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Question tags

Worksheets - pdf exercises.

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Question Tag Examples And Exercises

Learning how to form question tags is not particularly difficult for English language learners. Rather, the challenge for students is using question tags naturally. For this reason, students need lots and lots of practice forming question tags. Below, you’ll find 30 question tag examples along with some question tag exercises so that you/your students will be able to use question tags fluently in no time.

Question Tag Examples

Question tag exercises, exercise 1: quiz.

This first question tag exercise is a fun interactive quiz with 10 questions. Each question has a blank space, and you must choose the correct question tag to complete the sentence.

Choose the correct question tag.

Exercise 2: pdf worksheet.

This next question tag exercise is a printable PDF worksheet. There are 10 questions and answers and each question asks you to fill in the blank with the appropriate question tag. This PDF also includes the answers on a separate page.

Question Tags – Free Exercise

Add the question tags.

• You want to go on holiday,   ? If there is no helping verb, we use do in the question tag. For positive sentences, we use the negative question tag.
• Charles will help us,   ? If there is a helping verb, we use this same verb in the question tag. For positive sentences, we use the negative question tag. (will not = won’t) .
• Mary has a little lamb,   ? If have is used to indicate possession/belonging, we can use have or the helping verb do in British English (in American English we can only use do in this case). For positive sentences, we use the negative question tag.
• You are the new student,   ? If the sentence has a form of be without a helping verb, we don’t need a helping verb: we use this same form of be in the question tag. For positive sentences, we use the negative question tag.
• They have cleaned the windows,   ? If there is a helping verb, we use this same verb in the question tag. For positive sentences, we use the negative question tag.
• Their parents are divorced,   ? If there is a helping verb, we use this same verb in the question tag. For positive sentences, we use the negative question tag.
• The door has been locked,   ? If there is a helping verb, we use this same verb in the question tag. For positive sentences, we use the negative question tag.
• You speak English,   ? If there is no helping verb, we use do in the question tag. For positive sentences, we use the negative question tag.
• He moved abroad,   ? If there is no helping verb, we use do in the question tag (since we’re talking about a past event, we use did ). For positive sentences, we use the negative question tag.
• You were there,   ? If the sentence has a form of be without a helping verb, we don’t need a helping verb: we use this same form of be in the question tag. For positive sentences, we use the negative question tag.

Write in the Question Tags.

• I don’t have to go there,   ? We use the helping verb from the negation in the question tag, but in its positive form.
• You did not tell him a lie,   ? We use the helping verb from the negation in the question tag, but in its positive form.
• They are not watching TV right now,   ? We use the helping verb from the negation in the question tag, but in its positive form.
• It will not rain tomorrow,   ? We use the helping verb from the negation in the question tag, but in its positive form.
• She is not going home yet,   ? We use the helping verb from the negation in the question tag, but in its positive form.
• He would not do this,   ? We use the helping verb from the negation in the question tag, but in its positive form.
• I won’t see you again,   ? We use the helping verb from the negation in the question tag, but in its positive form.
• We have not been here before,   ? We use the helping verb from the negation in the question tag, but in its positive form.
• She wasn’t surprised,   ? For the negation of be, we don’t need a helping verb. We simply use this same form of be in the question tag, but in its positive form.
• We cannot do this together,   ? We use the helping verb from the negation in the question tag, but in its positive form.

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Question Tags Exercise 1

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Check how to make question tags here

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Question Tags In English Grammar

Table of contents, introduction, what are tag questions, why are tag questions used, used to confirm or clarify information:, used to seek agreement:, used to express emotions or attitudes:, used to soften a request:, used in leading questions, particularly in legal settings, how are question tags formed, question tag rule:.

Here are two examples for illustration:

Forms of tag questions

Question tags with affirmative statements.

Question tags with negative statements

Question tags with imperatives

Note: there are instances where we can also use “would,” “could,” “can,” or “won’t.” This depends mainly on the intended meaning and the context.

Examples of question tags

How do you punctuate question tags?

Home of English Grammar

Question Tags Quiz

Add appropriate questions to the following sentences.

1. Give me a hand, ....................................?

2. there are some problems, ................................

Negative tags are used after affirmative sentences and non-negative tags are used after negative sentences.

3. Not a great film, .............................?

4. you do take sugar in tea, ................................

In question tags we repeat the auxiliary verb used in the main sentence. Negative tags are used after affirmative sentences and non-negative tags are used after negative sentences.

5. They don't have meetings on Sundays, ...............................?

6. they won the first prize, ................................

If the main sentence has no auxiliary, the question tag uses do, does or did. Do and does are used in the present tense. Did is used in the past tense.

7. She recognized him at once, ................................?

8. you wouldn't like a puppy, ................................, 9. they promised to repay the money within two months, ..............................., 10. she wants to be an architect, ........................................

When the main sentence is in the simple present tense, we use do or does in the question tag. Do is used with plural nouns and pronouns. Does is used with singular nouns and pronouns.

11. You like fish, ...................................?

We use do with plural nouns and the pronouns I, we and you. We use does with singular nouns and the pronouns she, he and it.

12. The meeting started at 6, ..................................?

Only pronouns are used in tags.

1. Give me a hand, will you / can’t you / could you? 2. There are some problems, aren’t there? 3. Not a great film, was it? 4. You do take sugar in tea, don’t you? 5. They don’t have meetings on Sundays, do they? 6. They won the first prize, didn’t they? 7. She recognized him at once, didn’t she? 8. You wouldn’t like a puppy, would you? 9. They promised to repay the money within two months, didn’t they? 10. she wants to be an architect, doesn’t she? 11. You like fish, don’t you? 12. The meeting started at 6, didn’t it?

Do you enjoy quiz shows? (question tags)

Grammar - question tags

LESSON OVERVIEW

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

• learn to form question tags, 
• apply general knowledge to practise forming question tags,
• practise expressing uncertainty about facts using question tags.

With this question tags lesson plan, students learn to use question tags when they are uncertain about some facts. They do a general knowledge quiz . They also talk about quiz shows and watch people answering general knowledge questions.

B1 / Intermediate B2 / Upper Intermediate 60 min Standard Lesson Free / Premium Plan student's version teacher's version Unlock the e-lesson plan with the Premium subscription

VIDEO & QUESTION TAGS

This question tags lesson starts with a warm-up activity. Students discuss what general knowledge is and assess the state of their knowledge. Then, they watch the video and decide whether the questions in it are general knowledge questions. You can also choose to pause the video before the quiz show participants provide their answers. After that, students match halves to sentences with question tags (e.g. The driest place in the world is in the Atacama Desert, isn’t it? ). They also need to tick rules that apply to using and forming question tags. Then, students match the sentences with answers. Next, students complete gaps with question tags. They also need to answer the questions. 

The second part of this question tags lesson starts with a discussion . Students talk about quiz shows, explain rules of some, think of winning strategies, etc. Then, they answer questions from a quiz using question tags to confirm with their partner (e.g. There are four time zones in Brazil, aren’t there? ). Finally, students play a game based on the quiz show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? . If they are unsure about a rule, they can use a question tag to check with you. There are four sets of questions in the teacher’s pdf and the e-lesson plan. 

HOMEWORK/REVISION

This question tags lesson also includes an additional task that you can use as homework or revision. In the task, students practise creating question tags. The task is available in the teacher’s version of the worksheet. You can print it and hand it out to your students. It’s also included in the e-lesson plan.

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Hi! Thank you for such a wonderful lesson, but I failed to find the 4 sets of questions without answers to play the game.

Thanks! The questions are on slides 28-31 (the slides are hidden so that students don’t see the answers) and on pages 5-6 of the teacher’s pdf.

But the right answers are highlighted there, so there aren’t tests without highlighted answers neither in the teacher’s pdf or on slides

The game that you are referring to (ex. 8/slide 27) is based on the game show ‘Who wants to be a millionaire?’. The objective of the game isn’t to take a test but to communicate with team members and the teacher using question tags. This is why the teacher needs to read the questions out to students instead of showing the questions to them. See more details in ex. 8/slide 27.

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Question tags – Exercise 3

Task no. 1407.

Put in the correct question tags.

Peter works in the shop,   ?

Peter works in the shop, doesn't he ?

Do you need help?

Question tags in English

• She is collecting stickers, ?
• We often watch TV in the afternoon, ?
• You have cleaned your bike, ?
• John and Max don't like maths, ?
• Peter played handball yesterday, ?
• They are going home from school, ?
• Mary didn't do her homework last Monday, ?
• He could have bought a new car, ?
• Kevin will come tonight, ?
• I'm clever, ?
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• Question Tags Exercises With Answers

Practise the Usage of Question Tags with these Exercises

Question tags are short questions added to the end of a sentence , typically used to confirm or check information. They consist of a pronoun and an auxiliary verb (like "is," "are," "do," "does," "has," "have," "will," etc.) and match the auxiliary verb or modal used in the main sentence. The tone of the question tag can vary depending on whether the speaker is seeking confirmation or expecting an agreement. Question tags are often used to invite a response or to seek agreement, and they help in making conversations more interactive.

Exercises on Question Tags

1. Complete the Sentences: Fill in the blanks with the correct question tag.

You’re coming to the meeting, ___?

She doesn’t like coffee, ___?

They have finished their homework, ___?

It’s a beautiful day, ___?

He can speak Spanish, ___?

We should leave now, ___?

You didn’t forget the tickets, ___?

This book is yours, ___?

You’re not serious, ___?

She won’t be late, ___?

2. Correct the Errors: Identify and correct the mistakes in the question tags.

You don’t know the answer, don’t you?

They are coming to the party, isn’t they?

She can sing well, can’t she?

It’s raining outside, isn’t it?

We haven’t met before, have we?

He didn’t call you, didn’t he?

They’re enjoying the movie, aren’t they?

You were at the concert, weren’t you?

This isn’t the right way, isn’t it?

She hasn’t finished yet, hasn’t she?

3. Form the Question Tags: Create question tags for the following statements.

She is a good student, ___?

They haven’t been to Paris, ___?

I am late, ___?

You will help me, ___?

He was at the gym, ___?

We should start now, ___?

This place is amazing, ___?

You haven’t seen that movie, ___?

They can come to the party, ___?

She doesn’t want to go, ___?

4. Choose the Correct Tag: Select the correct question tag to complete the sentences.

1. You’re finished with the project, ___?

a) don’t you

b) aren’t you

c) haven’t you

2. He hasn’t called yet, ___?

b) hasn’t he

3. It’s cold outside, ___?

a) isn’t it

c) doesn’t it

4. They can drive, ___?

a) can’t they

b) can they

5. She will join us, ___?

a) won’t she

b) will she

c) doesn’t she

6. You didn’t see him, ___?

a) didn’t you

c) don’t you

7. We’re late, ___?

a) aren’t we

c) weren’t we

8. She has finished the test, ___?

a) hasn’t she

c) didn’t she

9. They were happy, ___?

a) weren’t they

b) were they

c) didn’t they

10. You can swim, ___?

a) can’t you

5. Match the Sentence with Its Question Tag: Match the following statements with their appropriate question tags.

She loves chocolate, ___?

They weren’t at the game, ___?

We have completed the assignment, ___?

He can speak French, ___?

It was a great movie, ___?

You don’t mind if I join, ___?

The food was delicious, ___?

She isn’t coming with us, ___?

They are excited about the trip, ___?

You will remember to call, ___?

6. Fill in the Correct Tag from a Given List: Choose the correct question tag from the options given and fill in the blanks.

You have a car, ___? (don’t you / haven’t you / do you)

She has finished her work, ___? (hasn’t she / has she / didn’t she)

They were on time, ___? (weren’t they / were they / didn’t they)

It is going to rain, ___? (isn’t it / doesn’t it / doesn’t it)

You haven’t seen this movie, ___? (have you / haven’t you / did you)

He can play the guitar, ___? (can’t he / can he / does he)

They don’t like spicy food, ___? (do they / don’t they / did they)

She was happy with the result, ___? (wasn’t she / was she / didn’t she)

You’re not leaving yet, ___? (are you / aren’t you / didn’t you)

We should go now, ___? (shouldn’t we / shouldn’t we / should we)

7. Create Your Own Questions: Write a question tag for each of the following statements.

You are coming to the meeting.

She doesn’t like to travel.

They have been to that restaurant.

He was very tired after the game.

We should finish this by tonight.

This is the right answer.

They will be at the party.

You don’t want any dessert.

She has already completed her project.

It was a long journey.

8. Transform Statements into Questions: Transform the following statements into questions with appropriate tags.

She is studying hard.

They don’t understand the lesson.

You have visited Paris before.

He was absent yesterday.

We are ready for the test.

This restaurant is famous for its food.

They can join us later.

You weren’t aware of the changes.

She will come to the meeting.

We haven’t received the package yet.

9. True or False: Determine if the question tags in the following sentences are correct or not.

“You can swim, can you?” (True/False)

“They don’t like ice cream, do they?” (True/False)

“He is a great cook, isn’t he?” (True/False)

“We should leave now, shouldn’t we?” (True/False)

“She doesn’t want to go, doesn’t she?” (True/False)

“They were happy with the results, weren’t they?” (True/False)

“It’s a sunny day, isn’t it?” (True/False)

“You will come to the party, won’t you?” (True/False)

“He has finished his homework, has he?” (True/False)

“You haven’t seen that film, haven’t you?” (True/False)

10. Identify the Tag in Conversations: Read the following conversation snippets and identify the correct question tag used.

“She loves the beach, _____?” (doesn’t she / isn’t she)

“They were late for the show, _____?” (weren’t they / were they)

“You have met my sister, _____?” (haven’t you / don’t you)

“The test was easy, _____?” (wasn’t it / wasn’t she)

“He can solve the puzzle, _____?” (can’t he / doesn’t he)

“This book is interesting, _____?” (isn’t it / doesn’t it)

“We should start the project, _____?” (shouldn’t we / shouldn’t they)

“She was invited to the party, _____?” (wasn’t she / wasn’t it)

“They don’t know the answer, _____?” (do they / don’t they)

“You haven’t forgotten the meeting, _____?” (have you / haven’t you)

Find out if you got them all right from the answers below.

1. Complete the Sentences

You’re coming to the meeting, aren’t you ?

She doesn’t like coffee, does she ?

They have finished their homework, haven’t they ?

It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it ?

He can speak Spanish, can’t he ?

We should leave now, shouldn’t we ?

You didn’t forget the tickets, did you ?

This book is yours, isn’t it ?

You’re not serious, are you ?

She won’t be late, will she ?

2. Correct the Errors

You don’t know the answer, do you ? (Incorrect: don’t you)

They are coming to the party, aren’t they ? (Incorrect: isn’t they)

She can sing well, can’t she ? (Correct)

It’s raining outside, isn’t it ? (Correct)

We haven’t met before, have we ? (Correct)

He didn’t call you, did he ? (Incorrect: didn’t he)

They’re enjoying the movie, aren’t they ? (Correct)

You were at the concert, weren’t you ? (Correct)

This isn’t the right way, is it ? (Incorrect: isn’t it)

She hasn’t finished yet, has she ? (Incorrect: hasn’t she)

3. Form the Question Tags

She is a good student, isn’t she ?

They haven’t been to Paris, have they ?

I am late, aren’t I ?

You will help me, won’t you ?

He was at the gym, wasn’t he ?

We should start now, shouldn’t we ?

This place is amazing, isn’t it ?

You haven’t seen that movie, have you ?

They can come to the party, can’t they ?

She doesn’t want to go, does she ?

4. Choose the Correct Tag

You’re finished with the project, aren’t you ? (a)

He hasn’t called yet, has he ? (a)

It’s cold outside, isn’t it ? (a)

They can drive, can’t they ? (a)

She will join us, won’t she ? (a)

You didn’t see him, did you ? (b)

We’re late, aren’t we ? (a)

She has finished the test, hasn’t she ? (a)

They were happy, weren’t they ? (a)

You can swim, can’t you ? (a)

5. Match the Sentence with Its Question Tag

She loves chocolate, doesn’t she ?

They weren’t at the game, were they ?

We have completed the assignment, haven’t we ?

He can speak French, can’t he ?

It was a great movie, wasn’t it ?

You don’t mind if I join, do you ?

The food was delicious, wasn’t it ?

She isn’t coming with us, is she ?

They are excited about the trip, aren’t they ?

You will remember to call, won’t you ?

6. Fill in the Correct Tag from a Given List

You have a car, don’t you ? (don’t you)

She has finished her work, hasn’t she ? (hasn’t she)

They were on time, weren’t they ? (weren’t they)

It is going to rain, isn’t it ? (isn’t it)

You haven’t seen this movie, have you ? (have you)

He can play the guitar, can’t he ? (can’t he)

They don’t like spicy food, don’t they ? (don’t they)

She was happy with the result, wasn’t she ? (wasn’t she)

You’re not leaving yet, are you ? (are you)

We should go now, shouldn’t we ? (shouldn’t we)

7. Create Your Own Questions

You are coming to the meeting, aren’t you ?

She doesn’t like to travel, does she ?

They have been to that restaurant, haven’t they ?

He was very tired after the game, wasn’t he ?

We should finish this by tonight, shouldn’t we ?

This is the right answer, isn’t it ?

They will be at the party, won’t they ?

You don’t want any dessert, do you ?

She has already completed her project, hasn’t she ?

It was a long journey, wasn’t it ?

8. Transform Statements into Questions

She is studying hard, isn’t she ?

They don’t understand the lesson, do they ?

You have visited Paris before, haven’t you ?

He was absent yesterday, wasn’t he ?

We are ready for the test, aren’t we ?

This restaurant is famous for its food, isn’t it ?

They can join us later, can’t they ?

You weren’t aware of the changes, were you ?

She will come to the meeting, won’t she ?

We haven’t received the package yet, have we ?

9. True or False

“You can swim, can you?” False

“They don’t like ice cream, do they?” True

“He is a great cook, isn’t he?” True

“We should leave now, shouldn’t we?” True

“She doesn’t want to go, doesn’t she?” False

“They were happy with the results, weren’t they?” True

“It’s a sunny day, isn’t it?” True

“You will come to the party, won’t you?” True

“He has finished his homework, has he?” False

“You haven’t seen that film, haven’t you?” False

10. Identify the Tag in Conversations

“She loves the beach, doesn’t she ?”

“They were late for the show, weren’t they ?”

“You have met my sister, haven’t you ?”

“The test was easy, wasn’t it ?”

“He can solve the puzzle, can’t he ?”

“This book is interesting, isn’t it ?”

“We should start the project, shouldn’t we ?”

“She was invited to the party, wasn’t she ?”

“They don’t know the answer, do they ?”

“You haven’t forgotten the meeting, have you ?”

Test You Knowledge on Question Tags

1. fill in the blanks:.

Complete the following sentences with the correct question tag.

She is coming to the party, _______?

They don't like spicy food, _______?

John and Mary were late, _______?

It's a beautiful day, _______?

You have finished your homework, _______?

2. Identify and Correct:

Find and correct the mistakes in the following sentences.

You are going to the market, aren't you?

He doesn’t know the answer, does he?

They were excited about the trip, wasn’t they?

She can speak French, can’t she?

3. Choose the Correct Question Tag:

Select the appropriate question tag for each statement.

1. We should start now, _______?

a) shouldn’t we

b) should we

2. The teacher explained the lesson, _______?

b) didn’t she

3. He can come to the meeting, _______?

b) can’t he

4. They’ve been to Paris, _______?

a) have they

b) haven’t they

5. You don’t mind if I join you, _______?

b) don’t you

Check the Answers Below

She is coming to the party, isn't she ?

They don't like spicy food, do they ?

John and Mary were late, weren't they ?

It's a beautiful day, isn't it ?

You have finished your homework, haven't you ?

You are going to the market, aren't you ? (Correct)

He doesn’t know the answer, does he ? (Correct)

They were excited about the trip, weren't they ? (Corrected from “wasn’t they”)

She can speak French, can’t she ? (Correct)

The teacher explained the lesson, didn’t she ?

He can come to the meeting, can’t he ?

They’ve been to Paris, haven’t they ?

You don’t mind if I join you, do you ?

Takeaways from This Page

Question tags are short phrases added to statements to seek confirmation or add emphasis. They follow a basic rule: if the statement is positive, the tag is negative, and vice versa. The pronoun and verb in the tag must agree with the subject and tense of the statement. Understanding these patterns and common errors, like mismatched verbs, is essential for correct usage. Practising with exercises such as filling in blanks and correcting mistakes can enhance mastery and improve conversational accuracy.

FAQs on Question Tags Exercises With Answers

1. What are question tags?

Question tags are short phrases added to the end of statements to seek confirmation or agreement. They usually consist of a pronoun and an auxiliary verb that match the subject and tense of the main statement. For example, in "You're coming, aren't you?" the tag "aren't you?" seeks confirmation of the positive statement "You're coming."

2. How do I form question tags?

To form a question tag, use the auxiliary verb that matches the tense of the main statement. If the statement is positive, the tag should be negative, and if the statement is negative, the tag should be positive. For example, "He can swim, can't he?" (positive statement with a negative tag) and "She doesn't like ice cream, does she?" (negative statement with a positive tag).

3. When should I use question tags?

Use question tags to confirm information or seek agreement. They can also soften statements or make conversations more interactive. For example, "It's a nice day, isn't it?" invites the listener to agree or confirm the observation.

4. Are there any common mistakes with question tags?

Yes, common mistakes include mismatching the auxiliary verb or pronoun with the main statement, or using incorrect tags for the statement’s mood. For instance, saying "They aren’t here, aren’t they?" is incorrect. The correct tag is "are they?" since the statement is negative.

5. Can question tags be used in formal writing?

While question tags are more common in spoken English and informal writing, they can also appear in formal writing to convey a conversational tone or to seek confirmation. However, their use should be limited to maintain formality.

6. What is the purpose of question tags?

Question tags are used to confirm or check information, and they invite a response from the listener. They help in engaging the listener and can make conversations more interactive.

7. How do I form a question tag?

To form a question tag, use a pronoun and an auxiliary verb that match the auxiliary verb or modal in the main sentence. For positive statements, use a negative tag, and for negative statements, use a positive tag. For example, "She is coming, isn't she?"

8. Can question tags change the meaning of a sentence?

Question tags don't change the main meaning of a sentence but can affect its tone. They can turn a statement into a question seeking confirmation or agreement, making the conversation more engaging.

9. Can question tags be used with all types of sentences?

Question tags are commonly used with statements, but they can also be used with commands and suggestions. For example, "Close the door, will you?" or "Let's go to the park, shall we?"

10. What should I do if the statement contains no auxiliary verb?

If the statement has no auxiliary verb, use the appropriate form of "do" (does, did) to form the question tag. For example, "He plays football, doesn't he?"

Tag Questions With Exercises and Answers

We have already talked about some rules and sentence structure of tag questions in English. In this page, I will elaborate tag questions with exercises and answers.

• Tag Questions or Question Tags

Tag Questions

Use tag questions when you already know about what you ask someone, but just want/need to make sure that whether the listener agrees and knows about it or not. Remember:

• – If the verb form of a sentence is positive, the tag question should be negative.
• – If the verb form of a sentence is negative, the tag question should be positive.
• – A comma is used before the tag question starts.

Structures:

• positive sentence + comma + negative tag question
• Negative sentence + comma + positive tag question

Tag Questions in All Tenses

Tag Questions With Modal Verbs

Tag Questions With Have to and Has to

With Imperatives

With Suggestions

With Indefinite Pronouns

Exercise 1.

Example: Peter works in the shop, _________ ? Answer: Peter works in the shop, doesn’t he?

1) She is collecting stickers, _________ ? 2) We often watch TV in the afternoon, _________ ? 3) You have cleaned your bike, _________ ? 4) John and Max don’t like Math, _________ ? 5) Peter played handball yesterday, _________ ? 6) They are going home from school, _________ ? 7) Mary didn’t do her homework last Monday, _________ ? 8) He could have bought a new car, _________ ? 9) Kevin will come tonight, _________ ?

Exercise 2.

Complete the sentences with the correct question tags. 1. Mr. Tom is from America, isn’t he? 2. The car isn’t in the garage,_________ ? 3. You are John,_________ ? 4. She went to the library yesterday,_________ ? 5. He didn’t recognize me,_________ ? 6. Cars pollute the environment,_________ ? 7. Mr. Pritchard has been to Scotland recently,_________ ? 8. The trip is very expensive,_________ ? 9. He won’t tell her,_________ ? 10. Tom had a red car,_________ ?

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Question tags

One of the ways of making questions in English is the use of question tags.  Some examples ( tags in black ):

• These are all examples of balanced tags .  A negative sentence takes a positive tag and vice versa :     She doesn't understand, does she? (negative + positive)     Mary can come too, can't she? (positive + negative) Not all tag forms are balanced as we shall see.
• With main or lexical verbs such as like, hate, enjoy, do, arrive etc., we use the auxiliary verb do in the tag, providing the verb is in the present simple or past simple tense:     He didn't go, did he?     She smokes too much, doesn't she?
• With modal auxiliary verbs like can, must, could etc., we simply invert the verb and the subject to make a tag:     They couldn't see her, could they?     The play should be popular, shouldn't it?
• With the verb to be , whether it is an auxiliary or a main verb, we simply invert the order of subject and verb to make the tag:     You are John, aren't you? (as a main identifying verb)     You aren't alone, are you? (as a main verb with an adjective complement)     You are working too hard, aren't you? (as an auxiliary forming the progressive)     She was arrested, wasn't she? (as an auxiliary forming a passive voice sentence)
• With the verb to have the situation is slightly more complicated: When it is an auxiliary forming a tense, we treat it like to be , inverting the subject and the verb:     She has arrived, hasn't she?     She had left already, hadn't she? When it functions as a main verb, meaning something like possess , both forms are possible:     They have a lot of money, don't they?     They have a lot of money, haven't they?     They don't have much money, do they?     They haven't much money, have they? But, when we insert got after the verb, only the inverted form is possible:     We haven't got a lot of time, have we? not     *We haven't got a lot of time, do we? American and British usage differs in some respects here because AmE uses got less frequently in this sense.

That is actually rather a long list of rules and some are not simple.  It's an area to treat carefully and piecemeal in the classroom.

A few languages work like English with tags following grammatical rules for forming questions and negatives but many do not.  For example:

Many languages, including Polish, German, Greek and others can use a phrase or a single word meaning, roughly, True? or Not true?   So, e.g.: German: nicht wahr? [ not true? ], Spanish: ¿verdad? [ true? ], Polish: prawda? [ true? ] or nieprawdaż? [ not true? ], Greek: δεν είναι ετσι; ( then eenay etsi? ) [ is it not so? ] and so on. Some languages have a small range of words or phrases to ask for agreement such as French: n'est ce pas? [ isn't it ] or d'accord? [ agree? ]. In many languages there exists a small word used only for tag questions such as Mandarin ( ma? ), German dialects ( gell? ) Portuguese: né? and so on.

In most languages, the forms have become fossilised and do not vary in the complicated ways that the tags vary in English.  This presents obvious problems for learners.

Meaning is closely tied to intonation. In many cases, the tone of voice falls on the tag, like this:

When the voice falls like this, the tag functions to mean something like:     Please say you agree with me . In other words, it asks for confirmation that the speaker is correct rather than signalling a true question.  Notice that the words lovely and late are also stressed here.

When the tone rises, like this:

Then the sentences function as true interrogatives.  Notice that now we stress the verb because that is the focus of our attention.

The communicative function of the sentence is drawn from the first clause.  Compare, e.g.:     You want a drink, don't you? where the speaker is probably sure the answer will be 'yes' with:     You don't want a drink, do you? where a falling tone would imply the speaker expects a negative response but a rising tone would indicate surprise. The same thing happens with modal auxiliary verbs.  Compare:     You couldn't do it for me, could you? where a rising tone indicates a request, with:     You could do it for me, couldn't you? where a rising tone indicates a request but a falling tone indicates almost a command.

Unbalanced tags have a different, but very common, structure.  They involve positive + positive or negative + negative and have number of uses:

• Inference: So, the car's over the road, is it? i.e., I have figured this out from where we are walking
• Sarcasm, suspicion or irony: So you think you know me, do you? i.e., you are presuming too much or So, you don't believe me, don't you? i.e., it's not your place to make judgements
• Threat: You'd take my money, would you?
• Conclusion: So, he likes the book, does he? So, he hasn't had the time, hasn't he? The sense of reaching a conclusion is also signalled by the word then.    Technically speaking the word is a conjunct, linking what has been said before and implying that the hearer has inferred something from what has been said.  In this case, the intonation patterns strongly suggest that the word is being used instead of a tag question.  For example:     I'll give you a lift tonight if you like, then?     Oh, you are coming to the party, then?

In all of these the tone usually rises on the tag.

The use of an introductory So ... in these sorts of utterances is extremely common.  Don't try to teach the area without making that clear.

There are a few irregular forms to be wary of.

• Negating the verb be is irregular so the tags used with it are also irregular. If the first statement starts with I , the tag is formed with aren't :     I'm here, aren't I? This does not work the other way round:     I'm not invited, am I? not     *I'm not invited, are I? ( amn't I? exists in some dialects.) When the negative tag is used with the first person, only the contracted form is allowable so we get:     I'm playing, aren't I? but not     *I'm playing, are not I? This causes trouble when trying to use formal unabbreviated language and the only alternative is:     I'm playing, am I not? which sounds far too formal for many people. When the first clause is negative, no issues arise and we allow:     I'm not playing, am I? but learners may carry over the negative tag form, logically, and produce:     *I'm not playing, are I?
• Some consider a tag formed with may to be unusual or stilted:     Joan may come, mayn't she? The preference here is often to exchange may for could/might, when talking about possibility:     She could/might be here early, couldn't/mightn't she? and can for may when talking about permission:     M ary can come, can't she?
• Positive imperative forms (commands) take will in the tag:     Be quite, will you? which can be softened with would:     Be quiet, would you?
• Positive imperative forms also take both positive and negative tags with a slight change of emphasis:     Be quiet, won't you? (pleading)     Be, quiet, will you (command imperative) but this is not allowed with would:     *Be quiet, wouldn't you?
• Negative commands (i.e., prohibitions) take no tag so we can't say:     *Don't touch it, will you? (Although You won't touch it, will you? is fine.)
• Real imperatives are used with a rising tone and both positive and negative tags but a falling tone with a negative tag denotes concern.  Compare:     Drive carefully, will you? (rising tone indicates irritation and is an imperative)     Sit still, won't you? (rising tone indicates irritation and is an imperative)     Drive carefully, won't you? (falling tone indicates concern rather than an imperative)
• Complex tenses When we make a tag question with a complex tense (i.e., one that has more than one auxiliary verb), it is the first auxiliary which is used in the tag:     He has n't been working too hard again, has he?     He wo n't have arrived yet, will he?
• Pronunciation It is rare for weak forms of vowels to occur in tags.  The verb can is usually contracted to/kən/ in connected speech but in the tag, it retains its full pronunciation as /kæn/.  E.g.:     I can come, can't I? is usually transcribed as /ˈaɪ kən kʌm ˈkɑːnt aɪ/ but     I can't come, can I? is usually /ˈaɪ kɑːnt kʌm ˈkæn aɪ /

Tag questions are almost solely used in informal spoken language or written language which resembles spoken language (such as informal emails). As we saw above, under meaning, they can be simple statements requiring only confirmation, real questions or expressions of inference, sarcasm, threat, reprimand or conclusion. To make sure you have this, try a test .

Very often, tags questions are used to initiate or maintain a conversation and are very helpful to learners who sometimes struggle to achieve this. They are, however, quite complicated so should be approached in a piecemeal fashion.  One lesson will not be enough.

• Start with balanced tags.  Negative + Positive and Positive + Negative.
• Focus on to the use of be and have :     It's cold, isn't it?     You aren't wearing a coat, are you?     You haven't got a spare one, have you?
• Focus on modal auxiliary verbs:     I can't borrow hers, can I?     You could go inside, couldn't you?
• Focus on main verbs and do, does, did :     You didn't bring a hat, did you? etc.
• Only when the above have been mastered should you focus at more advanced levels on functions such as inference, conclusion, sarcasm or threat.

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Question Tags

English grammar rules.

Question tags are short questions at the end of statements.

They are mainly used in speech when we want to:

• confirm that something is true or not , or
• to encourage a reply from the person we are speaking to.

Question tags are formed with the auxiliary or modal verb from the statement and the appropriate subject.

A positive statement is followed by a negative question tag.

• Jack is from Spain, isn't he?
• Mary can speak English, can't she?

A negative statement is followed by a positive question tag.

• They aren't funny, are they?
• He shouldn't say things like that, should he?
• You play the guitar, don't you?
• Alison likes tennis, doesn't she?

If the verb is in the past simple we use did .

• They went to the cinema, didn't they?
• She studied in New Zealand, didn't she?

When the statement contains a word with a negative meaning, the question tag needs to be positive

• He hardly ever speaks, does he?
• They rarely eat in restaurants, do they?

Question Tags Summary Charts

Some verbs / expressions have different question tags. For example:

I am - I am attractive, aren't I?

Positive imperative - Stop daydreaming, will / won't you?

Negative imperative - Don't stop singing, will you?

Let's - Let's go to the beach, shall we?

Have got (possession) - He has got a car, hasn't he?

There is / are - There aren't any spiders in the bedroom, are there ?

This / that is - This is Paul's pen, isn't it ?

When we are sure of the answer and we are simply encouraging a response, the intonation in the question tag goes down:

• This is your car, isn't it ? (Your voice goes down when you say isn't it.)

When we are not sure and want to check information, the intonation in the question tag goes up:

• He is from France, isn't he ? (Your voice goes up when you say isn't he.)

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Homework: Tag Questions

You don't like garlic, do you?...

Intermediate

Tag questions can be a bit tricky at times, can’t they?... Although they may be second nature to many native speakers, for the average English learner, Tag Questions are anything but. Given how often we use them, however, it’s important that students be able to understand their purpose and construct and use them correctly. This handy homework sheet helps students practise Tag Questions in three different ways.

After downloading your PDF: print it immediately or save and print later. Answers are provided for teachers on the second page.

Make your own worksheets with the free EnglishClub Worksheet Maker !

• English Grammar
• Punctuation
• Question Tags

Question Tags - Meaning, Definition and How to Use with Examples

Today is a good day, isn’t it?

All of us are used to asking questions when we need to gather some information. Using interrogative sentences is one way to do it. Do you know that there is also something called question tags? Well, let us learn what they are, their definition and usage. Also, check out the examples given in the article to have a clear idea of the same.

Table of Contents

Definition of a question tag, verbs and their corresponding question tags, positive statements with negative question tags, negative statements with positive question tags, check your understanding on question tags, frequently asked questions on question tags, what is a question tag.

A question tag can be generally described as a simple statement followed by a short question. Question tags are most often used in spoken language to confirm something that is said and also to encourage the listener to give an answer. In written language, the use of question tags can be seen only in dialogue writing and in stories which include dialogues.

A question tag or a tag question, according to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, is defined as “a phrase such as ‘isn’t it?’ or ‘don’t you?’ that you add to the end of a statement in order to turn it into a question or check that the statement is correct, as in, you like mushrooms, don’t you? ” The Cambridge Dictionary defines a question tag as “a short phrase such as “isn’t it” or “don’t you” that is added to the end of a sentence to check information or to ask if someone agrees with you”, and according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a question tag is “a question (such as isn’t it in “it’s fine, isn’t it?”) added to a statement or command (as to gain the assent of or challenge the person addressed)”. The Collins Dictionary definition of a question tag is as follows – “In grammar, a question tag is a very short clause at the end of a statement which changes the statement into a question. For example, in ‘She said half price, didn’t she?’, the words ‘didn’t she’ are a question tag.”

Forming and Using Question Tags in Sentences

While question tags can look pretty easy to use, there are a few things you have to be mindful of when using them. Take a look at the following points to learn how to use a question tag accurately in a sentence.

• A sentence with a question tag takes the form – Statement, question tag?
• The punctuation of a sentence with a question is as follows – Capital letter to begin the sentence, a comma at the end of the statement, followed by the tag question and a question mark .
• The use of pronouns in question tags is another thing you need to focus on. If a pronoun is used as the subject , use the same pronoun in the question tag. On the other hand, if a noun (name of a person/place/animal/thing/idea) or a noun phrase acts as the subject in the statement, use a pronoun based on the gender/number in the question tag.
• If the statement is positive or affirmative, the question tag should be negative, and if the statement is negative, the question tag used should be positive.

For example: You are happy, aren’t you? (Positive statement – negative tag)

You aren’t happy, are you? (Negative statement – positive tag)

• When a statement expresses emotions of anger, surprise or interest, the question tag used has to be positive even though the statement is positive. For example: You think it is something to be proud of, do you?
• When there are two verbs (a main verb and an auxiliary/ helping verb ) in a sentence, the question tag should be formed using the auxiliary verb . For example: They were waiting for her, weren’t they?
• If the sentence contains a modal auxiliary verb, the question tag has to be formed using the modal verb . For example: The students should bring their parents for the meeting, shouldn’t they?
• Sentences with ‘have’, ‘has’ and ‘had’ as the main verb use the positive and negative form of ‘do’ as the question tag. For example: You have a pair of shoes, don’t you?
• Sentences with pronouns such as ‘nothing’ and ‘nobody’ should be considered negative statements and a positive tag has to be used. For example, Nothing is working, is it?
• Sentences with action verbs in the simple present tense form a question tag using the verb ‘do/does’ and its corresponding negative form. For example: He teaches Chemistry, doesn’t he?
• A sentence in the past tense will have question tags formed using the verb ‘did’. For example: Harry and Ron played tennis, didn’t they?
• As far as imperative sentences are concerned, use the positive or negative form of the verb ‘will’ to form the question tag.

Forming question tags is one of the easily comprehensible grammatical components in the English language . However, there are some exceptions. Check out the following table to have a clear idea of the verb and its question tag.

Examples of Sentences with Question Tags

Now that you know the function of question tags and how it is formed, read through the following 20+ question tag examples and analyse how it works.

• Shahina is the new lead, isn’t she?
• They have confirmed , haven’t they?
• Tharun and Varun are on their way to the airport, aren’t they?
• Her father is a doctor, isn’t he?
• The baby elephant that fell into the well was rescued by the locals, wasn’t it?
• Arranging transport and accommodation for the guests had been their first priority, hadn’t it?
• You like cookies, don’t you?
• Bring me some tissue papers, will you?
• They bought a new LED television, didn’t they?
• You have been looking for an apartment, haven’t you?
• Ritu and Brinha were not the best of friends from the start, were they?
• Sheena will not be attending the ceremony, will she?
• She would not have done that, would she?
• They have not arrived yet, have they?
• Buying a new car when you already had a loan wasn’t a good idea, was it?
• Making small talk isn’t your forte, is it?
• Balu, the bear isn’t the one that saves Mowgli from the monkeys, is it?
• All students have not submitted their assignments yet, have they?
• Tina had not informed the others about the change of venue, had she?
• You cannot survive without your phone, can you?

Positive Statements with Positive Question Tags to Express Interest, Anger and Surprise

• She is going ahead with her decision, is she?
• So they are moving to Italy, are they?
• You think this is a joke, do you?
• You ’re just going to sit there, are you?
• So this is the way it is going to be from now on, is it?

Here is an exercise for you to check how far you have understood the use of question tags. Go through and add question tags to the following sentences.

1. You must be there by 11:30 a.m., ___________

2. Gowri is not present today, ___________

3. The teacher had asked you to submit an address proof, ___________

4. He is the prime suspect, ___________

5. Harini and Gowtham were not here, ___________

6. Get me the duster, ___________

7. I don’t think your sister will be pleased to see this, ___________

8. You will have waited for me, ___________

9. They brought a bottle of wine when they came, ___________

10. Dom and Andreah have a baby girl, ___________

Find out if you have got them all right from the answers given below.

1. You must be there by 11:30 a.m., mustn’t you?

2. Gowri is not present today, is she?

3. The teacher had asked you to submit an address proof, hadn’t she?

4. He is the prime suspect, isn’t he?

5. Harini and Gowtham were not here, were they?

6. Get me the duster, will you?

7. I don’t think your sister will be pleased to see this, will she?

8. You will have waited for me, won’t you?

9. They brought a bottle of wine when they came, didn’t they?

10. Dom and Andreah have a baby girl, don’t they?

Check out more question tags exercises to improve your knowledge of question tags and its usage.

What is a question tag?

A question tag is a simple statement followed by a short question. Question tags are most often used in spoken language to confirm something that is said and also to encourage the listener to give an answer.

What is the structure of a sentence with a question tag?

A sentence containing a question tag will have the following structure: Positive statement, negative tag? Negative statement, positive tag?

What are the exceptions to be taken care of when using question tags?

Here are a few exceptions to be noted when using question tags.

• Sentences with ‘have’, ‘has’ and ‘had’ as the main verb use the positive and negative form of ‘do’ as the question tag.
• Sentences with action verbs in the simple present tense form a question tag using the verb ‘do/does’ and its corresponding negative form.
• A sentence in the past tense will have question tags formed using the verb ‘did’.
• When a statement expresses emotions of anger, surprise or interest, the question tag used has to be positive even though the statement is positive.

Give some examples of sentences with question tags.

Here is a list of sentences with question tags for your reference.

• Bring a loaf of bread when you come, will you?
• You did not find the book you were looking for, did you?
• Nobody knew what happened to Sandeep, did they?
• He has been meaning to talk to you about it, hasn’t he?
• Everything was planned perfectly, wasn’t it?

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Title: text2sql is not enough: unifying ai and databases with tag.

Abstract: AI systems that serve natural language questions over databases promise to unlock tremendous value. Such systems would allow users to leverage the powerful reasoning and knowledge capabilities of language models (LMs) alongside the scalable computational power of data management systems. These combined capabilities would empower users to ask arbitrary natural language questions over custom data sources. However, existing methods and benchmarks insufficiently explore this setting. Text2SQL methods focus solely on natural language questions that can be expressed in relational algebra, representing a small subset of the questions real users wish to ask. Likewise, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) considers the limited subset of queries that can be answered with point lookups to one or a few data records within the database. We propose Table-Augmented Generation (TAG), a unified and general-purpose paradigm for answering natural language questions over databases. The TAG model represents a wide range of interactions between the LM and database that have been previously unexplored and creates exciting research opportunities for leveraging the world knowledge and reasoning capabilities of LMs over data. We systematically develop benchmarks to study the TAG problem and find that standard methods answer no more than 20% of queries correctly, confirming the need for further research in this area. We release code for the benchmark at this https URL .

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