The Little Tails That Make You Sound Proper British
Question tags are those little bits you stick on the end of sentences to turn them into questions or to get agreement. They're like the "innit" of proper English - but with rules that'll make your head spin.
The Golden Rule (Don't Mess This Up):
Positive statement → Negative tag
Negative statement → Positive tag
It's like grammar's version of opposites attract!
| Statement | Question Tag | Example |
|---|---|---|
| You are coming | aren't you? | You are coming, aren't you? |
| She doesn't like it | does she? | She doesn't like it, does she? |
| They have finished | haven't they? | They have finished, haven't they? |
| We can't go | can we? | We can't go, can we? |
The Basic Pattern (Simple as That)
With "be" verbs:
- "You're tired, aren't you?" (Seeking confirmation)
- "She isn't coming, is she?" (Checking facts)
- "It was brilliant, wasn't it?" (Looking for agreement)
- "They weren't there, were they?" (Double-checking)
With auxiliary verbs (do, have, will, can, etc.):
- "You like pizza, don't you?" (Of course you do)
- "She hasn't called, has she?" (Typical)
- "We'll meet tomorrow, won't we?" (Confirming plans)
- "You can drive, can't you?" (Please say yes)
Tricky Cases (The Ones That'll Trip You Up)
Special cases to watch out for:
- I am → aren't I? "I'm right, aren't I– (Not "amn't I" - that's not a word!)
- Let's → shall we? "Let's go, shall we– (British politeness)
- Imperatives → will you? "Close the door, will you– (Polite command)
- There is/are → isn't/aren't there? "There's a problem, isn't there– (Existential crisis)
Intonation Matters (How You Say It)
Rising vs Falling intonation:
- Rising ↗ = Real question: "You're coming, aren't you– (I don't know)
- Falling ↘ = Seeking agreement: "Nice weather, isn't it." (Obviously it is)
- Sarcastic = "That went well, didn't it." (It was a disaster)
Practice Exercises (Tag, You're It!)
Exercise 1: Basic Question Tags
1. You're coming to the party, ?
2. She doesn't like coffee, ?
3. They have finished their work, ?
4. We can't leave now, ?
5. It was a great film, ?
Exercise 2: Tricky Cases
1. I'm late, ?
2. Let's have lunch, ?
3. Close the window, ?
4. There's nothing wrong, ?
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