Question Tags and Echo Questions

1. Question tags

We can turn a statement into a question by adding a question tag at the end of the sentence.

 

Reasons for question tags:

​​ a polite question:​​ You couldn’t post this letter for me,​​ could you?

​​ to check agreement:​​ You are British,​​ aren’t you?

​​ to give instructions:​​ Open the door,​​ will you?

​​ to make a suggestion or offer:​​ Let’s get a pizza,​​ shall we?

 

 

2. Forming question tags

The form of the question tag always depends on the tense of the sentence: we use the corresponding auxiliary​​ verb.

 

If the sentence is negative, the question tag is positive.

If the sentence is positive, the question tag is negative.

 

Statement

Question tag

He loves travelling,

doesn’t he?

You will do the shopping,

won’t you?

You didn’t ask him,

did you?

They haven’t arrived yet,

have they?

You can swim,

can’t you?

She shouldn’t talk like that,

should she?

 

 

3. Special cases of the question tag​​ 

  • question tags for the imperative:​​ will you? or won’t you?

Answer the phone,​​ will you?

  • ​​ the first person singular (I):​​ aren’t I?

I am too early,​​ aren’t I?

  • ​​ the question tag for Let’s:​​ shall we?

Let’s go to the cinema,​​ shall we?

  • ​​ for everybody, somebody, someone, no one, etc,​​ they​​ is used

Everyone is here,​​ aren’t they?

  • for nothing,​​ everything, anything,​​ it​​ is used

Nothing happened,​​ did it?

 

 

4. Short agreements​​ 

To agree with​​ positive​​ statement, we use​​ so + auxiliary​​ of the original statement.

‘I love ice-cream.’ ‘​​ So do I.’

‘She is from the USA.’​​ So am I.’

‘Peter failed his exams.’​​ ‘So did Alex.’

 

​​ To agree with a​​ negative​​ statement, we use​​ neither/nor + auxiliary​​ of the original statement.

‘I don’t drink milk.’ ‘Neither do I.’

‘Anne hasn’t arrived yet.’ ‘Nor has Bill.’

‘Phil can’t dance very well. ‘Neither can Jack.’

 

 

5. Echo questions

Echo questions​​ are short questions we use after we have heard a statement. We use echo questions to​​ confirm​​ what we have just heard and they do not need an answer.

 

We form echo questions​​ using the corresponding auxiliary​​ from the original sentence –​​ similarly to tag questions. However, a positive sentence requires a positive echo question and a negative statement requires a negative echo question.

 

 ‘I have never been to Australia.’​​ ‘Haven’t you?’

 ‘I can sing and dance very well.’​​ ‘Can you?’

 ‘Everybody has arrived.’​​ ‘Have they?’

 

Note:​​ The same special cases apply as with tag questions.