Question tags: Aren't you? Do you?
Confirm information and keep conversations going using question tags.
- check_circleI can form question tags for positive and negative sentences.
- check_circleI can use rising or falling intonation correctly depending on my intention.
Discover
Meet today's English in a real situation — no rules yet. Read it once and try to guess the pattern in the words in bold. Underlined words open a short definition.
Mark: Hey Sarah! You’re going to the party tonight, aren’t you?
Sarah: Yes, I am! But you haven’t bought a present for David yet, have you?
Mark: Oh no, I forgot! The party starts at 8 PM, doesn’t it?
Sarah: Yeah. We still have time. You can buy something quickly, can’t you?
Mark: I hope so. There is a bookstore near the station, isn’t there?
Sarah: Yes, there is. He likes reading sci-fi novels, doesn’t he?
Mark: Exactly. I’ll get him one. See you tonight!
Learn
Now the rules behind what you just saw — explained simply, with examples. Underlined words open a short definition — hover on desktop, tap on a phone.
We use question tags (short questions at the end of statements) to confirm if something is true, or to encourage a reply from the person we are speaking to.
1. The Basic Rule: Opposites attract
If the main statement is positive, the question tag is negative. If the main statement is negative, the question tag is positive.
- You are a student, aren’t you?
- She doesn’t like coffee, does she?
2. Matching the Verb
The tag uses the same auxiliary verb (be, do, have, will, can, etc.) as the main sentence. If there is no auxiliary verb in the main statement, we use do/does/did in the tag.
- He is your brother, isn’t he?
- They have finished, haven’t they?
- You can swim, can’t you?
- You live here, don’t you?
- She called yesterday, didn’t she?
Common Mistake: With the pronoun “I” and the verb “to be” in a positive sentence, the negative tag is irregular!
I am late, am not I?- I am late, aren’t I? (Correct!)
3. Intonation is Key
The meaning of a question tag changes depending on how you say it:
- Falling intonation (falling): You are already sure about the information. You are just asking for agreement or confirming.
- Rising intonation (rising): You are not 100% sure. It’s a real question where you need an answer.
Think of rising intonation like a regular Yes/No question! If you really don’t know the answer, make your voice go up at the end.
- Positive statement + Negative tag: It’s raining, isn’t it?
- Negative statement + Positive tag: You aren’t tired, are you?
- Regular verbs use do/does/did: He works here, doesn’t he?
- Irregular “I am”: I am right, aren’t I?
- Falling voice = I’m sure, agree with me. Rising voice = I’m asking a real question.
Practice
Try it yourself. You'll see right away whether you got it right, plus a short explanation of why.
Use It
Now make the language yours in a real task. Use the prompt below — the editor keeps a simple word count, and nothing is saved or graded.
Before you finish — be honest. Can you do these now?