PE-73: Question Tags
It's useful, isn't it? The little question at the end of a sentence — how to build it, and why Uzbek's single tag becomes dozens in English.
PE-73: Question Tags
Uzbek checks agreement with one small word: "Havo sovuq, shundaymi?" or simply "…-a?" — and it never changes. English builds a fresh little question every single time: "It's cold, isn't it?", "You went, didn't you?", "She can swim, can't she?" These are question tags, and they are everywhere in spoken English.
In this lesson you will learn
- The two-part rule: opposite sign, same helper
- What to do when the sentence has no helper verb
- The special cases: I am, Let's, imperatives, there is
- How intonation changes the meaning
1. The two-part rule
Every tag does two things: it flips the sign (positive ↔ negative) and it repeats the helper verb with a pronoun.
You are tired, aren't you? — She hasn't finished, has she?
Charchadingiz, shundaymi? — U tugatmadi, shundaymi?
Positive → negative tag
- He is a doctor, isn't he?
- They have arrived, haven't they?
- You can drive, can't you?
Negative → positive tag
- He isn't a doctor, is he?
- They haven't arrived, have they?
- You can't drive, can you?
2. No helper verb? Use do / does / did
If the sentence has no auxiliary — just an ordinary verb in the Present or Past Simple — the tag borrows do, does or did, exactly as questions do (PE-10, PE-22).
You like plov, don't you? — She works here, doesn't she? — They went home, didn't they?
Palovni yoqtirasiz, shundaymi? — U shu yerda ishlaydi-a? — Ular uyga ketdi, shundaymi?
3. The special cases
| Sentence | Tag | Note |
|---|---|---|
| I am late, | aren't I? | not |
| Let's go, | shall we? | suggestions |
| Open the window, | will you? | imperatives |
| Don't be late, | will you? | negative imperative |
| There is a problem, | isn't there? | there acts as the subject |
| Nobody came, | did they? | nobody is already negative |
| This is Afsona's, | isn't it? | a thing → it |
Let's take a taxi, shall we? — Nobody phoned, did they?
Taksi olaylikmi? — Hech kim qoʻngʻiroq qilmadi-a?
Words like nobody, nothing, never already make the sentence negative, so the tag is positive.
4. Intonation changes the meaning
The same tag can do two different jobs, depending on your voice.
Falling voice — I expect you to agree
"Beautiful day, isn't it?" ↘
= I'm not really asking; just making conversation.
Rising voice — a real question
"You've finished, haven't you?" ↗
= I'm genuinely not sure. Please tell me.
5. Why tags matter so much
Tags are not decoration — they are how English speakers stay friendly. A bare statement can sound flat or even rude; a tag invites the other person into the conversation.
Flat
- The exam was difficult.
- You're new here.
- It's very hot.
Friendly — with a tag
- The exam was difficult, wasn't it?
- You're new here, aren't you?
- It's very hot, isn't it?
— Lovely weather, isn't it? — Yes, beautiful. — You're waiting for the bus, aren't you? — That's right.
— Havo ajoyib-a? — Ha, juda yaxshi. — Avtobus kutyapsizmi? — Ha, shunday.
This is how a conversation with a stranger begins in English.
6. Answering a tag question
Answer the fact, not the tag. This can feel strange after a negative sentence:
— You don't like coffee, do you? — No, I don't. (correct — I don't like it) / Yes, I do. (= actually I do like it)
— Qahvani yoqtirmaysiz-a? — Yoʻq, yoqtirmayman. / Ha, yoqtiraman.
7. Common mistakes
You are coming, isn't it?
You are coming, aren't you?
She likes music, doesn't she likes?
She likes music, doesn't she?
You don't know him, don't you?
You don't know him, do you?
I'm right, amn't I?
I'm right, aren't I?
Let's go, will we?
Let's go, shall we?
Practice
1 Add the tag: Afsona speaks Korean, ___ ?
Show answer
doesn't she? No helper in the sentence, so the tag borrows does, and the sign flips to negative.
2 Add the tag: They haven't arrived yet, ___ ?
Show answer
have they? The sentence is negative, so the tag is positive, using the same helper have.
3 Add the tag: Nothing happened, ___ ?
Show answer
did it? Nothing already makes the sentence negative, so the tag is positive — and nothing is referred to as it.
4 Add the tag: Let's watch a film, ___ ?
Show answer
shall we? Let's always takes this tag — it is a suggestion, not a statement.
5 Correct it: Your brother can drive, isn't he?
Show answer
Your brother can drive, can't he?
The tag must repeat the helper in the sentence — here that is can, not is.
Key words — Kalit soʻzlar
- Question tagsoʻroq qoʻshimchasi
- Auxiliaryyordamchi feʼl
- To flip / reverseteskari qilmoq
- Intonationohang
- To agreeqoʻshilmoq, tasdiqlamoq
- Suggestiontaklif
- Imperativebuyruq shakli
- Small talkoddiy suhbat
- Genuinelychin dildan, rostdan
- To confirmtasdiqlamoq
🎯 Remember this
- Positive sentence → negative tag; negative sentence → positive tag.
- Repeat the same helper; if there isn't one, use do / does / did.
- Specials: I am → aren't I, Let's → shall we, imperative → will you.
- Nobody / nothing / never already make it negative → positive tag.
- Falling voice = expecting agreement · rising voice = a real question.