Question Tags & Reply questions

Question tags and reply questions

Question Tags

We form question tags with an auxiliary/modal verb + pronoun.

We use negative question tags after positive statements and positive question tags after negative statements:

You are coming tonight, aren't you?

The Browns live here, don't they?

• The question tag with imperative is will you: Close the door, will you?

• The question tag with Let's is shall we: Let's go for a walk, shall we?

• We use they in question tags after someone, everyone, etc and it in question tags after nothing, something and everything: Someone rang earlier, didn't they? or Nothing ever happens here, does it?

• We use question tags:

  • to invite agreement (your voice goes down): We haven't met before, have we?

  • as "real" questions when we aren't sure if something is true (our voice goes up): You like fish, don't you?

Reply questions

We use reply questions to show that we are interested in or surprised by what someone is saying: "You left your bag here." "Did I? How silly of me!"

We use a positive question after a positive statement and a negative question after a negative statement: "I'll finish it for you." "Will you? Thanks."

"I haven't been well." "Haven't you? I'm sorry."