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Here’s A Quick Way to Understand Question Tags

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Do you know what question-tags are?

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Understanding and using question tags accurately is akin to fine-tuning your English language skills.

We use question tags (a mini question) on the end of our sentences to request for confirmation or to really ask questions.

To see the difference, see the following explanations.

Question tags exercises with answers

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Contents hide
1. The Definition of Question Tags
2. Question Tag Examples
3. Two Types of Question Tags
3.1. Question Tags Rules for Positive Sentences
3.2. Question Tags Rules for Negative Sentences
4. Question Tags Rules for Imperative Sentences
5. Question Tags for Modal Verbs
6. The Meaning of Question Tags
7. How to Answer Question Tags and Its Meaning
8. The Right Auxiliary for Question Tags and Examples
9. Special Question Tags
10. Negative Words in Question Tags
10.1. Negative Words in Question Tags Examples
11. Special Subject
11.1. Mnemonics for Remembering Question Tag Rules
12. Question Tags Exercise
12.1. I. Mixed Question Tags Exercise
12.2. II. Mixed Question Tags Production Exercise
12.3. III. Imperative Question Tags Exercises
12.4. IV. Modal Question Tags Exercises
12.5. V. Present Simple Tense Question Tags Exercises
13. Answer
13.1. I. Mixed Question Tags Exercises
13.2. II. Mixed Question Tags Production Exercise
13.3. III. Imperative Question Tags Exercises
13.4. IV. Modal Question Tags Exercises
13.5. V. Present Simple Tense Question Tags Exercises
14. Other Exercises
15. Useful Links

The Definition of Question Tags

Question tags are small interrogative structures added at the end of sentences.

They serve to transform declarative or imperative sentences into questions.

They typically consist of a pronoun and a helping verb, like “isn’t it?” or “don’t you?”.

Question tags make the English language quite unique, as many languages don’t employ this grammatical feature.

Question Tag Examples

A question tag is a mini question we put at the end of a sentence. Let’s see 20 more examples. The underlined words are the question tag.
  1. You haven’t got a car, have you?
  2. It was a nightmare, wasn’t it?
  3. She came home by taxi, didn’t she?
  4. It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?
  5. You’ve seen that movie, haven’t you?
  6. She isn’t coming with us, is she?
  7. We should go for a walk, shouldn’t we?
  8. They don’t like spicy food, do they?
  9. He can swim pretty well, can’t he?
  10. I need to finish this by tomorrow, don’t I?
  11. The party starts at 8 PM, doesn’t it?
  12. You will be there, won’t you?
  13. This cake tastes delicious, doesn’t it?
  14. Nobody likes Mondays, do they?

 

Mastering the use of question tags not only enhances your English communication skills but also allows you to engage in discourse more effectively. See also Four Essential Sentence Structures to Enhance Your Writing Skills.

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See question words here.

Two Types of Question Tags

First off, we need to understand that there are two main types of question tags: positive and negative.

Positive question tags often follow negative sentences, where the basic statement is expressed in the negative form. For instance, “You aren’t going to the party, are you?” Here ‘are you’ is a positive question tag used after a negative sentence.

On the flip side, negative question tags are used after positive sentences. Consider the sentence, “You’re coming to the party, aren’t you?” Here, ‘aren’t you’ is a negative tag used after a positive sentence.

Question Tags Rules for Positive Sentences

When the main sentence is positive, we have to use negative question tag. Let’s see the following example.
  1. Your boyfriend will be here soon, won’t he?
  2. She goes to work by car, doesn’t she?
  3. They were very sad, weren’t they?
  4. You came home last night, didn’t you?

Question Tags Rules  for Negative Sentences

When the main sentence is negative, we have to use positive question tag. Let’s see the following example.
  1. Your girlfriend won’t be here soon, will she?
  2. She doesn’t like party, does she?
  3. They weren’t very happy, were they?
  4. You didn’t come home last night, did you?

Question Tags  Rules for Imperative Sentences

We usually use imperative sentences to express instructions, commands, prohibitions, or suggestions and advice. Imperative sentences generally do not have an obvious subject. It’s implied. The tags for imperatives are: “will you”, “won’t you”, or “shall we”.

Examples:

  1. Help me, will you?
  2. Help me, won’t you?
  3. Close the door, will you?
  4. Close the door, won’t you?
  5. Don’t call me at night, will you?
  6. Don’t call me at night, won’t you?
  7. Don’t disturb me, will you?
  8. Don’t disturb me, won’t you?
  9. Let’s dance, shall we?
  10. Let’s go home, shall we?
  11. Open the window, will you?
  12. Don’t be noisy, will you?
  13. Get the phone for me, won’t you?

Question Tags  for Modal Verbs

Modal verbs are will, shall, can, may, would, should, could, might, ought, need.

  1. You’ll be here, won’t you?
  2. We shall go home now, shan’t we?
  3. She can speak English, can’t she?
  4. They may come here, mayn’t they? (mayn’t is rarely used, instead, use can’t.)
  5. Long time ago, most people would not take a shower often, would they?
  6. You shouldn’t smoke in this room, should you?
  7. You couldn’t ride a bike when you were five, could you?
  8. Your parents might not come here, might they?
  9. You ought to come here earlier, oughtn’t you? (oughtn’t is rarely used, instead, use shouldn’t.)
  10. The teacher need speak more loudly, needn’t he?

The Meaning of Question Tags

The meaning of question tag depends on how we say it. If the voice goes down, we aren’t really asking a question. We are only asking for confirmation or agreement.  If the voice goes up, it is a real question. We really want to know if the answer is yes or no.

How to Answer Question Tags and Its Meaning

The answer to a question tag can have two possibilities, “yes” or “no”. Let’s see the following example.
  1. You’re not going to school today, are you?  Yes. (= I am going) or No (= I’m not going.)
  2. You’re going to school today, aren’t you? Yes. (=I am going ) or No (=I’m not going.)

The Right Auxiliary for Question Tags and Examples

To determine the right auxiliary for question tags, we can see the following tables.
 Main Sentence  The Auxiliary For Question Tag
 Present Simple Tense
Example : She goes to work by car.		  do    (I, you, we, they)
does (he, she, it)
 Past Simple Tense
Example : My father came home late last night.		  did  (all subject)
 Present Perfect Tense
Example : You have stopped smoking. She has gone home.		  have (I, you, we, they)
has   (he, she, it)
 Present Continuous Tense
Example : She is sleeping right now.		  are (you)
is   (he, she, it)
am (I)
 Past Perfect Tense
Example : She had got a luxurious house before she became an artist.		  had (all subject)
 Sentences with modals
Example :
She will get cold.
You can fly a helicopter.		  Depends on the modal in the main sentence.
can can’t
will won’t
shall shan’t
should shouldn’t
would wouldn’t

Special Question Tags

Notice these special question tags.
  1. Let’s dance, shall we?
  2. I’m late, aren’t I?

Negative Words in Question Tags

There are some negative words in question tags. If a sentence contains these negative words, we have to use positive question tags for the sentence. The sentence becomes negative because of these negative words. See the words.
  1. never
  2. seldom
  3. hardly ever

Negative Words in Question Tags Examples

Let’s see the following example :
  1. She never comes late, does she?
  2. We seldom see our parents, do we?

Special Subject

If the subject of the main sentence is everybody, everyone, somebody, someone, nobody or no-one, we use subject they on the question tag.
Let’s see the following example :
  1. Everybody loves her, don’t they?
  2. Somebody entered our house last night, didn’t they?

 

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Mnemonics for Remembering Question Tag Rules

Mnemonics are valuable aids in learning and retaining information, and this goes for grammar rules too! For question tags, remember:

• Positive statement, negative tag: “It’s a sunny day, isn’t it?”
• Negative statement, positive tag: “You don’t like coffee, do you?”

The mnemonic can be: “Posi-nega, nega-posi!”

See active and passive voice exercises here.

Question Tags Exercise

Question Tag Exercises
Question Tag Exercises

I. Mixed Question Tags Exercise

Put a correct question tag on the end of each sentence.

  1. Your father’s at home, … ?

  2. Susan doesn’t like chicken, … ?

  3. I am funny, …….?

  4. You’ve got a camera, … ?

  5. Your mother won’t mind if I go early, … ?

  6. There are a lot of people here, … ?

  7. This is very boring, … ?

  8. You wouldn’t tell anyone, …?

  9. Listen, … ?

  10. I shouldn’t have got angry, … ?

  11. She had gone home before we came here, ….?

  12. They had to go home, … ?

  13. Everybody’s happy, …?

  14. She seldom sees her parents in the village, …?

  15. Let’s go,….?

II. Mixed Question Tags Production Exercise

Make a sentence with a correct question tag based on the situation given.

Example: Ask if John is going out.

Answer: John, you’re going out, aren’t you?

  1. Confirm if Andy knows where Tia is. ………………………………….

  2. Ask if Kaz has got a pen. ……………………………………..

  3. Confirm if Sally is still loving you. …………………………………….

  4. Confirm if your best friend has had lunch. ……………………………….

  5. Ask your brother, Jim, to close the door. ………………………………..

  6. Ask your boyfriend/girlfriend to eat out. …………………………………

  7. Tell your sister not to be noisy. ………………………………………

  8. Ask your Mom if there is some sugar in the fridge. ……………….

  9. Ask your friend to call you when he’s reached his home. ….………

  10. Ask Emir to sing a song with you. ……………………………………..

III.  Imperative Question Tags Exercises

Put a correct question tag on the end of each imperative sentence.

  1. Go out, ………?
  2. Come in, …….?
  3. Don’t  play football near the road, …..?
  4. Don’t leave me alone, ……..?
  5. Write your name, ……….?
  6. Have it up, …………?
  7. Buy me a drink, ………?
  8. Call me tonight, ………?
  9. Let’s play badminton, ……?
  10. Let’s go to Oslo, ……..?

IV. Modal Question Tags Exercises

Put the right question tags for the following modal sentences.

  1. Your mother will be here, ………..?
  2. We shall follow rules and regulations, ……….?
  3. You can cook, ………….?
  4. You may not enter this room, ………..?
  5. Our grandparents would travel on foot in the past, …………?
  6. We should always be vigilant, ……. ?
  7. You couldn’t run fast when you were a child, ……….?
  8. The actor might not come here, ………..?
  9. They ought to clean this room every day, ……….?
  10. Everyone needn’t drink too much, ………….?

V.  Present Simple Tense Question Tags Exercises

Put the right question tags for the following sentences.

  1. You are a teacher, …………… ?
  2. They go to school by bus, …………… ?
  3. You study English twice a week, …………… ?
  4. She always helps you do the homework, …………… ?
  5. Our teacher is from Cairns, Australia, …………… ?
  6. I am slimmer now, …………… ?
  7. Your sister never takes a shower in the evening, …………… ?
  8. His father doesn’t work anymore, …………… ?
  9. They visit you every year, …………… ?
  10. You are a  student, …………… ?

Answer

I. Mixed Question Tags Exercises

  1. isn’t he

  2. does she

  3. aren’t I

  4. haven’t you

  5. will he

  6. aren’t there

  7. isn’t it

  8. would you

  9. will/won’t you

  10. should I

  11. hadn’t she

  12. didn’t they

  13. aren’t they

  14. does she

  15. shall we

II. Mixed Question Tags Production Exercise

  1. Andy, you know where Tia is, don’t you?

  2. Kaz, you’ve got a pen, haven’t you?

  3. Sally, you’re still loving me, aren’t you?

  4. Hi, you’ve had your lunch, haven’t you?

  5. Jim, close the door, will/won’t you?

  6. Baby, let’s eat out, shall we?

  7. Don’t be noisy, will/won’t you?

  8. Mom, there’s some sugar in the fridge, isn’t there?

  9. When you’ve reached home, call me, will/won’t you

  10. Emir, Let’s sing a song, shall we?

III.  Imperative Question Tags Exercises

  1. Go out, will you/won’t you?
  2. Come in, will you/won’t you.?
  3. Don’t  play football near the road, will you/won’t you ?
  4. Don’t leave me alone, will you/won’t you?
  5. Write your name, will you/won’t you?
  6. Have it up, will you/won’t you?
  7. Buy me a drink, will you/won’t you?
  8. Call me tonight, will you/won’t you?
  9. Let’s play badminton, shall we?
  10. Let’s go to Oslo, shall we?

IV. Modal Question Tags Exercises

  1. Your mother will be here, won’t she?
  2. We shall follow rules and regulations, shan’t we/won’t we? 
  3. You can cook, can’t you?
  4. You may not enter this room, mayn’t you/can’t you?
  5. Our grandparents would travel on foot in the past, wouldn’t they?
  6. We should always be vigilant, shouldn’t we ?
  7. You couldn’t run fast when you were a child, could you?
  8. The actor might not come here, mightn’t he?
  9. They ought to clean this room every day, oughtn’t they/shouldn’t they?
  10. Everyone needn’t drink too much, need they?

V.  Present Simple Tense Question Tags Exercises

  1. You are a teacher, aren’t you?
  2. They go to school by bus, don’t they?
  3. You study English twice a week, don’t you?
  4. She always helps you do the homework, doesn’t she?
  5. Our teacher is from Cairns, Australia, isn’t he/she?
  6. I am slimmer now, aren’t I ?
  7. Your sister never takes a shower in the evening, does she?
  8. His father doesn’t work anymore, does he?
  9. They visit you every year, don’t they?
  10. You are a  student, are you?

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