B1 Intermediate Deduction and question tags
Question tags
Lesson goal. After this lesson you can add question tags with the right auxiliary, pronoun and polarity.
When to use it
- Checking something you believe: You are a student, aren't you?
- Inviting agreement in conversation.
- Very common in listening tasks and transformation exercises.
Form
| Main clause | Tag | Example |
|---|---|---|
| affirmative | negative | You are tired, aren't you? |
| negative | affirmative | She can't drive, can she? |
| with an auxiliary | repeat that auxiliary | He has left, hasn't he? |
| no auxiliary | borrow do / does / did | They went home, didn't they? |
Step by step
- Look at the main clause: positive or negative? The tag is the opposite.
- Find the auxiliary (is, can, have, will…) and reuse it.
- If there is none, borrow do / does / did for the tense.
- Turn the subject into a pronoun: Nam → he, my parents → they.
Three special cases
| Main clause | Correct tag | Note |
|---|---|---|
| I am late, | aren't I? | amn't is not used |
| Let's go, | shall we? | |
| There is a problem, | isn't there? | keep there |
| Open the window, | will you? | imperatives |
Examples
You are a student, aren't you?
She doesn't like coffee, does she?
They went home early, didn't they?
He can swim, can't he?
There aren't any biscuits left, are there?
Let's take a break, shall we?
Common mistakes
She is a teacher, isn't it? → She is a teacher, isn't she?
The tag pronoun must match the subject, not default to it. Many learners use isn't it for everything.
I am right, am not I? → I am right, aren't I?
English has no amn't, so the tag is aren't I.
He plays football, don't he? → He plays football, doesn't he?
Third person singular → doesn't.
Memory tip
Three steps: flip the polarity → right auxiliary → right pronoun. Almost every mistake here comes from skipping step three.
Summary
- Positive → negative tag, and vice versa.
- Reuse the auxiliary; borrow do/does/did if there is none.
- Special: I am → aren't I · Let's → shall we · There is → isn't there.
Practise this lesson
Do exercises with an explanation for every question, take mini tests and track your progress on GrammUp.