Leçon 67 · Étape 5: Passif, discours rapporté et questions
Les question tags
IntermédiaireQuestion tags
Forme et emploi
…, isn't it? / …, don't you? — une courte question en fin de phrase pour confirmer
1.Formation
Un question tag, c'est virgule + auxiliaire + pronom à la fin d'une phrase. Une phrase affirmative prend un tag négatif ; une phrase négative prend un tag affirmatif.
| Auxiliaire | Affirmative → tag négatif | Négative → tag affirmatif |
|---|---|---|
| am / is / are | It's cold today, isn't it? | You aren't busy, are you? |
| do / does (présent simple) | You like coffee, don't you? | He doesn't eat meat, does he? |
| did (prétérit) | They left early, didn't they? | You didn't call, did you? |
| was / were | It was fun, wasn't it? | They weren't there, were they? |
| have / has (present perfect) | You've met Lan, haven't you? | She hasn't finished, has she? |
| will | You'll come, won't you? | It won't rain, will it? |
| can / could / should… | Mai can swim, can't she? | You can't drive, can you? |
- Si la phrase contient un auxiliaire (be, have, will, can…), reprends cet auxiliaire. Si elle est au présent simple ou au prétérit sans auxiliaire, utilise do / does / did.
- Le tag utilise toujours un pronom : Your parents are teachers, aren't they? / This is your bag, isn't it? (this/that → it ; these/those → they).
- Les tags négatifs sont toujours contractés : isn't it, don't you, haven't they.
- Attention à 's et 'd : She's tired → isn't she ; She's finished → hasn't she ; You'd better → hadn't you ; You'd rather → wouldn't you.
Contrairement à « n'est-ce pas ? », qui ne change jamais, le tag anglais doit s'accorder avec l'auxiliaire et le sujet — « isn't it? » ne va pas avec toutes les phrases : You like coffee, don't you? Pour aller vite à l'oral familier, right? fonctionne avec n'importe quelle phrase : You like coffee, right?
2.Quand l'utiliser
1. Vérifier quelque chose que tu crois vrai
You're from Da Nang, aren't you?
Tu viens de Da Nang, c'est ça ?
The shop closes at nine, doesn't it?
Le magasin ferme à neuf heures, non ?
2. Faire la conversation et inviter l'autre à être d'accord — souvent à propos de la météo, de la nourriture ou de quelque chose que vous voyez tous les deux
The weather is lovely today, isn't it?
Il fait super beau aujourd'hui, hein ?
That was a great film, wasn't it?
C'était un super film, non ?
3. Les demandes polies : une phrase négative + un tag affirmatif, ça sonne modeste et aimable
You couldn't lend me your charger, could you?
Tu ne pourrais pas me prêter ton chargeur, par hasard ?
You haven't seen my glasses, have you?
Tu n'aurais pas vu mes lunettes, par hasard ?
Réponds à un question tag selon les faits, et non selon que tu es d'accord ou non avec la personne : You don't eat meat, do you? — No, I don't. (= non, je n'en mange pas) / Yes, I do. (= si, j'en mange).
3.Cas particuliers
| Cas | Exemple |
|---|---|
| I am → aren't I (I'm not → am I) | I'm late again, aren't I? / I'm not late, am I? |
| Let's → shall we | Let's go for a walk, shall we? |
| Impératif → will you / would you / could you | Pass me the salt, will you? / Don't forget to lock the door, will you? |
| never, nothing, nobody, hardly, rarely… = sens négatif → tag affirmatif | Your brother's never been abroad, has he? / Nothing went wrong, did it? |
| everyone, someone, nobody… → they | Everyone's here, aren't they? / Nobody called, did they? |
| everything, nothing → it | Everything is ready, isn't it? |
| there is / there are → there | There's a pharmacy near here, isn't there? |
| used to → didn't | Your grandfather used to be a teacher, didn't he? |
| have got → haven't / hasn't | You've got a new phone, haven't you? |
Une phrase affirmative + un tag affirmatif (So you're moving to Hanoi, are you?) exprime la surprise ou l'intérêt pour une nouvelle qu'on vient d'apprendre — ce n'est pas une erreur.
4.L'intonation : montante ou descendante
Le même tag n'a pas le même sens selon que ta voix descend ↘ ou monte ↗ à la fin.
- Descendante ↘ : tu es presque sûr et tu attends simplement que l'autre soit d'accord.
- Montante ↗ : tu n'es vraiment pas sûr et tu veux une réponse.
It's a beautiful day, isn't it? ↘
Il fait un temps magnifique, n'est-ce pas ? (descendante : on attend un accord)
You've been to Hue, haven't you? ↗
Tu es déjà allé à Hue, non ? (montante : une vraie question)
You haven't seen my keys, have you? ↗
Tu n'aurais pas vu mes clés, par hasard ? (montante : on espère que la réponse est oui)
5.Erreurs fréquentes
You like coffee, isn't it?You like coffee, don't you?
Le tag reprend l'auxiliaire et le sujet de la phrase : like → don't, you → you.
She didn't come to class, didn't she?She didn't come to class, did she?
Phrase négative → tag affirmatif.
Your parents are teachers, isn't it?Your parents are teachers, aren't they?
Sujet au pluriel → are … they.
She's finished her homework, isn't she?She's finished her homework, hasn't she?
Ici, 's veut dire has (has finished).
Everyone was tired after the hike, wasn't he?Everyone was tired after the hike, weren't they?
everyone → they, qui va avec were.
Don't forget to lock the door, don't you?Don't forget to lock the door, will you?
Les impératifs prennent le tag will you.
Exemples
- She works at a bank, doesn't she?
- They went to the beach yesterday, didn't they?
- These shoes look expensive, don't they?
- Your sister was working at the hospital last year, wasn't she?
