N'est-ce pas ?

LESSON FOCUS

Objectifs de la leçon

1. to learn how to use the question tag: n'est-ce pas

Niveau

A2 - niveau usuel (elementary)

Introduction

What is a question tag?

It is a word or an expression added at the end of a statement to turn it into a question.

Question tags are used mostly in conversation, to encourage a reply or to confirm that something is true or false.
So in English, we would say:
He is here, isn't he?
I did my homework, didn't I?
We have done our homework, haven't we?

If, in English, the question tag changes according to the verb of the statement, this is not the case in French.

Utilisation de "n'est-ce pas ?"

The question tag n'est-ce pas ? which, translated literally, means "is it not", is used at the end of a statement to turn it into a question, usually answered byyes.

n'est-ce pas does not change according to the verb of the main statement.

non ? is a more informal question tag.

Exemples

- C'est un beau poème, n'est-ce pas ? (formal)
- C'est un beau poème, non ? (informal)
It is a beautiful poem, isn't it?

- Vous accompagnerez les enfants à l'école demain, n'est-ce pas ?
You will take the children to school tomorrow, won't you?

- Natasha et Louis sont venus le mois dernier, n'est-ce pas ?
Natasha and Louis came last month, didn't they?

- J'ai mangé des pommes au déjeuner, n'est-ce pas?
I have eaten apples for lunch, haven't I?