As an express agent, sometimes you think you know the answer, but you need to double-check with your team. To do this, add a short question tag at the end of a sentence.
What is a Question Tag?
A question tag is a small question added to the end of a statement. Instead of asking a full question, we sometimes use question tags to check information, confirm facts, or ask for agreement.
In Latvian, this is similar to adding “vai ne?”, “vai tiesa?”, or “vai tā?” at the end of a sentence.
In Latvian, this is similar to adding “vai ne?”, “vai tiesa?”, or “vai tā?” at the end of a sentence.
Example in Latvian: Prāmis atiet plkst. 10.00, vai ne?
Example in English: The ferry leaves at 10 AM, doesn't it?
How to Build a Question Tag?
A question tag consist only of two parts: auxiliary verb (palīgdarbības vārds) and pronoun (vietniekvārds), but there are a few rules that must be followed.
The Golden Rule: Opposites Attract
A question tag must have the opposite meaning to the sentence itself. If the sentence is affirmative, the question tag must be negative, and vice versa.
- If the main statement is positive (+), the tag must be negative (-). The delivery van is fast, isn't it?
- If the main statement is negative (-), the tag must be positive (+). The delivery van isn't fast, is it?
How to Choose the Right Pronoun
In the question tag, the corresponding personal pronoun (he, she, it, they, we, you) is always used instead of the noun (subject):
- singular, male – he — Driver Mark has the map, doesn't he?
- singular, female – she — Captain Sarah can fly a plane, can't she?
- singular, object, animal – it — The delivery van is fast, isn't it?
- plural — The bicycles are green, aren't they?, The pilots arrived, didn't they?
- you and someone else – we — My mum and I are on the bus, aren't we?
Svarīgi!
If the subject of the sentence is already a pronoun (you, he, she, it, we, they), it is kept unchanged in the question tag — You like trains, don't you?
Step-by-Step Guide
To form the correct tag, follow these 3 simple steps:
1. Find the auxiliary (helping) verb or modal verb in the main sentence (is, are, was, were, do, does, did, will, can).
If there is no helping verb in Present Simple or Past Simple, use don't / doesn't / didn't.
2. Change it to positive or negative, the opposite of the main sentence.
3. If necessary, replace the subject with a pronoun – it, they, you, he, she, we.
Examples in Action
1. Present Tenses
The cargo ship is in the harbour, isn't it?
You don't have the key to the truck, do you?
The train leaves at 5 PM, doesn't it?
2. Past Tenses
The driver found the address, didn't he?
The passengers weren't scared on the boat, were they?
3. Future and Modals
The plane will land on time, won't it?
We can take a taxi to the airport, can't we?