Question tags (do you? isn't it? etc.

Have you? and wasn't it? are question tags. These are mini-questions that you can put on the end of a sentence.
In question tags, we use an auxiliary verb (have/was/will etc.).
We use do/does/did for the present and past simple (see Unit 51):
‘Karen plays the piano, doesn't she?' ‘Well, yes, but not very well.'
O ‘You didn't lock the door, did you?' ‘No, I forgot.'

B Normally we use a negative question tag after

a positive sentence:

positive sentence Kate + negative tag

will be here soon, won't she?
There was a lot of wasn't there?
traffic, shouldn't he?
Joe should pass the exam,
Notice the meaning of yes and no in answer to a negative sentence:

□ ‘You're not going out this morning, are you?' ‘Yes.' (= Yes, I am going out)
‘No.' (= No, I am not going out)

C The meaning of a question tag depends on how you say it. If your voice goes down, you are not really asking a
question. You expect the listener to agree with you:
□ ‘It's a nice day, isn't it?' ‘Yes, beautiful.'
□ ‘Paul doesn't look well today, does he?' ‘No, he looks very tired.'
□ ‘Lisa's very funny. She's got a great sense of humour, hasn't she?' ‘Yes, she has.'
But if the voice goes up, it is a real question:
□ ‘You haven't seen Kate today, have you?' ‘No, I haven't.'
(= Have you seen Kate today?)
You can use a negative sentence + positive tag to ask for things or information, or to ask somebody to do
something. The voice goes up at the end of the tag:
‘You couldn't do me a favour, could you?' ‘It depends what it is.'
O
Study these examples: ‘You don't know where Karen is, do you?' ‘Sorry, I have no idea.'
You haven't seen
Lisa today, have you?Let's
After ... (= Let us) the question tag is shall we:
D
... and a positive question
O Let'stag goafter
for aawalk,
negative
shallsentence:
we? (the voice goes up)
negative sentence + positive tag
Kate won'tAfter Don't
be late, will. she?
, the They
question taglike
don't is will you:
us, do they? You haven't eaten yet, have you?
□ Don't be late, will you? (the voice goes down)
After I'm . , the negative question tag is aren't I? (= am I not?):
O ‘I'm right, aren't I?' ‘Yes, you are.'

104 Auxiliary verbs (have/do/can etc.) Unit 51

 Unit
Exercises 52
Kate won't
1 Complete these sentences
52.1
be late,
with
wi
a question ................................?
d ..shetag. No, she's never late.
2 You're tired, ' ...you............................?
aren t
Yes, a little.
3 You travel a lot, ......................................................? Yes, I love travelling. /L ■>
4 You weren't listening, .......................................................? Yes, I was!
5 Sarah doesn't know Ann, ........................................................? No, they've never met.
6 Jack's on holiday, ........................................................? Yes, he's in Australia.
7 It didn't take long to get here, .......................................................? No, just ten minutes.
8 You can speak German, ........................................................? Yes, but not fluently.
9 They won't mind if I take a picture, .........................................................? No, of course they won't.
10 There are a lot of people here, ........................................................? Yes, more than I expected.
11 Let's go and have coffee, .......................................................? Yes, let's do that.
12 This isn't very interesting ........................................................? No, not really.
13 I'm too impatient .......................................................? Yes, you are sometimes.
14 You wouldn't tell anyone, ........................................................? No, of course not.
15 Helen has lived here a long time, ........................................................? Yes, 20 years.
16 I shouldn't have lost my temper, ........................................................? No, but that's all right.
17 He'd never met her before, .......................................................? No, that was the first time.
18 Don't forget to call me, .......................................................? No, I won't forget.

52.2 In these situations you expect your friend to agree with you. Use a question tag in your sentences.
1 You look out of the window. The sky is blue and the sun is shining. You say to your friend:
(beautiful day) It's .. .a. .beautiful.. day, .. .isn't. .it?.............................................................................................
2 You're with a friend outside a restaurant. You're looking at the prices, which are very high.
You say: (expensive) It..............................................................................................................................................................................
3 You and a colleague have just finished a training course. You really enjoyed it. You say to your
colleague: (great) The course................................................................................................................................................................
4 Your friend's hair is much shorter than when you last met. You say to her/him:
(have / your hair / cut) You....................................................................................................................................................................
5 You're listening to a woman singing. You like her voice very much. You say to your friend:
(a good voice) She.....................................................................................................................................................................................
6 You're trying on a jacket in a shop. You look in the mirror and you don't like what you see.
You say to your friend:
(not / look / right) It..................................................................................................................................................................................
7 You and a friend are walking over a small wooden bridge. The bridge is old and some parts are
broken. You say:
(not / very safe) This bridge...................................................................................................................................................................

52.3 In these situations you are asking for information, asking people to do things etc.
1 You need a pen. Perhaps Jane has one. Ask her.
Jane, you don't have a pen I could borrow, do you?
2 You have to move a heavy table. You want Joe to help you with it. Ask him.
Joe, you.........................................................................................................................................................................................................
3 You're looking for Sarah. Perhaps Lisa knows where she is. Ask her.
Lisa, you........................................................................................................................................................................................................
4 You want to borrow a tennis racket. Perhaps Helen has one. Ask her.
Helen,.............................................................................................................................................................................................................
5 Anna has a car and you need a lift to the station. Perhaps she'll take you. Ask her.
Anna,..............................................................................................................................................................................................................
6 You're looking for your keys. Perhaps Robert has seen them. Ask him.
Robert,...........................................................................................................................................................................................................