You know what question tags are, don’t you? If you don’t, pay attention to this article and you’ll be able to make ones!
A question tag conveys its own purpose depends on its form. Do you know how to form question tags? Let’s look further.
What are question tags
Question tags are the questions added at the end of the statement. The idea is given while we are asking a question at the same time.
We use them mainly in spoken informal conversation to :
- make sure that the information you have is correct
- seek agreement or to make small talk
- ask for correct information
For example :
A : You know Sue Vertue, don’t you?
B : Yes, I do.
(A expects this answer because A thinks that B knows Sue Vertue.)
Compare with the conversation below :
A : You don’t know Sue Vertue, do you?
B : No, I don’t.
(A expects this answer because A thinks that B doesn’t know Sue Vertue.)
The difference between question tags and yes/no question
In a Yes/No question, you don’t have any idea what the answer is. You’re simply looking for information.
For example :
A : Do you know Sue Vertue?
B : Yes, I do. OR No, I don’t.
Meanwhile, you have the answer in question tags. You only want to make sure that your answer is correct.
For example :
A : You know Sue Vertue, don’t you?
B : Yes, I do.
With different intonation, question tags can be used to ask for the correct information when you’re in doubt.
How to make question tags
To make question tags, follow these rules :
- When the main verb is affirmative (positive), the question tag is negative.
- When the main verb is negative, the question tag is affirmative (positive).
- The “be/verb/auxiliary verb/modals” in the tag must match the form of the “be/verb/auxiliary verb/modals” in the statement.
They have to be in the same tenses.
Look at the table below and compare them.
Question tags using “be”
The simplest question tags use the verb “be”.
For example :
I’m late, aren’t I? (common spoken English)
I’m the best candidate, am I not? (formal English)
I’m not lost, am I?
You’re tired, aren’t you?
He wasn’t happy, was he?
They weren’t the guests, were they?
Question tags using auxiliary verbs
We use auxiliary verbs in question tags such as :
1. Be
We use “be” as an auxiliary verb in continuous tense.
For example :
She’s wearing my dress, isn’t she?
I’m not talking too loud, am I?
He wasn’t sleeping when I called, was he?
2. Do/does
Generally, we use “do/does” in the question tags for verbs other than “be”.
For example :
Jerry knows some Spanish, doesn’t he?
They don’t know we’re here, do they?
She studied law, didn’t she?
Also when the statement is expressing possession with “has/have”.
For example :
He has a big house, doesn’t he?
You don’t have the money, do you?
They had financial problems, didn’t they?
3. Has/have
We use “has/have” in perfect tenses.
For example :
She has finished her work, hasn’t she?
You haven’t seen my glasses, have you?
They had already left, hadn’t they?
Question tags using modals
The modals in the question tags are the same modals in the statements.
For example :
She can swim, can’t she?
They could finish the project, couldn’t they?
You will come to the party, won’t you?
He would help, wouldn’t he?
We shall meet later, shan’t we?
You should study for the exam, shouldn’t you?
She may join us, may she not?
It might rain, mightn’t it?
He must finish on time, mustn’t he?
We ought to leave early, oughtn’t we? (formal)
We ought to leave early, shouldn’t we? (more common)
He will have arrived by then, won’t he?
Question tags in imperative sentence
It’s not common to see question tags in imperative sentences. Imperatives usually stand alone or soften by adding the word “please”.
For example:
Close the door.
OR
Close the door, please.
However, sometimes you may hear the question tag “will” in imperatives, giving you a sense of annoyance from the speaker while maintaining politeness. Or insisting you to do something.
For example, if someone asks you to close the door and you don’t do it right away, they might ask you once more, saying, “Close the door, will you?”
Be quiet, will you?
Don’t touch anything, will you?
Do it now, will you?
Sometimes the question tags are used to maintain politeness. Note that imperative sentences don’t require a direct answer.
Take a seat, won’t you? polite invitation
Help me, can you? friendly
Close the door, would you? quite polite
Don’t forget that, will you? only will is possible in negative imperatives
Question tags with indefinite pronouns
The indefinite pronouns change into “they” in the question tag.
For example :
All the students are here, aren’t they?
Everybody enjoyed the party, didn’t they?
Everyone is here, aren’t they?
Anybody can join, can’t they?
Anyone can participate, can’t they?
Somebody left their bag here, didn’t they?
Someone is at the door, aren’t they?
Nobody wants to be left behind, do they?
No one knows the answer, do they?
We use “it” for “nothing” and “everything”.
For example :
Nothing is impossible, is it?
Everything is under control, isn’t it?
Other pronouns in question tags
The tag pronoun for this/that = it.
The tag pronoun for these/those = they.
Use “there” for a statement with “there+be”
For example :
This/that is your bag, isn’t it?
These/those are their stuff, aren’t they?
There is a meeting today, isn’t there?
There are meals provided, aren’t there?
Answering Question Tags
Most of the time, we answer the question tags with a simple “Yes” or “No”. Or we just answer using the tag (She’s not a student here, is she? Yes, she is).
However, it can be confusing sometimes.
For example :
A : Elephants aren’t small, are they?
B : Yes. (meaning : Yes, I agree.)
“Yes/No” answers in English match with the statement following them. It means :
- “Yes” answer matches a positive statement.
- “No” answer matches a negative statement.
If we try to answer that question with complete answers, they would be :
- Yes, they are. Elephants are small. (Wrong, because elephants are big)
- No, they’re not. Elephants aren’t small. (Correct)
So, the correct way to answer “Elephants aren’t small, are they?” is “No, elephants aren’t small”.
Easy tip : Answer a question tag based on what’s true, not just repeating the question.
Let’s look on another examples :
- Brazil isn’t in South America, is it? Yes, it is. (Brazil is in South America.)
- The U.S. doesn’t have 50 states, does it? Yes, it does. (The U.S. has 50 states.)
- Snakes are mammals, aren’t they? No, they’re not. (Snakes aren’t mammals.)
Intonation in question tags
We use question tags in spoken conversation. Therefore, we need intonation to make our intention clear.
There are two intonations in question tags :
1. Falling intonation
Our voice doesn’t rise at the end to check that what we’ve just said is true.
For example :
They’re going to London, aren’t they?
(You are almost certain about the information, but you want someone to confirm this.)
We also use the falling intonation to make a comment or invite a conversation. Like a small talk.
For example :
A : That was a good show, wasn’t it?
B : Yes, indeed. It was a great show.
It’s so hot today, isn’t it?
It’s quite a long day at work, isn’t it?
2. Rising intonation
Our voice rises at the end to ask for correct information.
For example :
They’re going to London, aren’t they?
(You are not sure if London is the destination, so you want someone to tell you the correct destination.)
Common mistake in making question tags
Some mistakes that commonly made in making question tags are :
1. The question tag for “let’s” is “shall we”
For example : Let’s go to Jamaica, shall we?
2. The question tags for “has/have” in possession are “does/do”, not “ has/have”.
Example :
She has the money, hasn’t she? (wrong)
She has the money, doesn’t she? (correct)
You don’t have the answer, have you? (wrong)
You don’t have the answer, do you? (correct)
3. Sentences with negative words take affirmative tags.
In English, there are words that convey negative meaning. Therefore, we don’t double the negative using the negative tags. We use affirmative tags instead.
Some negative words you may find are : never, nothing, nobody, no one, rarely, seldom, hardly.
Example :
She was never late, wasn’t she? (wrong)
She was never late, was she? (correct)
You’ve never been there, haven’t you? (wrong)
You’ve never been there, have you? (correct)
Nothing is wrong, isn’t it? (wrong)
Nothing is wrong, is it? (correct)
Nobody called on my phone, didn’t they? (wrong)
Nobody called on my phone, did they? (correct)
No one knows the answer, don’t they? (wrong)
No one knows the answer, do they? (correct)
Conclusion
To sum up, here are the key points in making question tags :
- Use question tags to confirm an idea or information.
- Different intonations in asking questions convey different meanings.
- Negative question tags follow positive statements and vice versa.
- Answer the question tags based on the truth.
- Negative words in affirmative statements take affirmative tags.
The best way to practice question tags is by including them in your spoken conversations. It’s used in a small talk, so you don’t need to worry about making a huge mistake.
If you need to drill some grammar, head to some short grammar test on British Council to practice.
Grammar book reference
Azar, Betty, and Stacy Hagen. Understanding and Using English Grammar. Pearson Education, Hoboken, NJ, 2017.
Thomas, Barbara. Grammar and Vocabulary for First and First for Schools: With Answers. University Press, 2015.
