Aller au contenu
Trilango
Se connecterS'inscrire
B1grammar29 questions

Question tags

Le question tag transforme une affirmation en demande de confirmation et fait le miroir de la phrase à laquelle il s'accroche. Ici tu revois la règle affirmatif -> tag négatif, le choix de l'auxiliaire et l'exception aren't I.

Apprentissage rapide

Le question tag transforme une affirmation en demande de confirmation et fait le miroir de la phrase à laquelle il s'accroche.

À retenir

  • Une affirmation positive prend un tag négatif, une négative un tag positif : you're coming, aren't you.
  • Le tag reprend l'auxiliaire de la phrase ; sans auxiliaire, il emprunte do.
  • Le pronom du tag correspond au sujet de la phrase.

Exemples

  1. 1You have lived in this coastal city for several years, haven't you?
  2. 2David works as an electrical engineer at the local power plant, doesn't he?

Piège courant à éviter

I am prend le tag aren't I ; cela casse le miroir du reste de la langue et doit s'apprendre par cœur.

Approfondir

La règle

  1. Checking and inviting agreement

    Question tags are brief grammatical questions attached to the end of a declarative statement in conversational English. They are used to confirm whether something is true, or to invite agreement and keep a dialogue flowing smoothly.

  2. Opposite polarity

    The Polarity Rule: Standard question tags operate on opposite polarity:

    (1) Positive Statement → Negative Tag:

    • You are from Canada, aren't you?
    • David works in finance, doesn't he?
    • They have lived here long, haven't they?

    (2) Negative Statement → Positive Tag:

    • You aren't tired, are you?
    • She doesn't eat seafood, does she?
    • We haven't met before, have we?

  3. Which helper to use

    Auxiliary Verb Matching:

    (1) When the statement contains an auxiliary or modal verb (be, have, will, can, should, must), repeat that exact auxiliary in the tag with opposite polarity:

    • Emma can drive, can't she?
    • The train will arrive on time, won't it?

    (2) When the statement uses a lexical verb in the Present Simple or Past Simple without an auxiliary, borrow the appropriate form of DO (do, does, did):

    • You like spicy food, don't you?
    • Sophia works at a pharmacy, doesn't she?
    • They attended the concert last night, didn't they?

  4. A pronoun in the tag

    Pronoun Rule: The subject of the tag must always be a personal pronoun matching the subject of the statement:

    • The children are asleep, aren't they?

Anatomie de la phrase

Des phrases de cette leçon, découpées dans l'ordre qu'exige l'anglais.

  1. SujetYouAuxiliairehaveVerbelivedLieuin this coastal cityTempsfor several years,Propositionhaven't you?

  2. SujetYour parentsAuxiliairedon'tVerbespeakObjetFrench,Propositiondo they?

  3. SujetSheAuxiliairewillManièredefinitelyVerbejoinObjetusTempsfor Sunday afternoon dinner,Propositionwon't she?

Guide visuel

How to read this B1 topic

At B1, grammar links ideas: condition, result, reported meaning, experience, and narrative order.

1. Name the relationship

Ask whether the sentence gives a condition, contrast, cause, report, or result.

If it rains, we will stay home.

2. Separate time from aspect

Finished event, visible result, duration, and background action use different forms.

I had left before she arrived.

3. Test both clauses

In complex sentences, the second half often proves the first half.

I wish I knew.

Decision path before answering

Use these checks before choosing between close options.

  1. 1Mark the subject, main verb, object, and any connector.
  2. 2Underline the time expression or discourse clue.
  3. 3Reject any option with the wrong agreement, tense, article, pronoun case, or word order.
  4. 4Read the whole sentence once more for naturalness and register.

Contrasts that often decide the answer

Event or background

Simple forms move events forward; continuous forms show an action in progress.

I left while she was talking.

Fact or stance

Modals, hedges, and reporting structures show how certain or responsible the speaker sounds.

This may indicate a problem.

Clause or compressed phrase

Advanced writing often compresses full clauses into participle, noun, or prepositional phrases.

Having reviewed the data, we revised the plan.

Exemples

  1. 1You have lived in this coastal city for several years, haven't you?
  2. 2David works as an electrical engineer at the local power plant, doesn't he?
  3. 3The weather was wonderful throughout our weekend camping trip, wasn't it?
  4. 4Your parents don't speak French, do they?
  5. 5We can park our car in front of the community center, can't we?
  6. 6She will definitely join us for Sunday afternoon dinner, won't she?
  7. 7The train arrives at platform four in ten minutes, doesn't it?
  8. 8You haven't seen my reading glasses anywhere on the desk, have you?
  9. 9They attended the international conference in London last autumn, didn't they?
  10. 10It is a lovely sunny morning today, isn't it?

Exceptions

Three Idiomatic Question Tag Exceptions: (1) I am takes the negative tag aren't I: "I am right, aren't I?" (never "amn't I" or "am not I"). (2) Imperative commands take will you or would you for polite requests: "Please close the front door, will you?". (3) Suggestions with Let's take the tag shall we: "Let's take a fifteen-minute coffee break, shall we?". Statements with Negative Words: Sentences containing negative words like never, rarely, seldom, hardly, or nobody count as negative statements and take a positive tag: "He never drinks coffee, does he?", "Nobody called, did they?".

Erreurs fréquentes

  • Repeating the main verb instead of auxiliary do

    Erreur

    She speaks Spanish, speaksn't she?

    Correct

    She speaks Spanish, doesn't she?

    Action verbs require do/does/did.

  • Same polarity error

    Erreur

    You are tired, are you?

    Correct

    You are tired, aren't you?

    When checking agreement. Opposite polarity required.

  • Incorrect tag for I am

    Erreur

    I am late, am not I?

    Correct

    I am late, aren't I?

    Idiomatic form is aren't I.

Récap

L'essentiel de la leçon sur une carte, avant de te tester.

À retenir

  1. Une affirmation positive prend un tag négatif, une négative un tag positif : you're coming, aren't you.
  2. Le tag reprend l'auxiliaire de la phrase ; sans auxiliaire, il emprunte do.
  3. Le pronom du tag correspond au sujet de la phrase.

Erreurs fréquentes

  • Erreur: She speaks Spanish, speaksn't she?

    Correct: She speaks Spanish, doesn't she?

  • Erreur: You are tired, are you?

    Correct: You are tired, aren't you?

  • Erreur: I am late, am not I?

    Correct: I am late, aren't I?

Teste-toi

Ajoute à voix haute un tag à dix affirmations, puis entraîne-toi sur ce point.

Points de grammaire associés

Poursuivez votre apprentissage avec d'autres notions de ce niveau.

À suivreJeuxRetour au plan du jour