Glossary of Linguistic Terms

Tag Question

Definition: 

A tag question is a constituent that is added after a statement in order to request confirmation or disconfirmation of the statement from the addressee. Often it expresses the bias of the speaker toward one answer.

A tag question often includes a

  • be verb
  • predicate meaning ‘true’, and
  • negative.
Examples: 

(English, German, French)

  • The English isn’t he?, as in the following sentence:

    He’s a pleasant fellow, isn’t he?

  • The German nicht wahr? ‘not true?’
  • The French n’est ce pas? ‘is it not?’