Question tags
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
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
Hello Shetu Yogme,
Yes, that's right. Well done!
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello ShetuYogme,
The tag 'isn't there' is used because the verb in the sentence has a negative sense as a result of the adverb 'scarcely'. Adverbs like scarcely, hardly and rarely have negative meanings and so have a positive tag. This is also the reason for the use of 'anywhere' rather than 'somewhere'.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
OK, thank you very much.
Shetu Yogme.
Are the following tags correct?
Hello Sama Gui,
Those are all correct - well done! People sometimes use hasn't he in sentences like the first.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Dear Sir/Madam,
I have a question regarding Nobody, Someone or anyone.
Should it be:
e.g. Nobody is coming, is he?
or
Nobody is coming, are they?
Also, in question tags, should it be:
Somebody has told Megan about the change in plans, hasn't he?
or
Somebody has told Megan about the change in plans, haven't they?
2. No one in this class knows where James is, does he?
or
No one in this class knows where James is, do they?
I would have thought No one and Somebody are singular but some grammar specialists seem to think otherwise. Could you please clarify which the correct answer is and why?
Thank you.
Hello LizaTayMeiLing,
The correct pronoun is they so the sentences should be as follows:
You're correct that indefinite pronouns like these (and also others such as everyone, anybody, nowhere and so on) are grammatically singular and take a singular verb. However, when talking about a single person whose gender we do not know, we use they with a plural verb. For example:
Since by definition we can't say if 'someone' is male or female, we use they in the tag.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello the LearnEnglish Team, I would like to learn more on how to answer question tags that have negative indefinite pronouns (such as "nobody", "nothing", "no one", "never",...).
For example: My friend invites me to a barbecue at his house, and he knows that I've never had a barbecue before, so he says: "You have never had a barbecue before, have you?"
How should I answer him? As far as I know, "never" has a negative meaning, so it makes the whole statement "You have never had a barbecue before" negative as well. And the answers are usually based on the statement (not the question tag). Since the statement here has a negative meaning, and it's true (I've actually never had barbecue before), should the answer be "No, this is my first time having a barbecue."?
If possible, could you please provide more examples about how to answer question tags that have negative indefinite pronouns? Thank you so much!
Hello Nhi Le,
First, just a little correction: never is a negative adverb, not a pronoun.
The answer is that we have a couple of alternatives:
You can add further explanation/information (such as 'this is my first time having a barbecue') to any of these.
When negative pronouns are used it may be necessary to change the form from 'any...' to 'no...' in the response. For example:
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Thank you, that helps a lot!