2.
Form
positive statement → question tag negative → You are Tom, are n't you?
negative statement → question tag positive → He is n't Joe, is he?
3. Examples
3.1. with auxiliaries
You've got a car, haven't you?
3.2. without auxiliaries (don't, doesn't, didn't)
They play football on Sundays, do n't
they ?
She play s football on Sundays,
does n't she ?
They play ed football on Sundays,
did n't they ?
Questions tags are used to keep a conversation going. You can agree or refuse to a
sentence with a question tag.
Affirmative sentence: He is from Germany, is n't he?
Negative sentence: He is n't from Germany, is he?
Possible answers are Yes or No . If you use Yes , do not use contracted forms. If you use
No , contracted form are possible.
Yes, he is .
No, he is not. or No, he is n't . or No,
he's not .
4. Special points
4.1. Although the negative word not is not in the sentence, the sentence can be negative.
Then we use the positive question tag.
He never goes out with his dog, does
he?
4.2. If have is a main verb in the sentence and refers to states, there are two possible
sentences – We have a car, _____?
We have a car, have n't we ? mostly British English
We have a car, do n't we ? mostly American English
4.3. Use will/would with imperatives (Simple Present).
Open the window, will you?
Open the window, would you?
Don't open your books, will you?
4.4. We use w o n't with a polite request.
Open the window, w on't you?
4.5. We use shall after Let's .
Let's take the next bus, shall we ?
4.6. Auxiliary must
We must be at home at 8 pm, must n't
we ?
Yes, we must .
No, we needn't .
4.7. Personal pronoun I
I am late, aren't I ?
This form is commonly used (mostly informal). It is because there is no contracted form
for am + not (amn't ). Grammatically correct would be: am I
not . This is only used in formal situations.