¿Qué son las tag questions?
Las tag questions (o preguntas cortas) son pequeñas preguntas que se colocan al final de una oración
para confirmar o verificar información.
Su estructura general es:
Oración afirmativa + pregunta corta negativa
Oración negativa + pregunta corta afirmativa
Se usan cuando esperamos una confirmación del interlocutor.
Ejemplo:
You’re a student, aren’t you?
(Eres estudiante, ¿verdad?)
2. Cómo formar tag questions
A. Revisa si la oración principal es positiva o negativa
Oración principal Tag question
Positiva Tag negativa
Negativa Tag positiva
Ejemplos:
1. She likes coffee, doesn’t she?
2. They don’t live here, do they?
C. El verbo auxiliar en la tag
La tag usa el mismo tiempo y auxiliar que la oración principal:
Oraciones con auxiliares
You can swim, can’t you?
She will come, won’t she?
They have finished, haven’t they?
Oraciones sin auxiliares (presente simple o pasado simple)
Usamos do/does/did:
You speak English, don’t you?
He eats pizza, doesn’t he?
She went to school, didn’t she?
3. Casos especiales
a. Oraciones con “I am”
La tag correcta es: aren’t I? (aunque gramaticalmente parezca raro)
I’m early, aren’t I?
b. Verbos modales y expresiones especiales
Let’s go, shall we?
I should leave, shouldn’t I?
Nobody called, did they? (uso de they por impersonal)
4. Ejemplos con explicación
1. It’s cold today, isn’t it?
→ Frase positiva (it’s), tag negativa (isn’t it)
2. You don’t like sushi, do you?
→ Frase negativa, tag afirmativa
3. We have met before, haven’t we?
→ Presente perfecto, tag con have
Practice
Parte A – Completa con la tag correcta
Completa cada oración con su tag question adecuada:
1. You are from Costa Rica, __________________?
2. She doesn’t like spicy food, __________________?
3. They will help us, __________________?
4. He went to school yesterday, __________________?
5. We have met before, __________________?
6. The movie starts at 7, __________________?
7. You can speak French, __________________?
8. She hasn’t finished her homework, __________________?
9. It isn’t raining, __________________?
10. I’m invited to the meeting, __________________?
11. They weren’t at home, __________________?
12. You shouldn’t be late, __________________?
13. Mark and Julia live here, __________________?
14. The bus comes at 8:30, __________________?
15. She must study harder, __________________?
16. We hadn’t seen that before, __________________?
17. You’ve bought the tickets, __________________?
18. He doesn’t understand the question, __________________?
19. The dogs aren’t hungry, __________________?
20. You were at the party, __________________?