Question Tags
1) What is a Question Tag?
Definition and the basic rule.
A question tag is a short phrase added to the end of a statement to turn it into a question. We use them to check if information is true, or to ask for agreement.
Negative Statement ➔ Positive Tag
- It is raining, isn’t it?
- You have finished, haven’t you?
- It isn’t raining, is it?
- You haven’t finished, have you?
2) Forming the Tag
Matching the verb and pronoun.
To form a question tag, look at the verb and the subject in the main sentence.
| Sentence Pattern | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Has an Auxiliary Verb (is, are, was, have, will, etc.) | Repeat the same auxiliary verb in the tag. | She is coming, isn’t she? They will help, won’t they? |
| No Auxiliary Verb (Simple Present / Past) | Use do, does, or did. | You play tennis, don’t you? He went home, didn’t he? |
| The Subject | Always use a pronoun in the tag, never a noun. | John is tall, isn’t he? The car is fast, isn’t it? |
3) Special Cases & Exceptions
Irregular tags you need to memorize.
There are a few situations in English where the question tag does not follow the standard rules.
| Statement | Tag | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I am | aren’t I? | I am late, aren’t I? (NOT “am not I?”) |
| Let’s (Let us) | shall we? | Let’s go for a walk, shall we? |
| Imperatives (Commands) | will you? | Close the door, will you? Don’t drop that, will you? |
| This / That | it | This is your book, isn’t it? |
| These / Those | they | Those are nice shoes, aren’t they? |
| There is / are | there | There is a problem, isn’t there? |
4) Sentences with Hidden Negatives
Never, rarely, nobody, nothing.
If the main statement contains a word with a negative meaning (like never, rarely, seldom, hardly, nobody, or nothing), the statement is considered negative. Therefore, the tag must be positive.
- She never smiles, does she?
- We rarely see them, do we?
- Nothing happened, did it?
- She never smiles, doesn’t she?
- We rarely see them, don’t we?
Use it for things (nothing, something, everything): Everything is fine, isn’t it?
5) Pronunciation & Intonation
How you say it changes the meaning.
The meaning of a question tag changes depending on how your voice moves at the end of the sentence.
| Intonation | What it means | Example context |
|---|---|---|
| Voice goes UP ↗ | You are asking a real question. You don’t know the answer and want information. | You haven’t seen my keys, have you? ↗ (I really don’t know where my keys are) |
| Voice goes DOWN ↘ | You are not asking a real question. You are just asking the other person to agree with you. | It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it? ↘ (I know it’s beautiful, I just want you to agree) |