Problems With Verbs (17): Tag Questions.

Tag question are used frequently in conversation to encourage agreement or to verify a statement.

Remember that the subject in the main clause and the subject in the tag question must refer to the same person or thing. The tag question is separated from the main clause by a comma.

(The mail is late, isn't it?)

- (S): the mail
- (BE): is
- ( , ): late,
- (BE not): isn't
- (S): it?

(The mail isn't late again, is it?)

- (S): The mail
- (BE not): isn't
- ( , ): late again,
- (BE): is
- (S): it?

Avoid using a negative in both the main clause and the tag question.

(They agree with us, don't they?)

- (S): They
- (V[present]): agree
- ( , ): with us,
- (DO not): don't
- (S)

Avoid using (won't) instead of (don't) or (doesn't). Avoid using did.

(They agreed with us, didn't they?)

- (S): they
- (V[past]): agreed
- ( , ): with us,
- (did not): didn't
- (S): they?

Avoid using (don't) or (doesn't) instead of (didn't).

Examples:

Incorrect: (I owe) you twenty dollars, (won't I?)
Correct: (I owe) you twenty dollars, (don't I?)

Incorrect: (It isn't) as hot as it was yesterday, (isn't it?)
Correct: (It isn't) as hot as it was yesterday, (is it?)

Incorrect: (He played) very well, (doesn't he?)
Correct: (He played) very well, (didn't he?)

Incorrect: (It isn't) far from the university, (isn't it?)
Correct: (It isn't) far from the university, (is it?)

Incorrect: (She understood) the question, (doesn't she?)
Correct: (She understood) the question, (didn't she?)