Tag Questions — Checking & Confirming (aren't you? / do you?)

B1 — grammar, listening, reading, writing, speaking

Sofía: Ben, you didn't leave the apartment keys in the taxi again, did you?

Ben: Er... no, I didn't! Well, technically they're in my backpack. Somewhere.

Kenji: You're always misplacing things when we travel, aren't you?

Abuela Carmen: Ben, my dear, you have two eyes and two hands, don't you? Use them before losing another hat!

Common mistake: “You live in Medellín, isn't it?” — Correct: “You live in Medellín, don't you?”

Tag questions turn statements into mini-questions to confirm information or invite the listener to agree.

Tag Questions: Polarity & Auxiliaries
Main Statement	Auxiliary Rule	Example Statement	Tag Question
Affirmative with 'to be'	negative tag with be	Sofía is Colombian	..., isn't she?
Negative with 'to be'	affirmative tag with be	We aren't late	..., are we?
Affirmative Present Simple	use don't / doesn't	You drink coffee	..., don't you?
Negative Present Simple	use do / does	Ben doesn't eat fish	..., does he?
Past Simple (+ / -)	use did / didn't	Kenji bought the tickets	..., didn't he?
Present Perfect / Modals	repeat have / can / will	She can drive / They've left	..., can't she? / haven't they?
Special Case: I am (+)	aren't I? (irregular)	I'm right about this	..., aren't I?
Intonation Nuance	Falling ↘ = checking · Rising ↗ = real ask	Nice day, isn't it? ↘	Agreement vs Uncertainty

Sofía is a graphic designer in Medellín, isn't she?
You drink black coffee every morning, don't you?
Kenji bought the train tickets yesterday, didn't he?
You have visited Cartagena before, haven't you?
I'm on time for the meeting, aren't I?
Ben doesn't like waking up early, does he?
We aren't late for the flight, are we?
She didn't forget her passport, did she?
You haven't seen my keys anywhere, have you?
It won't rain this afternoon, will it?
Kenji can speak three languages, can't he?
They were at the library yesterday, weren't they?
Ben lost his sunglasses again, didn't he?
You're coming to dinner tonight, aren't you? Yes, I am.
He doesn't eat spicy food, does he? No, he doesn't.
Kenji finished his project, didn't he? Yes, he did.

Practice

Sofía is a graphic designer in Medellín, ___? (isn't she, doesn't she, is she)
You don't like pineapple on pizza, ___? (do you, don't you, are you)
Kenji can speak three languages fluently, ___? (can't he, doesn't he, isn't he)
Ben lost his hat in Cartagena, ___? (didn't he, wasn't he, doesn't he)
I'm invited to the party tonight, ___? (aren't I, am not I, amn't I)
When the main statement is affirmative, the tag question is normally negative.
In English, you can simply add 'isn't it?' to any statement to make a question tag.
Sofía works in Medellín, ___ (do) she?
We haven't met before, ___ (have) we?
Ben won't forget his wallet this time, ___ (will) he?
They were very tired after the trip, ___ (be) they?
Unscramble: it, is, a, beautiful, day, isn't, it
Unscramble: you, didn't, lock, the, door, did, you
Find the mistake: You speak French, isn't it?
Find the mistake: Ben lives in London, doesn't him?
Find the mistake: She didn't call yesterday, didn't she?
Kenji studies art history. — Add the correct tag question.
Abuela Carmen made delicious arepas. — Add the correct tag question.
You haven't seen my glasses. — Add the correct tag question.
They are ready, aren't they? — Write the opposite sentence: negative statement with affirmative tag.
You're coming to dinner tonight, aren't you? (Answer affirmatively: Yes)
Ben didn't break the coffee machine, did he? (Answer negatively: No)

Listening

Sofía: Kenji, you booked the train tickets to Guatapé, didn't you?

Kenji: Yes, I did! Departure is at eight sharp tomorrow morning.

Ben: We aren't leaving before sunrise, are we? I'm not a morning person, you know.

Sofía: Eight in the morning is not sunrise, Ben! And you packed your warm jacket, didn't you?

Ben: Er... jacket? It doesn't get cold near the lake, does it?

Abuela Carmen: Ben, my boy, the wind blows right through the mountains. You haven't checked the weather once, have you?

Ben: Well... my weather app said partly sunny!

Reading

Tag questions are one of the most common conversational tools in English, but they can be a challenge for Spanish speakers. In Spanish, whether you say 'Eres colombiano' or 'No tienes hambre', you can finish both statements with a simple '¿no?' or '¿verdad?'. In English, however, every tag acts like a mirror that reflects the verb and polarity of the main clause. If the sentence is positive, the tag is negative ('You like coffee, don't you?'). If the sentence is negative, the tag is positive ('You haven't called him, have you?'). Furthermore, intonation completely alters the message. A falling tone means you are just checking and expect agreement: 'Lovely weather, isn't it?'. A rising tone turns it into a genuine question where you are uncertain: 'You locked the door, didn't you?'. Mastering question tags makes your spoken English sound instantly more natural and conversational.

In Spanish, speakers often use a single word like '¿no?' to confirm statements.
In English, tag questions use the same auxiliary verb regardless of the main clause.
A falling intonation in a tag question usually indicates you expect agreement.
A rising intonation means you are already completely certain of the answer.