Tag questions
A tag question conveys a positive or negative orientation about a statement.
- The show has already started, hasn't it?
- You are not wasting valuable time, are you?
The rules for forming the most common question tags are:
| positive statement + negative tag | negative statement + positive tag |
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| Your sister loves Beethoven, doesn't she? | Your sister doesn't love Beethoven, does she? |
| This book is very exciting, isn't it? | This book isn't very exciting, is it? |
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There is a further, less common type of tag question in which both statement and question are positive:
- Your friend is outside, is he?
- You've had an accident, have you?
The situation is indicative of a speaker who recalls what has been said or takes the situation for granted. The tone may sometimes be one of sarcastic suspicion.
- So that's your little game, is it?