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Part 1 · Episode 34 A2-B1

You’re Coming, Aren’t You?

📐 Question tags

The Beatles · 1964: Social gathering 📖 4 min read

Episode 34: You’re Coming, Aren’t You?

Question tags — The Beatles, 1964 (A2-B1)

Grammar Box

Meaning: Question tags are short questions we add at the end of statements to check information, ask for agreement, or keep conversation friendly. Positive statement gets negative tag. Negative statement gets positive tag.

Form: Statement + auxiliary + n’t/not + pronoun? (Positive→negative | Negative→positive)

Example 1: You are tired, aren’t you? (positive→negative tag)

Example 2: She doesn’t like coffee, does she? (negative→positive tag)

Common mistake: Wrong: You are happy, are you? Better: You are happy, aren’t you?

The Question

Luna’s friend sent a message. “You’ll come to dinner, won’t you?” Luna was confused. Was this a question or a statement? It felt like both. “Professor, what’s this grammar pattern? Why do we add a question at the end?” The watch glowed warmly. Professor Wisdom appeared. “Let’s visit four friends who changed the world together.”

The Journey

London, 1964. A small apartment in Mayfair. Four young men sat in a living room. John, Paul, George, and Ringo. The Beatles. They were now the most famous band in the world. But tonight, they were just friends talking.

Paul was worried about their upcoming American tour. “The fans are crazy there, aren’t they?” he said nervously. He wanted agreement. He needed confirmation. The question tag asked for it.

John laughed. “You’re scared, aren’t you?” Another question tag. But this one was teasing. Gentle. Friendly. It wasn’t really asking. It was confirming something obvious.

“I’m not scared,” Paul protested. Then he smiled. “Well, maybe a little.”

George strummed his guitar quietly. “We practiced enough, didn’t we?” he asked. This tag showed uncertainty. He wanted reassurance. The others nodded. “We did,” Ringo confirmed.

“They won’t forget about us, will they?” Ringo asked. This was a negative tag. It showed worry. Fear that their success might end. “Never,” John said firmly. “This is just the beginning.”

Paul stood up. “Let’s go get some food, shall we?” This tag was different. It was a suggestion. An invitation. The others agreed immediately.

Luna noticed the pattern. Every question tag had two parts. The main statement. Then the small question at the end. Positive statement, negative tag. Negative statement, positive tag. They created balance. They invited response. They built connection.

The room was warm. Guitar music filled the air. These four friends didn’t just make music together. They communicated carefully. They checked understanding. They sought agreement. They showed care through their questions.

Outside, fans screamed their names. But inside, they were just four young men. Using small question tags to stay connected. To understand each other. To face the future together.

The Insight

Professor Wisdom explained. “Question tags are small questions we add at the end of statements. They do three important things. First, they check if something is true. Second, they ask for agreement. Third, they keep conversations friendly.”

“The pattern is simple. Positive statement gets negative tag. ‘You are coming’ becomes ‘You are coming, aren’t you?’ Negative statement gets positive tag. ‘You aren’t leaving’ becomes ‘You aren’t leaving, are you?'”

“We use the same auxiliary verb. ‘You can swim’ → ‘can’t you?’ ‘They have finished’ → ‘haven’t they?’ If there’s no auxiliary, we use do/does/did. ‘She likes coffee’ → ‘doesn’t she?'”

“Question tags make English softer. More friendly. More connected. They turn statements into conversations.”

Practice Zone

More Examples:

  1. “It’s cold today, isn’t it?” — asking for agreement
  2. “You don’t like spicy food, do you?” — checking information
  3. “They can help us, can’t they?” — seeking confirmation
  4. “She works here, doesn’t she?” — verifying fact
  5. “We should leave now, shouldn’t we?” — suggesting action
  6. “Let’s try again, shall we?” — inviting together

Exercises:

  1. Fill in the blank: “You are tired, _ ___?”

  2. Choose the correct tag:
    – “She doesn’t speak French, _____?”
    a) doesn’t she?
    b) does she?

  3. Add the question tag: “They have finished the work, _ ___?”

  4. Complete: “It was a good movie, _ __?”

  5. Your turn: Write three sentences with question tags about your daily life.

Answer Key:

  1. aren’t you
  2. b) does she (negative statement needs positive tag)
  3. haven’t they
  4. wasn’t it
  5. Check: Positive statement → negative tag? Negative statement → positive tag? Same auxiliary verb used?

The Lesson

Luna replied to her friend. “Yes, I’ll come. The dinner is at 7, isn’t it?” She smiled. Adding that little tag made her message friendlier. More conversational. Less rigid. The Beatles taught her something special. Good communication isn’t just about giving information. It’s about inviting response. Creating connection. Question tags don’t just check facts. They show we care what others think. They turn monologues into dialogues. Grammar builds bridges between people.