B2 FIRST · GRAMMAR · PART 2

Question tags

Isn't it?, do you?, shall we? – short questions at the end of a sentence, and the special cases.

Finn the puffin with glasses and a book, your grammar teacher

Finn says

Question tags are tiny questions at the end of a sentence: you use them to check something or to invite your listener to agree. They are great in Speaking – and the auxiliary can be a Part 2 answer!

How to make them

positive sentence → negative tag

auxiliary + n't + pronoun

It's cold today, isn't it?

negative sentence → positive tag

auxiliary + pronoun

You don't eat meat, do you?

no auxiliary in the sentence

use do / does / did

She lives near here, doesn't she?

Special cases

I am

aren't I

I'm on the list, aren't I?

Let's

shall we

Let's take a break, shall we?

imperatives

will you / would you / can you

Close the window, will you?

nobody, somebody, everyone

they

Nobody called, did they?

never, hardly, nothing

these are negative → positive tag

You've never been to Rome, have you?

How it comes up in Part 2

In Part 2 you write one word in each gap. No word is given, so you need to know the grammar.

Let's start the meeting now, shall we?

Let's … → shall we?

You've never tried sushi, have you?

'Never' makes the sentence negative, so the tag is positive.

Tom can't come tonight, can he?

Negative sentence → positive tag with the same auxiliary.

Common mistakes

✗ I'm late, am not I?✓ I'm late, aren't I?The tag for 'I am' is 'aren't I'.
✗ She works here, isn't she?✓ She works here, doesn't she?No auxiliary in the sentence → do / does / did.
✗ Nobody has phoned, has he?✓ Nobody has phoned, have they?After nobody / everyone, use 'they'.

Finn's exam tip

In Part 2 the answer is always one word, so a tag gap needs the positive auxiliary: shall, will, have, can, do… (a negative tag like isn't counts as two words). Look at the sentence: is it negative? Which auxiliary does it use?

Quick check

Write one word in each gap.

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