Question Tags

Thanks to English Grammar Secrets (see the permanent link on your left 'Elementary, dear students') you get an explanation on 'Question Tags' and to BBC an audio about some doubts on this topic.
Listen to the audio with or without the tapescript and try the exercises at the end of this post.



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? He has been, hasn't he?
• You can, can't you? It must be, mustn't it?
• You know him, don’t you? He finished it, didn't he?
• He will come, won't he? It isn't very good, is it?
• It hasn't rained, has it? It can't be, can it?
• They didn't leave, did they? He won’t do it, will he?
• Jenny doesn't know James, does she?

Notice this:

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

To reply, use the same auxiliary:

• It's beautiful, isn't it? ~ Yes, it is. I think it's fabulous.
• It isn't very good, 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.

Exercises one, two, three, four, five and six.