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fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M14.234 10.162L22.977 0h-2.072l-7.591 8.824L7.251 0H.258l9.168 13.343L.258 24H2.33l8.016-9.318L16.749 24h6.993zm-2.837 3.299l-.929-1.329L3.076 1.56h3.182l5.965 8.532l.929 1.329l7.754 11.09h-3.182z\"\u002F>",{"id":47,"title":48,"author":49,"body":50,"cefrLevel":1008,"date":49,"description":1009,"exercises":1010,"extension":1088,"faqs":1089,"gcseTier":49,"intro":49,"language":1102,"lastUpdated":49,"meta":1103,"navigation":1104,"path":1105,"seo":1106,"stem":1107,"verbSlugs":49,"__hash__":1108},"pages\u002Fenglish\u002Fgrammar\u002Fquestion-tags.md","Question tags in English: the mirror rule, aren't I, and tags after let's and imperatives",null,{"type":51,"value":52,"toc":988},"minimark",[53,62,65,70,77,93,96,130,134,149,363,384,401,405,408,413,438,450,454,460,477,491,495,498,540,552,556,582,586,612,616,626,673,697,701,711,733,744,748,751,757,770,776,789,792,799,803,806,818,821,825,828,927,931,934,963,976],[54,55,56,57,61],"p",{},"A question tag is the short question bolted onto the end of a statement: ",[58,59,60],"em",{},"You\nare coming, aren't you?"," British English runs on them. They are how a speaker\nchecks a fact without the rudeness of a direct question, how they fish for\nagreement, and how they soften an instruction into something that sounds\noptional when it is not.",[54,63,64],{},"The good news is that tags are built by a single mechanical rule. The bad news\nis that the handful of cases where English ignores that rule are among the most\ncommon tags you will ever say, so a learner who knows only the rule sounds\nconfident and wrong. This page gives the rule first and then gives the\nexceptions the space they deserve.",[66,67,69],"h2",{"id":68},"the-mirror-rule","The mirror rule",[54,71,72,73],{},"Two things happen at the end of the sentence. ",[74,75,76],"strong",{},"The auxiliary is repeated, and\nthe polarity flips.",[78,79,80,87],"ul",{},[81,82,83,84],"li",{},"Positive statement, negative tag: ",[58,85,86],{},"She is late, isn't she?",[81,88,89,90],{},"Negative statement, positive tag: ",[58,91,92],{},"She is not late, is she?",[54,94,95],{},"That is the entire rule. Everything else on this page is either how to find the\nauxiliary or what to do when there is not one.",[54,97,98,99,102,103,106,107,110,111,114,115,106,118,121,122,125,126,129],{},"Two small points that learners get wrong even when they have the rule. First,\nthe subject of a tag is ",[74,100,101],{},"always a pronoun",", never the full noun: ",[58,104,105],{},"Your brother\nis late, isn't he?",", not ",[58,108,109],{},"isn't your brother",". Second, a negative tag is\n",[74,112,113],{},"always contracted",": ",[58,116,117],{},"isn't she",[58,119,120],{},"is not she",". The uncontracted form\nexists, but it puts the ",[58,123,124],{},"not"," after the pronoun (",[58,127,128],{},"is she not?",") and belongs to\ncourtrooms and period drama.",[66,131,133],{"id":132},"which-auxiliary-to-use","Which auxiliary to use",[54,135,136,137,140,141,144,145,148],{},"If the statement already contains an auxiliary or a modal, reuse it. If it does\nnot, the tag borrows ",[58,138,139],{},"do",", ",[58,142,143],{},"does"," or ",[58,146,147],{},"did",".",[150,151,152,168],"table",{},[153,154,155],"thead",{},[156,157,158,162,165],"tr",{},[159,160,161],"th",{},"Statement",[159,163,164],{},"Tag",[159,166,167],{},"Why",[169,170,171,194,213,232,250,267,287,306,324,343],"tbody",{},[156,172,173,183,188],{},[174,175,176],"td",{},[58,177,178,179,182],{},"You ",[74,180,181],{},"are"," ready",[174,184,185],{},[58,186,187],{},"aren't you?",[174,189,190,193],{},[58,191,192],{},"be"," is already there",[156,195,196,205,210],{},[174,197,198],{},[58,199,200,201,204],{},"He ",[74,202,203],{},"has"," finished",[174,206,207],{},[58,208,209],{},"hasn't he?",[174,211,212],{},"reuse the perfect auxiliary",[156,214,215,224,229],{},[174,216,217],{},[58,218,219,220,223],{},"They ",[74,221,222],{},"will"," come",[174,225,226],{},[58,227,228],{},"won't they?",[174,230,231],{},"reuse the modal",[156,233,234,243,248],{},[174,235,236],{},[58,237,238,239,242],{},"She ",[74,240,241],{},"can"," swim",[174,244,245],{},[58,246,247],{},"can't she?",[174,249,231],{},[156,251,252,260,265],{},[174,253,254],{},[58,255,178,256,259],{},[74,257,258],{},"should"," ask",[174,261,262],{},[58,263,264],{},"shouldn't you?",[174,266,231],{},[156,268,269,277,282],{},[174,270,271],{},[58,272,200,273,276],{},[74,274,275],{},"works"," here",[174,278,279],{},[58,280,281],{},"doesn't he?",[174,283,284,285],{},"no auxiliary, so ",[58,286,143],{},[156,288,289,297,302],{},[174,290,291],{},[58,292,219,293,296],{},[74,294,295],{},"left"," early",[174,298,299],{},[58,300,301],{},"didn't they?",[174,303,284,304],{},[58,305,147],{},[156,307,308,316,321],{},[174,309,310],{},[58,311,178,312,315],{},[74,313,314],{},"did not"," pay",[174,317,318],{},[58,319,320],{},"did you?",[174,322,323],{},"negative statement, positive",[156,325,326,335,340],{},[174,327,328],{},[58,329,330,331,334],{},"It ",[74,332,333],{},"has been"," raining",[174,336,337],{},[58,338,339],{},"hasn't it?",[174,341,342],{},"tag the first auxiliary",[156,344,345,353,358],{},[174,346,347],{},[58,348,178,349,352],{},[74,350,351],{},"used to"," smoke",[174,354,355],{},[58,356,357],{},"didn't you?",[174,359,360,362],{},[58,361,351],{}," behaves as a past",[54,364,365,366,369,370,372,373,378,379,383],{},"The last one is worth pausing on. ",[58,367,368],{},"Used to"," has no auxiliary of its own, so it\nfalls back on ",[58,371,147],{},", exactly like an ordinary past simple verb. See\n",[374,375,377],"a",{"href":376},"\u002Fenglish\u002Fgrammar\u002Fused-to-and-would","used to and would"," for the rest of that\npattern, and ",[374,380,382],{"href":381},"\u002Fenglish\u002Fgrammar\u002Fmodal-verbs","modal verbs"," for the full modal set.",[54,385,386,389,390,393,394,397,398],{},[58,387,388],{},"Must"," is the one modal that splits. When it means obligation, the tag mirrors\nit: ",[58,391,392],{},"You must go, mustn't you?"," When it means deduction (",[58,395,396],{},"You must be tired","),\nthe tag mirrors the verb inside instead: ",[58,399,400],{},"You must be tired, aren't you?",[66,402,404],{"id":403},"the-irregular-cases","The irregular cases",[54,406,407],{},"These are not footnotes. Between them they cover a large share of the tags an\nEnglish speaker actually produces in a day.",[409,410,412],"h3",{"id":411},"arent-i","aren't I",[54,414,415,418,419,422,423,426,427,433,434,437],{},[58,416,417],{},"Amn't"," does not exist. English never built a negative contraction for ",[58,420,421],{},"am",", so\nthe tag after ",[58,424,425],{},"I am"," borrows the plural: ",[58,428,429,430,432],{},"I am late, ",[74,431,412],{},"?"," There is no\nargument to be had with this; it is simply the form. The strictly logical\nalternative, ",[58,435,436],{},"am I not?",", is correct and sounds like you are addressing\nparliament.",[54,439,440,441,443,444],{},"The positive tag after a negative ",[58,442,425],{}," is entirely regular: ",[58,445,446,447,432],{},"I am not\ninvited, ",[74,448,449],{},"am I",[409,451,453],{"id":452},"after-lets-the-tag-is-shall-we","After let's, the tag is shall we",[54,455,456,459],{},[58,457,458],{},"Let's"," is a suggestion, not a statement, so there is nothing to mirror. The tag\nis fixed:",[78,461,462,470],{},[81,463,464],{},[58,465,466,467,432],{},"Let's start, ",[74,468,469],{},"shall we",[81,471,472],{},[58,473,474,475,432],{},"Let's not argue about it, ",[74,476,469],{},[54,478,479,480,483,484,490],{},"Note that this only applies to the contracted suggestion. If ",[58,481,482],{},"let us"," is a real\nimperative meaning \"release us\", it takes an imperative tag: ",[58,485,486,487,432],{},"Let us go, ",[74,488,489],{},"will\nyou"," You will not need that one often.",[409,492,494],{"id":493},"after-an-imperative-the-tag-is-will-you","After an imperative, the tag is will you",[54,496,497],{},"An imperative has no auxiliary and no stated subject, so again there is nothing\nto mirror. The tag choice is about tone rather than grammar:",[78,499,500,509,518,531],{},[81,501,502,508],{},[58,503,504,505,432],{},"Close the door, ",[74,506,507],{},"will you"," (neutral, slightly impatient)",[81,510,511,517],{},[58,512,513,514,432],{},"Sit down, ",[74,515,516],{},"won't you"," (warmer, an invitation)",[81,519,520,530],{},[58,521,522,523,526,527,432],{},"Pass me the salt, ",[74,524,525],{},"would you","? \u002F ",[74,528,529],{},"could you"," (politer)",[81,532,533,539],{},[58,534,535,536,432],{},"Give me a hand, ",[74,537,538],{},"can you"," (informal)",[54,541,542,543,548,549,551],{},"Negative imperatives break the mirror rule outright, because they take a\npositive tag anyway: ",[58,544,545,546,432],{},"Don't be late, ",[74,547,507],{}," Not ",[58,550,516],{},", which would\nmean something close to the opposite.",[409,553,555],{"id":554},"there-is-there-are","There is, there are",[54,557,558,561,562,568,569,575,576,144,579,148],{},[58,559,560],{},"There"," is not a real subject, but the tag keeps it regardless: ",[58,563,564,565,432],{},"There is a\nproblem, ",[74,566,567],{},"isn't there"," and ",[58,570,571,572,432],{},"There were no messages, ",[74,573,574],{},"were there"," Do not\nsubstitute ",[58,577,578],{},"it",[58,580,581],{},"they",[409,583,585],{"id":584},"nobody-somebody-everyone","Nobody, somebody, everyone",[54,587,588,589,591,592,568,598,603,604,114,606],{},"Indefinite people take ",[74,590,581],{}," in the tag, even though the verb in the\nstatement is singular: ",[58,593,594,595,432],{},"Somebody rang, ",[74,596,597],{},"didn't they",[58,599,600,601,432],{},"Everyone signed\nit, ",[74,602,597],{}," Indefinite things take ",[74,605,578],{},[58,607,608,609,432],{},"Nothing happened, ",[74,610,611],{},"did\nit",[409,613,615],{"id":614},"negative-words-make-a-statement-negative","Negative words make a statement negative",[54,617,618,619,621,622,625],{},"This trips up nearly everyone. A sentence can be negative without containing\n",[58,620,124],{},". If the subject or an adverb carries the negative, the statement counts as\nnegative and takes a ",[74,623,624],{},"positive"," tag:",[78,627,628,639,650,661],{},[81,629,630],{},[58,631,632,635,636,432],{},[74,633,634],{},"Nobody"," called, ",[74,637,638],{},"did they",[81,640,641],{},[58,642,200,643,646,647,432],{},[74,644,645],{},"never"," writes, ",[74,648,649],{},"does he",[81,651,652],{},[58,653,238,654,657,658,432],{},[74,655,656],{},"hardly"," ate anything, ",[74,659,660],{},"did she",[81,662,663],{},[58,664,665,666,669,670,432],{},"There is ",[74,667,668],{},"nothing"," left, ",[74,671,672],{},"is there",[54,674,675,140,677,140,679,140,681,140,683,140,686,140,689,692,693,696],{},[58,676,634],{},[58,678,668],{},[58,680,645],{},[58,682,656],{},[58,684,685],{},"scarcely",[58,687,688],{},"rarely",[58,690,691],{},"seldom"," and\n",[58,694,695],{},"few"," all do this. If a negative tag feels natural after one of them, you have\nmade the mistake.",[409,698,700],{"id":699},"i-think-i-suppose-i-believe","I think, I suppose, I believe",[54,702,703,704,707,708,710],{},"When the main clause is a reporting frame like ",[58,705,706],{},"I think",", the tag attaches to\nthe clause inside it, not to ",[58,709,706],{},":",[78,712,713,725],{},[81,714,715,720,721,724],{},[58,716,717,718,432],{},"I think she is French, ",[74,719,117],{}," (not ",[58,722,723],{},"don't I",")",[81,726,727],{},[58,728,729,730,432],{},"I don't think he will come, ",[74,731,732],{},"will he",[54,734,735,736,739,740,743],{},"The second one is the interesting case: the negative has moved forward onto\n",[58,737,738],{},"think",", but it belongs logically to ",[58,741,742],{},"he will come",", so the tag is positive.\nEnglish calls this negative raising, and you do not need the name, only the\nhabit.",[66,745,747],{"id":746},"falling-or-rising-are-you-actually-asking","Falling or rising: are you actually asking?",[54,749,750],{},"Here is the part that grammar books bury and speakers rely on. The same tag\ndoes two completely different jobs depending on what your voice does.",[54,752,753,756],{},[74,754,755],{},"Falling intonation on the tag"," means you are not asking. You already know\nthe answer and you want the other person to agree with you. It is small talk,\nshared ground, a nudge.",[78,758,759,765],{},[81,760,761,764],{},[58,762,763],{},"Lovely day, isn't it?"," (You can both see the sky.)",[81,766,767],{},[58,768,769],{},"That was awful, wasn't it?",[54,771,772,775],{},[74,773,774],{},"Rising intonation on the tag"," means you genuinely do not know and would like\nto be told.",[78,777,778,784],{},[81,779,780,783],{},[58,781,782],{},"You locked the door, didn't you?"," (Please say yes.)",[81,785,786],{},[58,787,788],{},"This is the right platform, isn't it?",[54,790,791],{},"Same words on the page. In speech they are not remotely the same sentence, and\na learner who tags everything with a rising tone comes across as permanently\nunsure of themselves. When you want agreement, let the tag fall.",[54,793,794,795,798],{},"Written English cannot show intonation, which is one reason tags read as more\naggressive in a message than they sound out loud. ",[58,796,797],{},"You did send it, didn't you?","\nin an email is an accusation. Say it aloud with a falling tone and it is barely\na question at all.",[66,800,802],{"id":801},"same-way-tags","Same-way tags",[54,804,805],{},"One more pattern worth recognising, because it sounds like a mistake and is\nnot. A positive statement can take a positive tag:",[78,807,808,813],{},[81,809,810],{},[58,811,812],{},"So you are the new manager, are you?",[81,814,815],{},[58,816,817],{},"You think that is funny, do you?",[54,819,820],{},"This is not the mirror rule failing. It signals interest, suspicion, sarcasm or\na conclusion just drawn. It is common, it is native, and it is almost always\nmildly confrontational, so recognise it rather than reach for it.",[66,822,824],{"id":823},"common-mistakes","Common mistakes",[54,826,827],{},"Ranked by how often learners actually make them.",[829,830,831,854,866,883,895,907],"ol",{},[81,832,833,836,837,840,841,843,844,847,848,140,850,568,852,148],{},[74,834,835],{},"Negative tag after a negative word."," ",[58,838,839],{},"Nobody came, didn't they?"," is wrong.\n",[58,842,634],{}," has already made the sentence negative, so the tag is positive:\n",[58,845,846],{},"Nobody came, did they?"," Same for ",[58,849,645],{},[58,851,656],{},[58,853,668],{},[81,855,856,859,860,862,863,865],{},[74,857,858],{},"Amn't I \u002F am not I."," The tag after ",[58,861,425],{}," is ",[58,864,412],{},". Nothing else is\navailable in ordinary English.",[81,867,868,836,871,874,875,140,877,140,879,144,881,148],{},[74,869,870],{},"Mirroring an imperative.",[58,872,873],{},"Close the door, don't you?"," is wrong.\nImperatives take ",[58,876,507],{},[58,878,516],{},[58,880,525],{},[58,882,538],{},[81,884,885,836,888,891,892,894],{},[74,886,887],{},"A noun in the tag.",[58,889,890],{},"Your sister is coming, isn't your sister?"," should be\n",[58,893,117],{},". Tags take pronouns only.",[81,896,897,836,900,903,904,148],{},[74,898,899],{},"Forgetting the do-support.",[58,901,902],{},"You work here, aren't you?"," is wrong. The\nstatement has no auxiliary, so the tag needs one: ",[58,905,906],{},"don't you",[81,908,909,836,912,891,915,918,919,922,923,926],{},[74,910,911],{},"Shall we after anything except let's.",[58,913,914],{},"We should go, shall we?",[58,916,917],{},"shouldn't we",". ",[58,920,921],{},"Shall we"," belongs to ",[58,924,925],{},"let's"," and nowhere else.",[66,928,930],{"id":929},"practice","Practice",[54,932,933],{},"Add the correct tag to each sentence. Answers are below.",[829,935,936,943,948,953,958],{},[81,937,938,939,432],{},"You are coming with us, ",[940,941,942],"code",{},"___",[81,944,945,946,432],{},"I am next, ",[940,947,942],{},[81,949,950,951,432],{},"Nobody told her, ",[940,952,942],{},[81,954,955,956,432],{},"Let's take a break, ",[940,957,942],{},[81,959,960,961,432],{},"Turn the light off, ",[940,962,942],{},[54,964,965,968,969,972,973,975],{},[74,966,967],{},"Answers:"," 1. aren't you 2. aren't I 3. did they (",[58,970,971],{},"nobody"," is already\nnegative) 4. shall we (fixed after ",[58,974,925],{},") 5. will you (imperative)",[54,977,978,979,983,984,148],{},"If you want the other half of English politeness machinery, the page on\n",[374,980,982],{"href":981},"\u002Fenglish\u002Fgrammar\u002Findirect-questions","indirect questions"," covers the word-order\nflip that makes a direct question sound softer. And once you are reporting what\nsomebody asked rather than asking it yourself, you are in\n",[374,985,987],{"href":986},"\u002Fenglish\u002Fgrammar\u002Freported-speech","reported speech",{"title":989,"searchDepth":990,"depth":990,"links":991},"",2,[992,993,994,1004,1005,1006,1007],{"id":68,"depth":990,"text":69},{"id":132,"depth":990,"text":133},{"id":403,"depth":990,"text":404,"children":995},[996,998,999,1000,1001,1002,1003],{"id":411,"depth":997,"text":412},3,{"id":452,"depth":997,"text":453},{"id":493,"depth":997,"text":494},{"id":554,"depth":997,"text":555},{"id":584,"depth":997,"text":585},{"id":614,"depth":997,"text":615},{"id":699,"depth":997,"text":700},{"id":746,"depth":990,"text":747},{"id":801,"depth":990,"text":802},{"id":823,"depth":990,"text":824},{"id":929,"depth":990,"text":930},"B1-B2","How English question tags work: the mirror rule for auxiliary and polarity, which auxiliary to pick, the irregular tags (aren't I, shall we, will you), and how intonation decides whether you are really asking.",[1011,1037,1062],{"type":1012,"instructions":1013,"options":1014,"items":1020},"which-one","Choose the correct question tag for each sentence.",[1015,1016,1017,597,507,469,1018,1019],"isn't it","aren't you","doesn't he","can she","have you",[1021,1023,1025,1027,1029,1031,1033,1035],{"prompt":1022,"answer":1015},"It is cold today, ___?",{"prompt":1024,"answer":1016},"You are tired, ___?",{"prompt":1026,"answer":1017},"He works here, ___?",{"prompt":1028,"answer":597},"They left early, ___?",{"prompt":1030,"answer":507},"Close the door, ___?",{"prompt":1032,"answer":469},"Let's start, ___?",{"prompt":1034,"answer":1018},"She cannot drive, ___?",{"prompt":1036,"answer":1019},"You have not eaten, ___?",{"type":1038,"instructions":1039,"items":1040},"fill-blank","Write the missing word in each question tag.",[1041,1044,1047,1050,1052,1055,1057,1059],{"prompt":1042,"answer":1043},"I am late, ___ I?","aren't",{"prompt":1045,"answer":1046},"It was a good film, ___ it?","wasn't",{"prompt":1048,"answer":1049},"You will help me, ___ you?","won't",{"prompt":1051,"answer":147},"Nobody called, ___ they?",{"prompt":1053,"answer":1054},"There is a problem, ___ there?","isn't",{"prompt":1056,"answer":203},"She has never been here, ___ she?",{"prompt":1058,"answer":222},"Do not tell him, ___ you?",{"prompt":1060,"answer":1061},"Let's go, ___ we?","shall",{"type":1063,"instructions":1064,"pairs":1065},"match","Match each statement to the tag that belongs on the end of it.",[1066,1068,1071,1074,1077,1080,1083,1085],{"left":1067,"right":187},"You are ready",{"left":1069,"right":1070},"I am right","aren't I?",{"left":1072,"right":1073},"He never writes","does he?",{"left":1075,"right":1076},"Sit down","will you?",{"left":1078,"right":1079},"Let's eat","shall we?",{"left":1081,"right":1082},"Nothing happened","did it?",{"left":1084,"right":301},"Somebody rang",{"left":1086,"right":1087},"You would help","wouldn't you?","md",[1090,1093,1096,1099],{"q":1091,"a":1092},"How do you form a question tag in English?","Take the auxiliary from the statement, reverse the polarity, and add a pronoun. A positive statement takes a negative tag and a negative statement takes a positive one: She is late, isn't she? and She is not late, is she? If the statement has no auxiliary, borrow do, does or did: You work here, don't you?",{"q":1094,"a":1095},"Why do people say aren't I instead of amn't I?","Because amn't does not exist in standard English. There is no negative contraction of am, so the tag after I am borrows the plural form: I am late, aren't I? It is irregular and there is no logic to defend, you simply learn it. Am I not? is grammatically correct but sounds stiff and formal in speech.",{"q":1097,"a":1098},"What tag do you use after an imperative like close the door?","Imperatives do not follow the mirror rule at all, because there is no auxiliary and no subject to mirror. Use will you, won't you, would you or can you: Close the door, will you? A negative imperative takes will you as well: Don't be late, will you? And after let's the tag is always shall we: Let's start, shall we?",{"q":1100,"a":1101},"Does a question tag always mean you are asking a question?","No, and this is the part learners miss. If your voice falls on the tag you are not asking anything, you are inviting agreement: Lovely day, isn't it? If your voice rises you genuinely do not know the answer and want one: You locked the door, didn't you? Same words, different job, and only the intonation tells them apart.","english",{},true,"\u002Fenglish\u002Fgrammar\u002Fquestion-tags",{"title":48,"description":1009},"english\u002Fgrammar\u002Fquestion-tags","N5qbSwSJfrUaypseL00gBAmgmBkMoiqZPjODPYfmuxY",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":1110},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M13 21h8M15 5l4 4m2.174-2.188a1 1 0 0 0-3.986-3.987L3.842 16.174a2 2 0 0 0-.5.83l-1.321 4.352a.5.5 0 0 0 .623.622l4.353-1.32a2 2 0 0 0 .83-.497z\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":1112},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M11 4.702a.705.705 0 0 0-1.203-.498L6.413 7.587A1.4 1.4 0 0 1 5.416 8H3a1 1 0 0 0-1 1v6a1 1 0 0 0 1 1h2.416a1.4 1.4 0 0 1 .997.413l3.383 3.384A.705.705 0 0 0 11 19.298zM16 9a5 5 0 0 1 0 6m3.364 3.364a9 9 0 0 0 0-12.728\"\u002F>"]