
- Dodgy (adjective): Suspicious, low-quality, or potentially unsafe.
1. The Cheeky Dictionary: 8 Words for Making Your Move
Practice: Drag the correct vocab into the sentences!
1. Look at him with that absolute model! He is definitely .
2. Don't let him you. You deserve someone who texts you back.
3. He told me I had eyes like the ocean. It was so .
4. Be careful, I've heard he's a bit of a who never settles down.
5. I can't eat this kebab, it tastes absolutely .
2. Grammar Mechanics: The Golden Rule of Opposites
Question tags are like a seesaw. If the main sentence is positive, the tag is negative. If the main sentence is negative, the tag is positive.
| Structure | Cheeky Example | Why we use it |
|---|---|---|
| (+) Sentence, (-) Tag | "You are single, aren't you?" | We are 90% sure they are single, we just want them to confirm it. |
| (-) Sentence, (+) Tag | "You don't have a boyfriend, do you?" | We really hope they don't, but we are a bit nervous. |
| 🚨 THE BIG EXCEPTION | "I am the best kisser here, aren't I?" | We NEVER say "amn't I?". It is always "aren't I?". |
3. Reading: The Cringe-Fest
Notice how Pete and Dave use tags to seek agreement!
4. Interactive Practice: Tag, You're It
Exercise A: Choose the right Tag
1. You won't tell anyone we kissed,
2. I am the best wingman ever,
3. He hasn't texted you back yet,
Exercise B: Type the Tag
Look at the auxiliary verb in the main sentence and flip it!
1. She is well fit, ?
2. We didn't drink that much, ?
3. You can buy the next round, ?
5. Speaking Practice: Spilling the Tea ☕
Use question tags to ask your language partner for their opinions on these scandalous topics.
- Have you ever used a cheesy chat-up line on someone? (It didn't work, did it?)
- When was the last time you saw a friend get completely mugged off by a player?
- Do you think it's obvious when someone is punching in a relationship?
- What is the most cringe thing someone can do on a first date?
- You've accidentally pulled someone who is a bit minging before, haven't you? Let's hear the story!
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