Learn how question tags are formed and used with statements, auxiliaries, tenses, modals, commands, suggestions, special subjects, and everyday conversation.
A question tag is a short question added to the end of a statement: You are ready, aren't you? Question tags are small, but they carry a great deal of meaning. They can check information, invite agreement, show surprise, keep a conversation friendly, or encourage someone to respond. The central rule is simple: a positive statement normally takes a negative tag, while a negative statement normally takes a positive tag. The difficult part is choosing the correct auxiliary, subject pronoun, tense, and special form. This article takes you from the basic pattern to the exceptions and exam-level cases.
A question tag is a short question placed after a statement. It is usually separated from the statement by a comma and ends with a question mark in standard written English.
You are a teacher, aren't you?
He likes football, doesn't he?
They haven't arrived, have they?
We can start now, can't we?
Question tags are often called tag questions. They are especially common in conversation. A speaker may already expect the listener to agree, or may genuinely want confirmation. The grammar of the tag follows a regular pattern even when the meaning or intonation changes.
The most important rule is to look at whether the statement is grammatically positive or negative.
| Statement | Tag | Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| She is happy, | isn't she? | positive → negative |
| She isn't happy, | is she? | negative → positive |
| They work here, | don't they? | positive → negative |
| They don't work here, | do they? | negative → positive |
Do not decide the tag from the meaning alone. Look first at the grammatical form of the statement. Words such as never, nobody, hardly, scarcely and nothing can make a statement negative in meaning and therefore normally require a positive tag.
The tag normally repeats the auxiliary verb used in the statement. The auxiliary changes from positive to negative, or from negative to positive.
| Statement auxiliary | Positive statement | Negative tag |
|---|---|---|
| be | He is ready, | isn't he? |
| have | She has finished, | hasn't she? |
| will | They will come, | won't they? |
| can | You can swim, | can't you? |
| should | We should leave, | shouldn't we? |
This is why it is important to identify the verb phrase before forming the tag. In She has been working, hasn't she?, the auxiliary used in the tag is has, not been or working.
Simple present and simple past statements often do not contain an auxiliary verb. In these cases, English uses do, does or did in the tag.
| Tense | Statement | Tag |
|---|---|---|
| Present simple | You play cricket, | don't you? |
| Present simple, third person singular | Ali plays cricket, | doesn't he? |
| Present simple negative | She doesn't drive, | does she? |
| Past simple | They visited Lahore, | didn't they? |
| Past simple negative | He didn't call, | did he? |
He works hard, doesn't he?
Not: He works hard, isn't he?
They went home, didn't they?
Not: They went home, weren't they?
The main verb remains in its statement form, while the auxiliary in the tag carries the tense and agreement information.
When the statement uses a form of be, use the corresponding form in the tag.
| Statement | Correct tag |
|---|---|
| I am late, | aren't I? |
| He is your brother, | isn't he? |
| She isn't angry, | is she? |
| We are ready, | aren't we? |
| They weren't invited, | were they? |
| It was difficult, | wasn't it? |
Standard English normally uses aren't I? after a positive statement with I am: I am right, aren't I?
After a negative statement, use am I?: I am not disturbing you, am I?
When have or has is an auxiliary in a perfect tense, it is repeated in the tag.
She has finished the work, hasn't she?
They have arrived, haven't they?
He hasn't seen it, has he?
We had already eaten, hadn't we?
When have means possession, varieties of English may use different tag forms. In many contexts, especially formal or examination-oriented English, do/does/did forms are a safe pattern for ordinary lexical possession: You have a car, don't you? However, haven't you? also occurs, especially in British English. Follow the style required by the context or examination board.
Modal verbs such as can, could, will, would, shall, should, may, might, must and ought to normally remain in the tag.
| Statement | Tag |
|---|---|
| You can help, | can't you? |
| She could come, | couldn't she? |
| They will win, | won't they? |
| He wouldn't lie, | would he? |
| We should wait, | shouldn't we? |
| They must leave, | mustn't they? |
| We ought to apologise, | oughtn't we? |
With must, meaning can matter. Mustn't gives a negative tag when must is the auxiliary in the statement. In other constructions, especially where must expresses deduction or necessity in a more complex way, speakers may choose a tag based on the main meaning and verb phrase. For school work, identify the auxiliary construction carefully rather than applying a blind formula.
Long verb phrases may look complicated, but the tag normally uses the first auxiliary of the verb phrase.
| Statement | Tag | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| She will be coming, | won't she? | will is the first auxiliary |
| They have been working, | haven't they? | have is the first auxiliary |
| He had been sleeping, | hadn't he? | had is the first auxiliary |
| You will have finished, | won't you? | will is the first auxiliary |
Do not put every verb in the statement into the tag. The tag is short because it normally repeats only the appropriate auxiliary plus the subject pronoun.
The subject in the tag is normally a subject pronoun: I, you, he, she, it, we, they. A noun in the statement is replaced by the appropriate pronoun.
| Statement subject | Tag subject |
|---|---|
| Sarah is here, | isn't she? |
| The boys are ready, | aren't they? |
| Your father works here, | doesn't he? |
| The book is interesting, | isn't it? |
| Ali and I are late, | aren't we? |
Sarah is coming, isn't Sarah? ✗
Sarah is coming, isn't she? ✓
Some subjects need special attention because their pronouns do not follow the most obvious noun pattern.
| Statement | Common tag |
|---|---|
| Everyone enjoyed it, | didn't they? |
| Everybody is ready, | aren't they? |
| Someone called, | didn't they? |
| Nobody came, | did they? |
| Nothing happened, | did it? |
| Everything is fine, | isn't it? |
In modern standard English, singular they is widely used when the gender of a person is unknown or irrelevant. Thus Everyone is ready, aren't they? is natural and widely accepted.
Notice the polarity with words such as nobody, no one, nothing. They are negative in meaning, so the tag is normally positive: Nobody objected, did they?
A statement can be grammatically formed without not but still contain a negative word. These words usually make the statement negative for question-tag purposes.
| Negative expression | Example | Tag |
|---|---|---|
| never | He never lies, | does he? |
| hardly | She hardly speaks, | does she? |
| rarely | They rarely complain, | do they? |
| nobody | Nobody helped, | did they? |
| nothing | Nothing happened, | did it? |
| few | Few people understood, | did they? |
If a sentence contains never, do not mechanically add n't to the tag. He never visits us, does he? is correct because the statement is already negative in meaning.
When a statement begins with there is, there are, there was, there were, the word there normally remains in the tag.
There is a problem, isn't there?
There are two buses, aren't there?
There wasn't enough time, was there?
There weren't many people, were there?
There will be a meeting, won't there?
Do not replace there with it in these structures. The grammatical subject of the construction is represented by there in the tag.
Demonstratives are usually represented by an appropriate pronoun in the tag.
This is your book, isn't it?
That was difficult, wasn't it?
These are yours, aren't they?
Those aren't our seats, are they?
Imperatives are special because they do not behave like ordinary statements. Tags such as will you?, won't you?, would you? and can you? may be used depending on the intended tone.
| Imperative | Possible tag | Typical effect |
|---|---|---|
| Open the door, | will you? | request/command |
| Pass me the salt, | will you? | polite request |
| Take a seat, | won't you? | invitation |
| Be quiet, | will you? | firm instruction |
| Don't be late, | will you? | warning/request |
The exact choice can change the speaker's attitude. Therefore, unlike the basic statement rule, imperative tags are partly a matter of meaning and tone.
When let's means let us as a suggestion, the usual tag is shall we?
Let's go now, shall we?
Let's have some tea, shall we?
Let's not argue, shall we?
This is one of the most important special forms to remember. Do not use will we? in the standard suggestion pattern.
Let me and let us can have different meanings from the suggestion let's.
Let's start, shall we? — a suggestion that includes the speaker and listener.
Let me help you, will you? — a request for permission or cooperation.
Let us know, will you? — a request meaning “tell us”.
The apostrophe matters: let's usually means “let us” as a suggestion, while lets is the third-person singular form of the verb let: She lets him play.
Question tags involving shall are important because shall can appear in different constructions.
| Statement | Tag |
|---|---|
| I shall be late, | shan't I? |
| We shall meet tomorrow, | shan't we? |
| I shall help you, | shan't I? |
| We shall start now, | shan't we? |
| Let's start now, | shall we? |
Remember that shall not contracts to shan't. Therefore, a positive statement with shall can take the negative tag shan't: We shall be there, shan't we?
In modern everyday English, will is much more common than shall for ordinary future reference. Nevertheless, shall remains important in formal English, suggestions, offers, legal language, and examination questions.
Some semi-modal or special constructions have established tag patterns.
| Statement | Common tag |
|---|---|
| You used to live here, | didn't you? |
| She used to play tennis, | didn't she? |
| We had better leave, | hadn't we? |
| He ought to apologise, | oughtn't he? |
| They ought not to complain, | ought they? |
In some varieties of English, speakers may use alternative forms in informal conversation. For school and examination writing, learn the standard pattern expected by your course.
Need and dare can behave either as ordinary verbs or as modal-like verbs. The tag depends on how the verb is being used.
You need to work harder, don't you?
You needn't worry, need you?
He doesn't dare to speak, does he?
This is an advanced area. The safest strategy is to identify whether the word is functioning as an ordinary lexical verb or as a modal-like auxiliary in the particular sentence.
Negative question tags often use contractions. These are common in natural conversation and should be recognised accurately in writing.
| Full form | Common contraction | Example |
|---|---|---|
| is not | isn't | He is ready, isn't he? |
| are not | aren't | They are coming, aren't they? |
| was not | wasn't | It was good, wasn't it? |
| were not | weren't | We were early, weren't we? |
| do not | don't | You agree, don't you? |
| does not | doesn't | She knows, doesn't she? |
| did not | didn't | He called, didn't he? |
| have not | haven't | They have left, haven't they? |
| has not | hasn't | She has finished, hasn't she? |
| had not | hadn't | We had met, hadn't we? |
| will not | won't | They will come, won't they? |
| shall not | shan't | We shall go, shan't we? |
| cannot | can't | You can swim, can't you? |
| could not | couldn't | He could help, couldn't he? |
| would not | wouldn't | She would agree, wouldn't she? |
| should not | shouldn't | We should leave, shouldn't we? |
If the statement already contains not or a negative contraction, the tag normally becomes positive.
You aren't tired, are you?
He doesn't smoke, does he?
They haven't arrived, have they?
She won't forget, will she?
We shouldn't wait, should we?
A common mistake is to create a double negative tag: He doesn't smoke, doesn't he? ✗. The correct form is He doesn't smoke, does he? ✓.
Grammar gives us the form of the tag, but intonation can change its conversational meaning.
You finished the report, didn't you? ↗ — the speaker may genuinely be checking.
You finished the report, didn't you? ↘ — the speaker probably expects the answer “yes”.
Written punctuation does not fully show intonation. When speaking, listen to the speaker's pitch and the context rather than treating every tag as an identical type of question.
Tags are often used when the speaker believes the statement is probably true but wants confirmation.
The meeting starts at nine, doesn't it?
You are from Multan, aren't you?
We have homework tonight, don't we?
She can speak French, can't she?
Because the statement usually carries the main information, the tag is short and does not repeat the whole idea.
Question tags can also make conversation sound less abrupt. Compare a direct statement with a tag question.
It is hot today. — simple statement.
It is hot today, isn't it? — invites agreement and conversation.
You can help me, can't you? — asks for confirmation, but context can make it sound either friendly or pressuring.
Because tone matters, a question tag is not automatically polite. The speaker's relationship with the listener, choice of words and intonation all contribute to the meaning.
A reliable exam method is to follow the same sequence every time.
Statement: Maria speaks English. → doesn't she?
Subject = Maria → she; no auxiliary → does; positive → negative.
Statement: They weren't late. → were they?
Auxiliary = were; statement is negative → positive tag; subject = they.
Statement: We will finish. → won't we?
Auxiliary = will; positive → negative; subject = we.
In a long sentence, do not be distracted by extra phrases. Identify the main grammatical subject and auxiliary of the clause being tagged.
After all the students had completed the exercise, they left the room, didn't they?
The new teacher, who has worked here for years, is respected by everyone, isn't she?
Your brother and his friends will be joining us later, won't they?
The tag normally refers to the main clause immediately before it. Relative clauses and inserted phrases do not automatically determine the tag.
When a sentence contains several clauses, the tag is normally attached to the statement or main clause that the speaker wants to check.
You know that she is coming, don't you?
He said that he would help, didn't he?
She has finished the work and will submit it today, won't she?
Do not automatically copy the auxiliary from a subordinate clause. Ask: Which proposition is the speaker checking?
| If the statement contains... | Use... | Example |
|---|---|---|
| am/is/are/was/were | same form of be | She is here, isn't she? |
| has/have/had as perfect auxiliary | same auxiliary | They have left, haven't they? |
| will/would/can/could/should etc. | same modal | He can drive, can't he? |
| simple present without auxiliary | do/does | She works, doesn't she? |
| simple past without auxiliary | did | They came, didn't they? |
| let's | shall we? | Let's go, shall we? |
| imperative | often will you?/won't you? | Open it, will you? |
| there is/are | there | There is time, isn't there? |
Before looking at the answer, identify the auxiliary, polarity and pronoun yourself.
1. You understand the rule, __________?
2. She isn't at home, __________?
3. They visited us yesterday, __________?
4. He has finished, __________?
5. We can trust him, __________?
6. Nobody complained, __________?
7. Let's begin, __________?
8. I am early, __________?
9. There weren't many seats, __________?
10. You never forget, __________?
1. don't you? 2. is she? 3. didn't they? 4. hasn't he? 5. can't we? 6. did they? 7. shall we? 8. aren't I? 9. were there? 10. do you?
Question tags are especially common in spoken English. Formal written English may prefer a direct question or a statement followed by a request for confirmation.
| More conversational | More direct/formal |
|---|---|
| The report is ready, isn't it? | Is the report ready? |
| You have received the email, haven't you? | Please confirm that you have received the email. |
| We should leave now, shouldn't we? | Should we leave now? |
This does not mean question tags are incorrect in formal English. It means that register matters. Choose the structure that suits the situation, audience and purpose.
Do not memorise hundreds of isolated sentences. Master the system.
The goal is not merely to get a blank right. The goal is to recognise the structure quickly enough that the correct tag becomes natural.
| Check | Question to ask yourself |
|---|---|
| Subject | Which pronoun replaces the subject? |
| Auxiliary | Is there a form of be, have, do or a modal? |
| Tense | If there is no auxiliary, should I use do, does or did? |
| Polarity | Is the statement positive or negative? |
| Negative words | Does the statement contain never, nobody, hardly, rarely or another negative expression? |
| Special form | Is it let's, an imperative, there is/are, I am, or another special construction? |
| Writing | Did I use a comma and a question mark? |
The explanations in this article are original EDUSAMBAM educational writing. The topic has been organised as a practical grammar guide, with examples designed for learners who need both everyday understanding and examination practice.
Copyright note: The diagrams and examples in this article were created specifically for EDUSAMBAM and are not reproduced from a textbook.
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