Three Step English for Intermediate Learners - Learn #39 - Asking for Confirmation - Grammar
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Let's look at the sentence pattern. This pattern is the structure that all of our examples will follow. Subject + simple past present + question tag. Let's go part by part. The subject is the first part of the sentence, the person, place, or thing the speaker is talking about.

The verb phrase tells us what the subject is doing or what state it's in. It includes any auxiliary verbs, helping verbs, or tense markers needed to express the time or nature of the action. The question tag is a short question added to the end. It matches the subject and tense of the sentence and usually changes to the opposite. If the sentence is positive, the tag is negative and vice versa.

Now let's look at an example sentence. The business has been going well, hasn't it? Here the subject is "the business". The verb phrase is "has been going well". It describes the current situation and uses the present perfect continuous tense to show that this state has been ongoing. The question tag is "hasn't it?"

It repeats the auxiliary verb has and adds not to form the negative since the main statement is positive. So the full sentence follows the pattern: Subject + verb phrase + question tag This structure is used to confirm that the speaker's understanding is correct. Now let's look at some speaking examples.

You were on the basketball team last year, weren't you? Can you see how the pattern applies here? You is a pronoun and the subject. Were on the basketball team last year is the verb phrase. Then we have the question tag, weren't you? at the end to confirm the information. So this fits the full structure, subject plus verb phrase plus question tag.

The speaker believes it's true and is checking that the listener agrees. Next, they wanted to take tennis lessons, didn't they? Here, they is a pronoun and the subject. Wanted to take tennis lessons is the verb phrase expressing a past desire. The tag didn't they matches the past simple tense and checks for confirmation. So we have they,

wanted to, didn't they? Let's try one more. You've been fishing before, haven't you? You is a pronoun and the subject. Have been fishing before is the present perfect verb phrase. The tag haven't you matches the tense and checks if the listener agrees. Another one. He opened a savings account, didn't he?

In this example, he is the subject and opened a savings account is the past simple verb phrase. The tag didn't he confirms the action. One last example. The kids haven't come home yet, have they? Here, the kids is a noun phrase and acts as the subject. Haven't come home yet is the verb phrase in the present perfect negative form.

The tag "Have they?" flips to the positive form for balance, which is how question tags work with negatives. It's still noun + verb phrase + question tag.