Question Tags: Sound More Natural
Question tags are mini-questions we add to the end of a statement. They are extremely common in spoken English and are a key tool for sounding more conversational.
The Basic Rule
The rule is simple: if the main sentence is positive, the tag is negative. If the main sentence is negative, the tag is positive.
Positive Statement (+), Negative Tag (-)
It's a beautiful day, isn't it?
You can speak English, can't you?
Negative Statement (-), Positive Tag (+)
It isn't raining, is it?
You haven't seen my keys, have you?
The Music of Tags: Intonation
The meaning of a question tag changes depending on whether your voice goes up or down.
Falling Intonation ( ↘ )
Use a falling tone when you are not really asking a question, but are making a comment and expecting the other person to agree.
"It's a lovely day, isn't it?↘" (I'm sure you agree.)
Rising Intonation ( ↗ )
Use a rising tone when you are asking a real question and are unsure of the answer. You are checking information.
"You haven't finished your homework, have you?↗" (I'm genuinely asking.)
Tricky Tags & Exceptions
- I am → aren't I? ("I'm late, aren't I?")
- Let's → shall we? ("Let's go to the beach, shall we?")
- Positive Imperative (command) → will you? ("Close the door, will you?")
- Negative words like 'never', 'hardly', 'nobody' make the statement negative, so they need a positive tag. ("Nobody called, did they?")