English – Question Tags: Formation and Usage – BAC Literary Stream

Question Tags: Formation and Usage

Question tags are short questions added at the end of a statement. They are used to confirm information or ask for agreement. They are frequently tested in BAC grammar exercises.

Formation rules:

• If the statement is positive, the tag is negative. Ex: “You study English, don’t you?”
• If the statement is negative, the tag is positive. Ex: “You don’t like coffee, do you?”
• The tag uses the same auxiliary verb as the statement. If there’s no auxiliary, use do/does/did.

Examples by tense:

• Present simple: “He works hard, doesn’t he?” / “She doesn’t smoke, does she?”
• Past simple: “They arrived late, didn’t they?” / “He didn’t call, did he?”
• Present perfect: “You have finished, haven’t you?” / “She hasn’t come, has she?”
• Future: “We will win, won’t we?” / “They won’t mind, will they?”
• Modal verbs: “He can swim, can’t he?” / “She should study, shouldn’t she?”

Special cases:

• I am → aren’t I? “I am right, aren’t I?”
• Let’s → shall we? “Let’s go out, shall we?”
• Imperative → will you? “Open the door, will you?”
• No one/nobody/nothing → they: “Nobody came, did they?”
• Everyone/everybody → they: “Everyone is happy, aren’t they?”

Intonation:

• Rising intonation: asking for confirmation (genuine question).
• Falling intonation: expecting agreement (not a real question).

BAC Example 2023:

“Add the correct question tag: ‘The students have prepared for the exam, ______?’ → ‘haven’t they'”

Similar Lessons

• Subject-Verb Agreement: Rules and Exceptions
• Modal Verbs: Can, Could, May, Might, Must, Should

📍 دروس مشابهة

• Indefinite Pronouns — Someone, Anyone, Nothing — English 2nd Year Middle School
• English — Direct and Indirect Questions — 4th Year Middle School — Algerian Curriculum
• English – Past Perfect Simple: Formation and Use with Exercises – 3rd Year Middle School – Algerian Curriculum