In this lesson, we'll take a closer look at the tag question and how they can be used, allowing you to be more confident in using them yourself.
It is commonly used in spoken English when you want someone's approval or disapproval. A tag question is something that can turn a statement into a question. Looks very simple, right? This is because it is. An example of this is the phrase:
- You don't eat meat.
By adding a tag question, you can turn it into a question:
- You don't eat meat, do you?
What are the tag questions?
A tag question (UK English, question tag) is a construction in which an interrogative fragment is added to a declarative or an imperative clause.
Tag question - Rules & Formation
We use question marks at the end of phrases to ask for confirmation. It means something like: "Are you okay?" or "Do you think so?" It is very common in the English language.
Here are some 15 rules:
1- A positive statement, followed by a negative question tag. For example:
- You are Joe, aren't you?
2- A negative statement, followed by a positive question tag. For example:
- He isn't Joe, is he?
3- Question tags are used to keep the conversation going. You can agree or reject a sentence with a question tag. For example:
- He is from Egypt, isn't he? (positive statement)
- He isn't from Egypt, is he? (negative statement)
4- Possible answers are yes or no. If you use "yes", do not use the abbreviations on it. If you use "no", you can abbreviate it as the following examples:
- Yes, he is.
- No, he is not.
- No, he isn't.
- No, he's not.
4. After "let’s", the tag begins with "shall".
- Let’s invite the neighbours over for dinner on the weekend, shall we?
5. Use "aren’t I" in tags to mean "I am not".
- I’m on time, aren’t I? (correct)
- I’m on time, am’t I? (incorrect)
6. Use "won’t" for polite request tags.
- You’ll bring the other things, won’t you?
7. Use "will" or "would" with imperative sentences (commands).
- Wait here until I return, will you?
- Wait here until I return, would you?
8. Use "mustn’t" with the modal "must".
- This must be the address, mustn’t it?
9. Two endings are possible when "have" is the main verb of the sentence.
- You have enough money, haven’t you? (British English)
- You have enough money, don’t you? (North American English)
10. Use pronouns for people, not proper names, in question tags.
- Paul is a good tennis player, isn’t he?
- Betty has a good job, hasn’t she?
11. Use "it" in a question tag when the sentence includes the words "this" or "that".
- This is your pen, isn’t it?
12. Use "they" in a question tag when the sentence includes "these" or "those".
- Those are your sandals, aren’t they?
13. Use "there" in a question tag when the sentences includes "there + a form of be".
- There is a lot of work to do today, isn’t there?
14. Use "they" in a question tag when the sentence includes indefinite pronouns (nobody, no one, someone, somebody, everyone, everybody).
- Everyone is here now, aren’t they?
- Nobody has eaten yet, have they?
15. Use "didn’t" in a question tag when the sentence includes the verb "used to".
- You used to go skating very often, didn’t you?
16. Although the word “not” is not in the sentence, the sentence can be Positive, then we use the positive question mark, for example:
- He never goes out with his dog, does he?
17. If you have a main verb in the sentence that refers to cases, then there are two possible sentences. For examples:
- We have a car, haven't we? (Mostly British English)
- We have a car, don't we? (Mostly American English)
18. Using will/would with imperative sentences in the present simple, examples:
- Open the window, will you?
- Open the window, would you?
- Don't open your books, will you?
19. We use "won't" with a polite request, example:
- Open the window, won't you?
20. We use "shall" after "let's", for example:
- Let's take the next bus, shall we?
21. We use the auxiliary verb "must", for example:
- We must be at home at 8 pm, mustn't we?
- Yes, we must. / No, we needn't
22. Informal personal pronoun, for example:
- I am late, aren't I?
23. There is no abbreviation for "am + not" (amn't) but for "I am not".
Positive statement in tag questions
The resulting speech act comprises an assertion paired with a request for confirmation, starts with a positive sentence and then turns into negative tags to confirm the sentence. Examples:
| Positive statement | Negative tags |
|---|---|
| You are | Aren't you? |
| We have | Haven't we? |
| You do | Don't you? |
| You like | Don't you? |
| They will | Won't they? |
| I can | Can't I? |
| We must | Mustn't we? |
| He Should | Shouldn't he? |
| He Was | Wasn't he? |
Tag questions examples:
- You want to learn English, don't you?
- We have had some really good weather, haven't we?
- She can help you with your homework, can't she?
- He has made a lot of friends in school, hasn't he?
Negative statement in tag questions
The negative statement tag questions is a sentence that started with a negative sentence and then turned into a positive tag to confirm the sentence.
Here are examples that started with a positive sentence and ended with a question mark, examples:
| Negative statement | Positive tag |
|---|---|
| It is not | Is it …….? |
| We have never | Have we …….? |
| You don't | Do you…….? |
| They will not | Will they…….? |
| I can never | Can I …….? |
| We must not | Must we …….? |
| He Should not | Should he …….? |
| Ahmed was not | Was he …….? |
Examples of negative statement in tag questions:
- It hasn't been a very good day, has it?
- They don’t like to eat different kinds of food, do they?
- You wouldn't do that, would you?
- Snow isn't black, is it?
Mixed examples of tag questions
| Adjective | Postive sentences, with negative tags | Negative sentences, with positive tags |
|---|---|---|
| Present simple 'be' | She's Italian, isn't she? | We aren't late, are we? |
| Present simple other verbs | They live in London, don't they? | She doesn't have any children, does she? |
| Present continuous | We're working tomorrow, aren't we? | The bus isn't coming, is it? |
| Past simple 'be' | It was cold yesterday, wasn't it? | She wasn't at home yesterday, was she? |
| Past simple other verbs | He went to the party last night, didn't he? | They didn't go out last Sunday, did they? |
| Past continuous | We were waiting at the station, weren't we? | You weren't sleeping, were you? |
| Present perfect | They've been to Japan, haven't they? | She hasn't eaten all the cake, has she? |
| Present perfect continuous | She's been studying a lot recently, hasn't she? | He hasn't been running in this weather, has he? |
| Past perfect | He had forgotten his wallet, hadn't he? | We hadn't been to London before, had we? |
| Past perfect continuous | We'd been working, hadn't we? | You hadn't been sleeping, had you? |
| Future simple | She'll come at six, won't she? | They won't be late, will they? |
| Future continuous | They'll be arriving soon, won't they? | He won't be studying tonight, will he? |
| Future perfect | They'll have finished before nine, won't they? | She won't have left work before six, will she? |
| Future perfect continuous | She'll have been cooking all day, won't she? | He won't have been travelling all day, will he? |
| Modals | He can help, can't he? | She can't speak Arabic, can she? |
| Modals | John must stay, mustn't he? | They mustn't come early, must they? |
Here is a list of examples of tag questions in different contexts. Notice that some are "normal" and others seem to break all the rules:
- But you don't really love her, do you?
- But you'll tell me if she calls, won't you?
- Close the door, would you?
- Do listen, will you?
- Don't forget, will you?
- He can help, can't he?
- He doesn't know what he's doing, does he?
- He had forgotten his wallet, hadn't he?
- He hasn't been running in this weather, has he?
- He isn't here, is he?
- He never came again, did he?
- He won't be studying tonight, will he?
- He won't have been travelling all day, will he?
- Help me, can you?
- I am right, aren't I?
- I barely know you, do I?
- I don't need to finish this today, do I?
- I'm going to get an email with the details, aren't I?
- It was raining that day, wasn't it?
- It's a beautiful view, isn't it?
- James is working on that, isn't he?
- Let's go, shall we?
- Let's have a beer, shall we?
- Nobody has called for me, have they?
- Nobody knows, do they?
- None of those customers were happy, were they?I'm never on time, am I?
- Nothing will happen, will it?
- Oh you do, do you?
- Oh you think so, do you?
- She can hardly love him after all that, can she?
- She can rarely come these days, can she?
- She can't speak Arabic, can she?
- She hasn't eaten all the cake, has she?
- She wasn't at home yesterday, was she?
- She won't have left work before six, will she?
- She'll come at six, won't she?
- She'll have been cooking all day, won't she?
- She's a doctor, isn't she?
- She's been studying a lot recently, hasn't she?
- Shut up, will you!
- So you don't think I can do it, don't you? (British English)
- The bus stop's over there, isn't it?
- The phone didn't ring, did it?
- The trains are never on time, are they?
- The weather's bad, isn't it?
- They didn't go out last Sunday, did they?
- They mustn't come early, must they?
- They won't be late, will they?
- They'll be arriving soon, won't they?
- They'll have finished before nine, won't they?
- They've been to Japan, haven't they?
- This is really boring, isn't it?
- This will work, won't it?
- This'll work, won't it?
- We hadn't been to London before, had we?
- We were waiting at the station, weren't we?
- We'd been working, hadn't we?
- We'd never have known, would we?
- Well, I couldn't help it, could I?
- Yesterday was so much fun, wasn't it?
- You couldn't help me, could you?
- You don't know where my wallet is, do you?
- You don't remember my name, do you?
- You hadn't been sleeping, had you?
- You never come on time, do you?
- You think you're clever, do you?
- You weren't sleeping, were you?
- You won't be late, will you?
- You would scarcely expect her to know that, would you?
- Your mum hadn't met him before, had she?
- Your parents have retired, haven't they?
- You're coming, aren't you?
References