Question tags

Form:
Question tags are formed using either a modal verb, an auxiliary verb or the verb to be + subject pronoun. A negative tag is normally used with a positive statement, and a positive tag with with a negative statement.

- If the verb to be appears in the statement, it is repeated in the question tag.
He isn't married, is he?
I'm late again, aren't I?

- If an auxiliary verb or a modal verb appears in the statement, it is repeated in the question tag.
You've been to Poland before, haven't you?

- If the verb in the statement is a full verb, an appropiate form of the auxiliary verb do is required in the question tag.
You bought it last year, didn't you?

- "Will you?" and "can you?" are used with imperatives. "Would you?" and "could you?" are more formal alternatives.
Open the window, will/can/would/could you?
"Will you?" is used after a negative imperative.
Don't forget to write, will you?

- If let's appears in the statement, the question tag "shall we" is used.
Let's go home, shall we?

- If the statement contains negative words such as nothing or nobody, the question tag is positive.
Nothing frightens you, does it?
NB the pronoun they is used with nobody/no one, somebody/someone and everybody/everyone.

Use and intonation:
We can use question tags to ask a real question if we are unsure if the statement is true or not. In this case we say the question tag with rising intonation.
We can also use question tags when we expect someone to agree with a statement. In this case we say the question tag with falling intonation.