You Want to Learn about Tag Questions, Don't You?

01For VOA Learning English, this is Everyday Grammar.

02Have you ever been in a conversation and wanted to check your understanding?

03That is the time to use a tag question in English.

04A tag question is a short question added to a statement.

05The tag includes a pronoun and its matching form of the verb be, or auxiliary verb.

06If the tag question is negative, we shorten the phrase, or use a contraction with the auxiliary verb.

07Here's an example.

08I was visiting a friend and saw a photo on the wall.

09I said, That's a picture of your grandson, isn't it?

10My friend answered, Yes, it is.

11That picture is from when he was two.

12He's a lot taller now.

13In the example, I wanted to confirm something I thought was true.

14So, I started with a positive statement.

15That's a picture of your grandson.

16Then, I added a negative tag question.

17Isn't it?

18My friend said I was right.

19The picture was of his grandson.

20English speakers use tag questions to encourage a listener to respond.

21You will often hear teachers using tag questions.

22You remember the history lesson from last week, don't you?

23Some language researchers say that men use tag questions more often than women.

24They think it might show that men have more power in the conversation and use tags to ask for information or agreement.

25Others say women use a certain kind of tag questions to make the conversation run more smoothly.

26Whatever your gender, when you use a tag question, you expect an answer.

27The form of that answer depends on the type of tag question.

28Let's look at the two types of tag questions.

29We'll talk first about tag questions that follow a positive statement with the verb be.

30They use a reduced form or contraction.

31Make the tag question with the form of the verb be combined with the negative not and the pronoun.

32The verb be has to match the number and person of the pronoun.

33Take a look at these examples.

34They are walking to school, aren't they?

35She is taking the bus, isn't she?

36I am supposed to be sitting here, aren't I?

37You are the math teacher, aren't you?

38In these examples, you reverse the order of the pronoun and verb in the tag question.

39They are becomes, aren't they?

40And she is becomes, isn't she?

41If the statement uses another verb instead of be, the tag question uses an auxiliary verb, such as do or have.

42For example, in the song A Little Time, the singing duo Beautiful South ask the question, and If you ask a negative tag question, you expect a positive answer.

43Question.

44It's raining out, isn't it?

45Expected answer.

46Yes, it is.

47Now let's look at tag questions that follow a negative statement.

48These are in the affirmative.

49You can use this to confirm that what you are thinking is true, and you expect a negative answer.

50Question.

51You don't eat all the cake, do you?

52Expected answer.

53No, I don't.

54Negative sentences with positive tag questions are not as frequent as our first type.

55They use the same form with reversed word order.

56Tag questions are an example of a big difference between British and American English.

57language researchers, language researchers using computer data, found that British English speakers use tag questions nine times as often as American English speakers.

58In understanding and using English grammar, Betty Azar says that the intonation, or change in pitch, shows the purpose of a tag question.

59If the speaker is trying to confirm information, the tone rises.

60Adam works at VOA, doesn't he?

61Speakers saying something that they are almost certain the listener will agree with use a falling intonation.

62It's a nice day, isn't it?

63I'm Jill Robbins.

64And I'm Jim Tedder.

65Now it's your turn.

66Write a sentence with a tag question in the comments.

67We'll give you feedback.

68We'll give you feedback.