Learn English – How to form question tags for these examples

grammartag-questions

  1. It's been a long time since you've seen him, HASN'T IT?

This is how I would form the question tag BUT I was told the correct form is
"ISN'T IT?" and I really can't figure out why. I need to understand the reason.

  1. They've got too much luggage, HAVEN'T THEY?

This one is correct, right? I mean, I use "haven't" with "have GOT".

  1. They have too much luggage, DON'T THEY?

I use "don't" because it's just "have" here.

Best Answer

Tags and tenses for your examples:

Present Perfect Example 1) It's been a long time since you've seen him, hasn't it? [right, tense: present perfect] The tag verb is has.

Two Forms of the present tense with the same exact meaning:

2) They've got too much luggage, haven't they? [right, tense: simple present] the tag verb is have.

3) They have too much luggage, don't they? [right, tense: simple present] the tag verb is do

In English, there are two forms to have (meaning possessing): to have/have got, in the present tense. for have, the auxiliary is do. for have got the auxiliary is have.

So, sentences 2) and 3) have the same meaning but different forms. Have got is typically spoken not written. You can see the tags in the examples.

Word of warning: in British English, have got can be present tense or present perfect: They've got [received] a lot of letters recently. But it is not present perfect in the sample sentence; it is simple present.

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