हिन्दी·50%

Help language

Challenge

Balanced

50%

More supportMore challenge

English stays the learning language. Your selected language is used for help where support is available. The exact challenge value is carried into CoCap practice.

Meet Kyra Explore Blog Our story Install app Log in

Questions · CEFR C1 · Fluent

Tags that catch people out — English questions

A handful of tags do not follow the rule: I am takes aren't I, let's takes shall we, and a negative word in the sentence makes the tag positive.

Explore it · 3 activities

Try tags that catch people out

Open a visual, try a small challenge, make it yours.

Rebuild this lesson’s reference sentence. Other tasks can have other valid word orders.

Tap words to add or remove them. Drag words into the answer, or use the buttons. Arrow keys move a selected word.

Your sentence goes here

See the reference sentence

Nobody called, did they?

I am… aren't I? · Let's… shall we? · Nobody came… did they?

Read the examples as text

Nobody called, did they?
"Nobody" already makes the sentence negative, so the tag turns positive.

The shape

I am… aren't I? · Let's… shall we? · Nobody came… did they?

Get the tag right when the sentence is awkward.

In Hindi

कुछ tag नियम से नहीं चलते — I am के साथ aren't I, let's के साथ shall we।

CoCap explains every structure in both languages, because a rule you understand in Hindi is a rule you can use in English.

The mistake to fix first

The sentence Indian-English speakers actually produce, and the reason it is wrong.

Commonly said	Correct English
Nobody called, didn't they?	Nobody called, did they? "Nobody" already makes the sentence negative, so the tag turns positive.

Commonly said

Correct English

Nobody called, didn't they?

Nobody called, did they?

"Nobody" already makes the sentence negative, so the tag turns positive.

Learn these first

These come first. The rest of this makes more sense once they are automatic.

Question tagsB1Check something without turning it into an interrogation

Questions people ask

How do I use Tags that catch people out?: A handful of tags do not follow the rule: I am takes aren't I, let's takes shall we, and a negative word in the sentence makes the tag positive. In practice: get the tag right when the sentence is awkward.
What is the pattern for Tags that catch people out?: I am… aren't I? · Let's… shall we? · Nobody came… did they?.
Which mistake should I avoid with Tags that catch people out?: Saying “Nobody called, didn't they?” instead of “Nobody called, did they?”. "Nobody" already makes the sentence negative, so the tag turns positive.

Where tags that catch people out fits

Where this structure sits in the ladder, and what surrounds it.

Tags that catch people out is a CEFR C1 structure — the fluent band — and it belongs to questions. CoCap’s syllabus files every structure this way so you can learn in order instead of jumping between whatever a search happened to return.

Reading it is not the same as saying it.

Read and practise these examples without an account. Try Kyra on the homepage; create an account when you want to save your progress.

Try it with Kyra →

Opening your workspace

Getting things ready…

Commonly said	Correct English
Nobody called, didn't they?	Nobody called, did they? "Nobody" already makes the sentence negative, so the tag turns positive.

Commonly said

Correct English

Nobody called, didn't they?

Nobody called, did they?

"Nobody" already makes the sentence negative, so the tag turns positive.