Question Tags: Checking, Confirming, Connecting
July 25, 2026 · Sourov · 1 min read
⏱ 5 Minutes · B1
📖 From Experience
The hardest part of English small talk, for me, was the question tag. At the casino, regulars would say: “Lovely evening, isn’t it?” And I’d freeze — not because I didn’t know the words, but because the logic of the tag felt backwards. It isn’t backwards. Once you see the rule, it clicks.
📚 The Rule
Positive sentence → negative tag
She works here, doesn’t she?
Negative sentence → positive tag
He doesn’t know, does he?
Match the auxiliary (be, do, have, will, can…)
✅ Examples
- It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?
- You haven’t eaten, have you?
- They were late, weren’t they?
- She can swim, can’t she?
✏️ Your Turn
Add the correct tag:
- He works in finance, ___?
- You didn’t call, ___?
- We’ve met before, ___?
- It won’t take long, ___?
💡 Check Answers
- doesn’t he
- did you
- haven’t we
- will it
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