Question Tags and Linkers
- Not: Build correct question tags (isn't it?, didn't you?) with matching polarity.
- Not: Link ideas with although/despite/however/because of/in spite of.
- TR: Onay isteyen kisa sorular ve baglaclarla fikirleri baglamak.
Start the 8-question quizAdapts to your answers · every miss links back to the rule
Rule in 60 secondsThe one pattern to memorise.
- Not: Tag = opposite polarity + same auxiliary + same subject pronoun.
- Not: Positive statement → negative tag; negative statement → positive tag.
- TR: Cumle olumluysa tag olumsuz, olumsuzsa olumlu.
FormsHow it looks in sentences.
| Statement | Tag | Note |
|---|---|---|
| You are Turkish, | aren't you? | be → be |
| She works here, | doesn't she? | present simple → do |
| They came late, | didn't they? | past simple → did |
| We haven't met, | have we? | negative → positive |
| You can swim, | can't you? | modal repeats |
| Let's go, | shall we? | let's = shall we (fixed) |
| I'm late, | aren't I? | exception: aren't I |
- Not: Linkers:
- Contrast: although/though/even though + clause; despite/in spite of + noun/-ing; however + comma.
- Cause: because + clause; because of + noun/-ing; so + result.
- TR: although + cumle, despite + isim/-ing.
- Örnek:
TAG: You LIKE tea, DON'T you? / He DIDN'T call, DID he? - Örnek:
CONTRAST: ALTHOUGH it was raining, we went out. = DESPITE the rain, we went out. - Örnek:
CAUSE: BECAUSE it rained, we stayed. = BECAUSE OF the rain, we stayed. - Örnek:
HOWEVER, we stayed home. (virgule dikkat)
3 classic trapsWhere Turkish speakers slip.
- Tuzak 1 — Same-polarity tags: ❌
You are coming, are you?→ ✅You are coming, aren't you? - TR: Tag zit kutuplu olur (olumlu-olumsuz).
- Tuzak 2 — Despite + full clause: ❌
Despite it was raining, we went out.→ ✅Despite the rain, we went out. / Although it was raining, we went out. - TR: despite/in spite of/because of + isim ya da -ing.
- Tuzak 3 — Because vs because of: ❌
We stayed home because of it was raining.→ ✅We stayed home because it was raining. / ...because of the rain. - TR: because + cumle, because of + isim.
10 example sentencesRead aloud, twice.
- You're from Ankara, aren't you?. — Ankaralisin, degil mi?
- She can't drive, can she?. — Araba kullanamaz, degil mi?
- They arrived late, didn't they?. — Gec geldiler, degil mi?
- You haven't seen my keys, have you?. — Anahtarlarimi gormedin, degil mi?
- Let's take a break, shall we?. — Ara verelim, olur mu?
- Although it was expensive, we bought it. — Pahali olmasina ragmen aldik.
- Despite the rain, the match continued. — Yagmura ragmen mac devam etti.
- He was tired; however, he kept working. — Yorgundu; yine de calismaya devam etti.
- The flight was cancelled because of the storm. — Firtina yuzunden ucus iptal edildi.
- In spite of being sick, she came to class. — Hasta olmasina ragmen derse geldi.
Quick checkCover the answers, say yours first.
- Soru 1: You speak English, ___ you? → don't.
- Soru 2: She didn't call, ___ she? → did.
- Soru 3: Fix: "He is late, is he?" → He is late, isn't he?
- Soru 4: ___ the rain, we stayed. (Despite/Although + noun) → Despite.
- Soru 5: ___ it rained, we stayed. → Because / Although (clause).
- Soru 6: Fix: "Despite it was late, we left." → Despite the lateness... / Although it was late...
- Soru 7: Let's go, ___ we? → shall.
- Soru 8: I'm right, ___ I? → aren't.