Türkçe
In English, a tag question is a statement followed by a mini-question. The whole sentence is a "tag question", and the mini-question at the end is called a "question tag". We use question tags at the end of statements to check that something is true.
They mean something like: "Am I right?" or "Do you agree?"
They are very common in English.
Example tag questions :
Your name's Mary, isn't it?
They're getting married in July, aren't they?
You'd like to go to the theatre, wouldn't you?
Fred sat his exams last week, didn't he?
It's not going to rain this afternoon, is it?
You've been to London, haven't you?
She likes playing tennis, doesn't she?
Notice that in English we often use tag questions to ask for information or help, starting with a negative statement. This is quite a friendly/polite way of making a request.
Example questions :
Direct question : "Where is the police station?" (not very polite)
Indirect question : "Do you know where the police station is?" (slightly more polite)
Negative tag question : "You wouldn't know where the police station is, would you?" (very polite)
In English we can change the meaning of a tag question with the sound of our voice. With rising intonation, it sounds like a real question. But if our intonation falls, it sounds more like a statement that doesn't require a real answer.
How do we answer a tag question? Often, we just say Yes or No. Sometimes we may repeat the tag and reverse it (..., do they? Yes, they do).
Notes for use of question tags :
Be very careful about answering tag questions. In some languages, an opposite system of answering is used, and non-native English speakers sometimes answer in the wrong way. This can lead to a lot of confusion! In some languages, people answer a question like "It's not raining, is it?" with "Yes" (meaning "Yes, I agree with you"). This is the wrong answer in English! In English we would reply to that question with "No" or "No, it isn't" to agree that it isn't raining.
| Question tag example sentences | |
|---|---|
| And bugs are not on the menu, are they? | Ve menüde böcek yok, değil mi? |
| Because you didn't tell me you had an apron before, did you? | Çünkü bana öncesinde önlük var demedin, dedin mi? |
| Why is it? I hope you are not homophobic, are you? | Neden ki? Umarım homofobik değilsindir, değil mi? |
| I guess the front left burner is the biggest, isn't it? | Sanırım sol alttaki en büyüğü değil mi? |
| I haven't seen her since the argument, have you? | Onu tartışmadan beri görmedim, sen? |
| Of course, but a pressure cooker is an extraordinary utensil, isn't it? | Evet ama düdüklü tencere biraz sıra dışı bir mutfak eşyası değil mi? |
| Excuse me! But you said if we pay 100 more each... didn't you? | Pardon! Ama hepimiz 100 fazla ödesek diye sen dedin... öyle değil mi? |
| But it seems you don't really want to, do you? | Ama görünüşe göre sen pek istemiyorsun, değil mi? |
| You didn't print out that recipe in the year 2017, did you? | 2017 yılında gerçekten tarifin çıktısını almadın, di mi? |
| We don't need a spoon, do we? | Kaşığa ihtiyacımız yok, değil mi? |
| How amazing it is, isn't it? | Ne kadar inanılmaz, değil mi? |
| It's not for ships to approach, is it? | Gemiler yanaşsın diye değil, di' mi? |
| But I see what you mean, that's interesting, isn't it? | Ama ne demek istediğini anladım, ilginç değil mi? |
| You are a weird man, aren't you? | Tuhaf bir adamsın, biliyor musun? |
| Yes, I am, it's easy to spot an Australian accent, isn't it? | Evet, öyleyim, Avusturalyalı aksanını yakalamak kolay, değil mi? |
| Oh, he is such a nice friend, isn't he? | Ah, ne kadar da iyi bir arkadaş, değil mi? |
