Isn’t, aren't

A.

When we want to ask for information we usually used the standard question form. However, sometimes we just want to keep a conversation going, or confirm information. In this case, we use, isn’t? Aren’t? etc. These small usages are called Question tags. A tag question is a question we can add to the end of a statement. Question tags are often used to solicit input or confirmation to what we are saying. Tag questions are used to verify or check information that we think is true or to check information that we aren’t sure is true or to check information that we aren’t sure is true.

B.

Question tag is used to:

(a)    Check whether something is true.

      Example: Your brother is a lawyer, isn’t he?

(b)   find out if someone agrees with us

      Example: This dress is beautiful, isn’t it?

     There is no short form for ‘am not’, so aren’t used to form question tags instead.

     Example: I am in the team, aren’t I?

C.

A statement can be turned into a question by adding a question tag at the end of it. The statement and the tag are always separated by a comma.

Example: this book is very interesting, isn’t it?

A tag question is a short question added to the end of a positive or negative statement.

For example:-

He is,	Isn’t he?
He does,	Doesn’t he?
He can,	Can’t he?

D.

Normally a positive statement is followed by a negative tag, and a negative statement is followed by a positive tag.

For example:-

You’re English	Aren’t you?
You’re not German	Are you?

E.

The verb in the statement should be the same tense as the verb in the tag.

For example:-

Present tense
You are a good signer,	Aren’t you?
Past tense
You didn’t go to work yesterday,	Did you?
Present perfect tense
You have been to London,	Haven’t you?

F.

If the verb used in the statement is an auxiliary verb, then the verb used in the tag must match it. If a modal (can, could, will, should, etc.) is used in the statement, then the same modal is used in the tag part. If the statement doesn’t use an auxiliary verb, then the auxiliary do is used in the tag part. For example:-

Auxiliary verb

                       She is from England,             isn’t she?

                       They aren’t very nice,           are they?

                       She doesn’t like it here.        Does she?

Modal verb

                      You can sing,                        can’t you?

                      They shouldn’t do that,          should they?

No auxiliary

                     He eats meat,                        doesn’t he?

G.

After imperatives, we sometimes add will you? Or won’t you? When we want people to follow our advice:

• Don’t stay there long, will you?
• And do take care, won’t you?

H.

After let’s we sometimes add shall we? When we are making a suggestion:

Let’s have buttered scones with strawberry jam for tea, shall we?

I.

Compare the following:

It is raining, isn’t it?

They are your classmates, aren’t they?

Those shoes are new, aren’t they?

Sheila is John’s sister, isn’t she?

You play tennis on Thursdays usually, don’t you?

And jack plays with you, doesn’t he?

You didn’t play last Thursday, didn’t it?

No one phoned, did any?

It’s been a lovely day today, hasn’t it?

It was a lovely wedding, wasn’t it?

Oh, you’ve stayed there before, haven’t you?

Oh, so you know Lleyton Hewitt, don’t you?

You’ve posted my letters, haven’t you?

You won’t forget to check my emails, will you?

You’re sad that I’m going, aren’t you?

You aren’t going to cry when I leave, are you?