Question tags
We can add question tags like isn't it?, can you? or didn't they? to a statement to make it into a question. Question tags are
more common in speaking than writing. We often use question tags when we expect the listener to agree with our
statement.
In this case, when the statement is positive, we use a negative question tag.
She's a doctor, isn't she?
Yesterday it was so much fun, wasn't it?
If the statement is negative, we use a positive question tag.
He isn't here, is he?
The trains are never on time, are they?
Nobody has called for me, have they?
(If we are sure or almost sure that the listener will confirm that our statement is correct, we say the question tag with a
falling intonation. If we are a bit less sure, we say the question tag with a rising intonation.)
If there is an auxiliary verb in the statement, we use it to form the question tag.
I don't need to finish this today, do I?
James is working on that, isn't he?
Your parents have retired, haven't they?
The phone didn't ring, did it?
It was raining that day, wasn't it?
Your mum hadn't met him before, had she?
Sometimes there is no auxiliary verb already in the statement. For example, when the verb in the statement is
present simple or past simple and is positive. Here we use don't, doesn't or didn't:
Jenni eats cheese, doesn't she?
I said that already, didn't I?
the verb in the statement is a modal verb. Here we use the modal verb to make the question tag:
They could hear me, couldn't they?
You won't tell anyone, will you?
If the main verb or auxiliary verb in the statement is am, the positive question tag is am I? but the negative
question tag is usually aren't I?:
I'm never on time, am I?
I'm going to get an email with the details, aren't I?
Positive imperative - Stop daydreaming, will / won't you?
Negative imperative - Don't stop singing, will you?
Help me, can you? // U ovom slučaju je molba. Rečenica je učtivija kada u Question tag-u koristimo potvrdni
oblik.
Help me, can't you? // U ovom slučaju je naredba. Kada koristimo odrični oblik u Question tag-u rečenica je
manje učtiva.
Let's - Let's go to the beach, shall we?
Have got (possession) - He has got a car, hasn't he?
Have (possession) - She has a car, doesn’t she?
There is / are - There aren't any spiders in the bedroom, are there?
This / that is - This is Paul's pen, isn't it?
Naime, prilozi kao što su never, rarely, seldom, hardly, barely i scarcely imaju negativan (odričan) smisao. Čak i kada je
izjava gramatički potvrdna smisao izjave je odričan. Zbog toga se izjave sa ovim rečima tretiraju kao odrične izjave i zbog
toga je Question tag u potvrdnom obliku. Evo nekih primera:
He never came again, did he?
She can rarely come these days, can she?
You hardly ever came late, did you?
I barely know you, do I?
You would scarcely expect her to know that, would you?
Takođe, treba naglasiti da kada u izjavi imamo zamenice kao što su everybody, nobody i somebody one se tretiraju kao
they u Question tag-u. Jedan od primera je rečenica:
Everybody has been waiting for him, haven't they?
1. It’s a lovely day, _______________ it?
2. That pasta wasn’t very good, _______________ it?
3. He didn’t wash up, _______________ he?
4. You couldn’t check my homework, _______________ you?
5. I’m going in your car, _______________ I?
6. You booked the tickets, _______________ you?
7. She's finished, _______________ she?
8. He eats meat, _______________ he?
9. They're coming tomorrow, _______________ they?
10. You've been to Paris, _______________ you?
11. She has been crying, __________ she?
12. You must be there by 11:30 a.m., __________ you?
13. Jenna is not present today, __________ she?
14. The teacher had asked you to submit an address proof, __________ she?
15. He is the prime suspect, __________ he?
16. Harini and Tara were not here, __________ they?
17. Get me the duster, _________ you?
18. Your sister won’t be pleased to see this, __________ she?
19. They brought a bottle of wine when they came, _____________ they?
20. Dom and Taylor have a baby girl, ____________ they?
21. Nobody is coming, __________________ they?
22. You rarely cook, ________________you?
23. Let’s watch Avatar, _________________ we?
24. This is the worst part, _______________it?
25. There are hardly any sandwiches, ________________there?
26. You never listen to me, ____________________you?
27. Everybody wants to see Chris, ___________________they?
28. Don’t tell anyone, _______________you?
29. Let’s give him a surprise, ________________we?
30. There aren’t any more tickets, _________________ there?
31. You’d rather go alone, _________________ you?
32. He’ll be delighted, ________________ he?
KEY:
1. It’s a lovely day, isn’t it?
2. That pasta wasn’t very good, was it?
3. He didn’t wash up, did he?
4. You couldn’t check my homework, could you?
5. I’m going in your car, aren’t I?
6. You booked the tickets, didn’t you?
7. She's finished, hasn’t she?
8. He eats meat, doesn’t he?
9. They're coming tomorrow, aren’t they?
10. You've been to Paris, haven’t you?
11. She has been crying, hasn’t she?
12. You must be there by 11:30 a.m., mustn’t you?
13. Jenna is not present today, is she?
14. The teacher had asked you to submit an address proof, hadn’t she?
15. He is the prime suspect, isn’t he?
16. Harini and Tara were not here, were they?
17. Get me the duster, will you?
18. Your sister won’t be pleased to see this, will she?
19. They brought a bottle of wine when they came, didn’t they?
20. Dom and Taylor have a baby girl, don’t they?
21. Nobody is coming, are they?
22. You rarely cook, do you?
23. Let’s watch Avatar, shall we?
24. This is the worst part, isn’t it?
25. There are hardly any sandwiches, are there?
26. You never listen to me, do you?
27. Everybody wants to see Chris, don’t they?
28. Don’t tell anyone, will you?
29. Let’s give him a surprise, shall we?
30. There aren’t any more tickets, are there?
31. You’d rather go alone, wouldn’t you?
32. He’ll be delighted, won’t he?
