Headers and Tails

C1 · AdvancedSpoken English Grammar

That woman over there, she's my teacher. He's really nice, that guy. — naming the topic first, or clarifying it after.

What you'll learn

  • A header (left dislocation) places a noun phrase at the START of the sentence, before the clause that refers back to it with a pronoun: That woman, she's my teacher
  • A tail (right dislocation) places a noun phrase at the END of the sentence, after a clause that already used a pronoun: He's really nice, that guy
  • Headers help the listener know the topic before the sentence unfolds — especially useful for a long or complex noun phrase
  • Tails clarify or confirm who a pronoun referred to, often added as an afterthought once the speaker realizes more context is needed
  • Both are features of natural spoken conversation, not formal writing — a sentence expresses the same core meaning without them

Naming the topic first, or clarifying it after

Real conversation doesn't always plan a sentence's structure in advance. Headers and tails are two mirror-image ways speech handles this: a header puts the topic first and refers back to it with a pronoun, while a tail uses the pronoun first and clarifies what it meant afterward.

"That woman over there, she's my teacher. (header)"
"She's my teacher, that woman over there. (tail)"

Headers (left dislocation)

A header names the topic — often a long or complex noun phrase — before the main clause, which then refers back to it with a pronoun. This gives the listener the topic upfront, before the rest of the sentence.

"That woman over there, she's my teacher."
"My brother, he lives in Berlin."
"This song, I really love it."

Tails (right dislocation)

A tail does the reverse: the speaker starts with a pronoun, then adds the noun phrase at the end to clarify or confirm exactly who or what was meant — often because the reference only became necessary as the sentence went on.

"He's really nice, that guy."
"She's brilliant, your sister."
"It's a great movie, that one we watched."

Watch out

✗My colleague, she finished the report early. (in a formal written report)
✓My colleague finished the report early.

Headers and tails are natural in speech but read as informal, even slightly awkward, in formal writing — state the subject directly instead.

✗That woman over there, is my teacher. (missing the pronoun that links back to the header)
✓That woman over there, she's my teacher.

A header needs a pronoun in the main clause to refer back to it — without it, the sentence doesn't connect properly.

Real life — Describing people in casual conversation

"So who was that at the door?"

"Oh, that guy from downstairs, he was just returning my package."

"He seems nice."

"Yeah, he's always really helpful, that guy."

Practice

Exercise 1 · Identify the pattern

'That woman over there, she's my teacher.' The noun phrase at the start, repeated by 'she,' is called...

Exercise 2 · Identify the pattern

'He's really nice, that guy.' The noun phrase at the END, repeating 'he,' is called...

Exercise 3 · Identify the function

Headers (left dislocation) typically function to...

Exercise 4 · Identify the function

Tails (right dislocation) typically function to...

Exercise 5 · Identify the pattern

'My brother, he lives in Berlin.' Which pattern is this?

Exercise 6 · Identify the pattern

'She's brilliant, your sister.' Which pattern is this?

Exercise 7 · Choose the correct description

Headers and tails are typically...

Exercise 8 · Identify the linking pronoun

'This song, I really love it.' The header 'This song' is repeated in the main clause by...

Exercise 9 · Rewrite using a header

Rewrite using a header (left dislocation): 'My neighbor is really loud.' (start with 'My neighbor,')

Exercise 10 · Rewrite using a tail

Rewrite using a tail (right dislocation): 'He's a great cook.' (end with the noun phrase 'my dad')

Exercise 11 · Sort the sentences into groups

That woman, she's my teacher.
She's my teacher, that woman.
My brother, he lives in Berlin.
He lives in Berlin, my brother.
This song, I love it.
I love it, this song.
Your sister, she's brilliant.
She's brilliant, your sister.

0 / 8 sorted

Quick challenge

Five quick questions to check what stuck.

Question 1 / 5

Score: 0/0

'The guy who lives upstairs, he's really friendly.' This is an example of...

You learned

  • A header places a noun phrase at the start, referred back to by a pronoun.
  • A tail places a noun phrase at the end, clarifying an earlier pronoun.
  • Headers give the listener the topic upfront; tails clarify it as an afterthought.
  • Both need a linking pronoun connecting the noun phrase to the clause.
  • Both are spoken-conversation features, uncommon in formal writing.

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