Question tags

Question tags

Do you know how to use question tags like is he and didn't you? Test what you know with interactive exercises and read the explanation to help you.

Look at these examples to see how question tags are used.

You haven't seen this film, have you?
Your sister lives in Spain, doesn't she?
He can't drive, can he?

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Grammar test 1

Question tags: Grammar test 1

Read the explanation to learn more.

Grammar explanation

We can add question tags like isn't it?, can you? or didn't they? to a statement to make it into a question. Question tags are more common in speaking than writing.

We often use question tags when we expect the listener to agree with our statement. In this case, when the statement is positive, we use a negative question tag.

She's a doctor, isn't she?
Yesterday was so much fun, wasn't it?

If the statement is negative, we use a positive question tag. 

He isn't here, is he?
The trains are never on time, are they?
Nobody has called for me, have they?

If we are sure or almost sure that the listener will confirm that our statement is correct, we say the question tag with a falling intonation. If we are a bit less sure, we say the question tag with a rising intonation.

Formation

If there is an auxiliary verb in the statement, we use it to form the question tag.

I don't need to finish this today, do I?
James is working on that, isn't he?
Your parents have retired, haven't they?
The phone didn't ring, did it?
It was raining that day, wasn't it?
Your mum hadn't met him before, had she?

Sometimes there is no auxiliary verb already in the statement. For example, when:

... the verb in the statement is present simple or past simple and is positive. Here we use don't, doesn't or didn't:

Jenni eats cheese, doesn't she?
I said that already, didn't I? 

... the verb in the statement is to be in the present simple or past simple. In this case we use to be to make the question tag:

The bus stop's over there, isn't it?
None of those customers were happy, were they?

... the verb in the statement is a modal verb. Here we use the modal verb to make the question tag:

They could hear me, couldn't they?
You won't tell anyone, will you?

If the main verb or auxiliary verb in the statement is am, the positive question tag is am I? but the negative question tag is usually aren't I?:

I'm never on time, am I?
I'm going to get an email with the details, aren't I?

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Grammar test 2

Question tags: Grammar test 2

Average: 4.2 (135 votes)

Hi Lucy Lucy,

There are two options, depending on what you want to check.

  • It is said he is rich, isn't it? - this is a question to check whether or not people say that he is rich.
  • It is said he is rich, isn't he? - this is a question to check whether or not he is rich.

However, the second option seems less likely, because the focus of the sentence seems to be more on "It is said ...". If you want to make a similar meaning using the tag "isn't he?", you could say something like: He's rich, isn't he? That's what people say.

I hope that helps.

Jonathan

LearnEnglish team

Submitted by maxmax23 on Sun, 02/04/2023 - 21:45

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Could you please tell me the answer to this question? 1- you don't think they have the ability to do it,...................? a- do you. b- don't they. c- do they. d- do I.

Hello maxmax23,

The correct answer is (a) do you. The tag refers to 'You don't think...' so the pronoun required is 'you' and a positive tag is needed.

 

Please note that we generally focus on explanations and clarifications rather than just providing answers for tasks from elsewhere - if we did this consistently we'd end up doing our users' homework for them!

 

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Submitted by xadice on Fri, 31/03/2023 - 20:49

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Hello. Could you please tell me the correct answer?And also can you explain?
1.Let's go out for a walk,.........?
a.let we
b.shall we
2.I think he is from India,.....?
a.doesn't he
b.don't I
c.isn't he

Hi xadice,

For suggestions using let's, the right question tag is shall we? This reflects the meaning of let's (i.e., a suggestion), rather than the literal words.

For sentence 2, it should be isn't he?. There are two verbs in the sentence, I think and he is. This speaker probably wants to check or confirm the second one (he is from India), so the question tag should be based on that. 

It's possible that the speaker wants to check/confirm the first one (I think), but it seems not very likely because it is the speaker's own opinion. There's no clear reason why the speaker wants to check/confirm that.

Jonathan

LearnEnglish team

Submitted by asmika2005 on Fri, 24/03/2023 - 18:11

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can anyone help me tag these right?

I don't need to finish this today, do I? or need I?
I need to complete this work within two hours, Don’t I? or Needn’t I?
You need to see a doctor soon, Don't you? or Shouldn't you ? or Needn't you? or Isn't it?

Hi asmika2005,

The tags should be: (1) do I? (2) don't I? (3) don't you? (isn't it? is also OK)

It is grammatically possible to use the verb "need" in question tags, but only when "need" is a semi-modal verb, rather than a main verb. In the examples above, "need" is a main verb, because it is followed by "to" + verb, so the question tag should be made with "do" or "don't".

As a semi-modal verb, "need" is followed by a verb without "to", e.g. You needn't wear a suit. It is not a formal event. As a semi-modal, we can make question tags e.g. I needn't finish this today, need I? It is a correct structure but it is rather uncommonly used.

You may be interested to read this page from Cambridge Dictionary about "need". I hope that helps to answer your question.

Jonathan

LearnEnglish team