Tag Questions
Tag questions are added at the end of sentences when the speaker is reasonably sure that the listener already knows the answer to the question they’re asking. If the sentence is affirmative, the tag question is negative. If the sentence is negative the tag question is positive. The purpose of a tag questions is to reconfirm the speaker’s idea of what the answer to the question will be.
Question: You love me, don’t you?
Answer: Of course I love you!
(The speaker asking the question is reasonably sure he/she knows the answer to the question.)
Question: You are an architect, aren’t you?
Answer: Yes, I am.
(The speaker asking the question has a good idea of what the other person’s profession is..)
Question: He doesn’t like to dance, does he?
Answer: No he doesn’t, he’s very shy.
(The speaker asking the question has some reason to believe the person doesn’t like to dance.)
Question: She isn’t going to marry him, is she?
Answer: No she isn’t, she’d be crazy if she did.
(Again, the speaker is confident of the answer to the question.)
In the first two examples above, the sentence is positive while the tag question is negative. In the last two examples, the sentences are negative while the tag questions are positive.
Question: She passed her final exam, didn’t she?
Answer: Yes, she did.
Question: They didn’t come to the party, did they?
Answer: No, they didn’t.
Question: The children really love the beach, don’t they?
Answer: Yes, they don’t want to leave, they’re having so much fun!
Question: She doesn’t like it when he calls her “cutie pie”, does she?
Answer: No, she hates it because she turns all red when he calls her that.
Question: The people don’t like politicians very much, do they?
Answer: No they don’t, that’s why they leave the country.
Question: You’re going to Margarita’s party, aren’t you?
Answer: Of course, there’s going to be a lot of girls there.
Question: She will be here soon, won’t she?
Answer: No, she won’t, she called in sick.
Question: You’re going to wait for me, aren’t you?
Answer: Yes, I am. But don’t take too long.
Question: He won’t stay with us, will he?
Answer: No, he won’t. He is staying in a hotel.
Question: She is going to be absent tomorrow, isn’t she?
Answer: Yes, she is. She is going to California.
Question: They are going to come with us, aren’t they?
Answer: Yes, they are. They are on the same flight.
Question: You will be here soon, won’t you?
Answer: No, I won’t. I am still at the meeting.