What are Question Tags?
A Question Tag is a short question added at the end of a sentence, usually to confirm or
check something.
👉 It’s like saying: “Is that right?” or “Don’t you think so?”
✏️Structure of Question Tags:
✅ Positive Sentence → Negative Tag
She is a teacher, isn’t she?
❌ Negative Sentence → Positive Tag
He doesn’t like coffee, does he?
Basic Rules of Question Tags:
1. Use the helping/auxiliary verb from the sentence.
If there's already a helping verb, use it in the tag.
o They are coming, aren’t they?
o She has eaten, hasn’t she?
2. No helping verb? Use ‘do / does / did’.
For simple present or past without helping verbs:
o You like pizza, don’t you?
o He plays football, doesn’t he?
o They went home, didn’t they?
3. Pronoun always in the tag.
Not the full noun again.
o ✅ Rigzin is happy, isn’t she?
o ❌ Rigzin is happy, isn’t Rigzin?
4. Always use a comma before the tag.
You know the answer, don’t you?
5. Use contraction (short form) in the tag.
He is tall, isn’t he? (✅)
He is tall, is not he? (❌)
Special Cases:
➤ 1. I am → use aren’t I?
I’m your teacher, aren’t I?
➤ 2. Imperative Sentences (commands or requests):
Use “will you?” / “won’t you?” / “can you?” / “could you?”
o Open the door, will you?
o Don’t be late, will you?
➤ 3. Let’s → use shall we?
Let’s go for a walk, shall we?
➤ 4. Nobody / No one / None = Negative → use positive tag
Nobody called you, did they?
Nothing is wrong, is it?
❗Common Mistakes:
❌ Wrong ✅ Correct
He don’t know, does he? He doesn’t know, does he?
She can cooks, can’t she? She can cook, can’t she?
I am your friend, am I not? I’m your friend, aren’t I?
You didn’t went, did you? You didn’t go, did you?
📝 Practice Examples:
1. You are tired, ___? → aren’t you?
2. She doesn’t eat meat, ___? → does she?
3. They can swim, ___? → can’t they?
4. He went to school, ___? → didn’t he?
5. Let’s sit here, ___? → shall we?
Question Tag Exercise (Advanced Level)
Instructions: Add suitable question tags to the following sentences.
Set A: Mixed Tenses
1. She had never seen a dolphin before, _________?
2. We won’t be late, _________?
3. They’d been working for hours, _________?
4. He’d finished the assignment, _________?
5. You’ve met her before, _________?
Set B: Modals and Auxiliaries
6. She can speak Japanese, _________?
7. You couldn’t lend me a pen, _________?
8. We mustn’t forget the meeting, _________?
9. He should have told you, _________?
10. You wouldn’t do that to me, _________?
Set C: Imperative and “Let’s”
11. Let’s not talk about it, _________?
12. Open your books to page 10, _________?
13. Don’t be so rude, _________?
14. Let’s grab lunch together, _________?
15. Pass me the salt, _________?
Set D: Special Cases
16. I’m being unreasonable, _________?
17. Nothing really happened, _________?
18. Everybody knows the truth, _________?
19. I am your best friend, _________?
20. Few students understood the poem, _________?
Set E: Tricky Logic
21. He rarely talks to anyone, _________?
22. None of them were present, _________?
23. The girl in the red dress knows the answer, _________?
24. Neither of them wants to go, _________?
25. There’s no problem here, _________?
