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)

Submitted by Furuku on Sun, 20/09/2020 - 19:40

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Hi there! I have several question that I want to ask you. The first question: Is it possible to use "had" in the sentence that have there as a subject, For example There had something right there. Please help me, I don't know the rule of using there as a subject. If you have more advice, please leave it to me too! Thank you very much, Love from Thailand!
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Submitted by Peter M. on Mon, 21/09/2020 - 06:59

In reply to by Furuku

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Hi Furuku,

No, you can't use have as a main verb with 'there'.

'There' is what we call a dummy subject. It can be followed by be, by modal verbs and by a few other verbs such as seem, appear etc.

 

In English, there and it can be dummy subjects. We have a page on the topic:

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/english-grammar-reference/it-and-there-as-dummy-subjects

 

There is some debate about whether particular uses (such as the use of 'it' to talk about weather) are really dummy subjects. You can read more about that here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dummy_pronoun

 

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Submitted by abo omar on Sun, 06/09/2020 - 00:38

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He gave up smoking,.....................? complete

Hello abo omar,

I'm afraid we don't provide answers for questions from elsewhere. We're happy to explain the rules of English and which something may be correct or incorrect, but we don't provide answers to questions from homework or tests.

 

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

thank you for your help but can I say " He gave up smoking , did he ? " as a question tag because give up has a negative meaning

Hello abo omar,

Yes, that is possible.

You can use either didn't he or did he as the tags here, but there is a difference in meaning:

He gave up smoking, didn't he? > the speaker is sure this is true and is asking for confirmation

He gave up smoking, did he? > the speaker is surprised and is checking that the information is correct; this is often used as a response to surprising information

 

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

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Submitted by prasiddha Poudel on Fri, 28/08/2020 - 05:18

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Please reply me all answer i have done all in exam but i need answer so reply me as soon as you see this message ........ The questions goes like this :- Smoking is injurious to health, isn't it? Ram’s sister burst into tears, ………? These books are reprinted, ………? I’m going to keep the ball in this box, …? I am a doctor, ………? I’m late today, ………? I’m fond of listening to music, ………? I’m not an actor, ………? We’ll take dinner at six, ………? Somebody is knocking at the door, ……? Some of you can speak Newari, ………? Some of them have brought a book, ……? Nobody can solve this problem, ………? Nobody has bought this book yet, ……? He and I were playing carom, ………? He must attend the party, ………? Her brother can’t lift it, ………? The film wasn’t exciting, ………? They’re planting potatoes yesterday, …? She has forgotten my name, ………? You could come early, ………? There are some books in the rack, ……? There was a tree in front of my house, …? She won’t be late, ………? I shouldn’t have torn it, ………? He took me to the church, ………? Ajay told them a story, ………? His mother scolded him, ………? She feels shy, ………? My friend lit the lamp on it, ………? He forgot to bring his notebooks, ………? Sunita passed the examination, ………? They made us work hard, ………? Heena stops talking, ………? They prefer swimming in the sea, ………? Somebody comes here everyday, ………? One can’t reach the sun, ………? Her father printed the letter himself, …? Her dog chased the cat, ………? Nobody goes outside, ………? Nobody has informed them about the robbery, ………? They often go to Pokhara by air, ………? Bimla doesn’t like parties, ………? Somebody stole my pen, ………? Everybody has their pen, ………? You seem upset today, ………? Your husband likes swimming, ………? Everything is all right, ………? He spoke very well, ………? They went to school together, ………? I saw her yesterday, ………? She found her lost doll, ………? Bharat made a nice film, ………? It rained last week, ………? He beat the dog, ………? The dog bit him, ………? She put on her clothes, ………? She had many friends, ………? We had our meal together, ………? The girl danced beautifully, ………? The poor woman has many children, …? You never spoke to me, ………? I rarely went shopping, ………? My mother hardly cooks, ………? Your father paid for the tickets, ………? He had his supper with me, ………? We have a cow, ………? We have got some cows, ………? She has gone to the market, ………? Her father looked at me, ………? I have got a story book, ………? You and she have called me, ………? Her husband died of cancer, ………? Gita has had several difficult jobs, ……? She shut the door, ………? The woodcutter cut the tree, ………? He hits his sister daily, ………? They hardly come to school, ………? I cut the paper into pieces last week, …? We put out the fire yesterday, ………? I put on my clothes daily, ………? You left the gas on, ………? None of them went to see her, ………? Your name is Gopal, ………? Come and see me tomorrow, ………? Let them do what they like, ………? Let’s pretend we are not here, ………? Let’s go to the cinema, ………? Let him read the text, ………? Let’s have some break fast, ………? Come back soon, ………? Let’s work hard, ………? Let him read the letter, ………? I suppose he didn’t call her, ………? Read the book carefully, ………? Let us read an English book, ………? Go ahead, ………? Never come late, ………? Kindly lend me some money, ………? Boys, wash your clothes, ………? Sarita, keep quiet, ………? Give me the pen please, ………? Open the door, ………? The sheep ran away themselves, ……? His habit of smoking irritates everybody, ………? Walking in the morning is good for health, ………? You didn’t answer my invitation, ……? You’d better go now, ………? You’d better call the police, ………? I’d rather stay here, ………? One of my friend had problem of money, ………? He had enough money to bur a car, …? Tomorrow is Thursday, ………? They had a calculator, ………? I don’t think my friends will come, …? You ought to listen to your teacher, …? They ought not fight in the classroom, ………? These are ripe mangoes, ………? Those were cricket players, ………? There must a play ground, ………? There is a table, ………? One has to be dutiful, ………? She could barely break it, ………? Aesop’s fables were famous, ………? There are only ten questions in this examination, ………? I think he hasn’t slept at night, ………? Your exam is at hand. Don’t waste your time, ………? Mr. Shah teachers us English, ………? There is a cat in the garden, ………? He lives here, ………? John drinks too much, ………? I am very stupid, ………? The girl dances very well, ………? You needn’t go back soon, ………? They had their lunch yesterday, ………? Sita never reads a newspaper, ………? Sita read a story, ………? It’ll rain, ………? He’s a chemist, ………? They didn’t complain, ………? You like tea, ………? I’m here, ………? She is too young, ………? You always have your lunch at 20.30 PM, ………? Bankers are always the same, ………? Everything is perishable, ………? I’m tired and hungry, ………? Everything is ready, ………? Niru never gets angry, ………? Gopal and Krishna will finish the work on time, ………? None helped me last week, ………? Let me open the door, ………? Please sit down, ………? Students don’t go to school on Saturday, ………? Someone is waiting for you, ………? Mr. Rai is a wealthy man, ………? Devkota wrote Muna Madan, ………? Ten kilos of rice was bought, ………? There is a big pond in front of the Durbar School, ………? Everybody knows the answer, ………? Have another cigarette, ………? Dad, let me start a new business, ……? You’d do your home daily, ………? You’d done your homework, ………? Sital looks clean and tidy, ………? I am never with you, ………? Mingma has never been to Kathmandu, ………? They’d rather do this, ………? He’d better stop drinking, ………? Students have to study hard, ………? She hardly studies, ………? Let’s go to Nagarkot, ………? He’s already gone out, ………? Try to be a little more polite, ………? She seldom does her homework, ……? Everyone was there, ………? You’d better attain the party, ………? There lived an old hermit in the forest, ………? You’d better not bring you dictionary, ………? Ann’s brother applied for the job, ………? They’d built a nice house, ………? They’d build a nice house, ………? He’d better go by bus, ………? We’d rather prefer coffee, ………? Mind your own business, ………? None of the students brought their calculators, ………? Hema used to be kind to me, ………? Uma hardly pass the exam, ………? She’s done her work, ………? I’d better not teach them, ………? i hope i will get answer fast .....

Hello prasiddha Poudel,

I'm afraid this isn't the kind of help we offer on this site. We're happy to help our users with things they don't understand such as particular points of grammar or lanaguage use, and we're happy to explain particular examples. However, we don't provide an answering service for users taking tests or completing homework tasks!

 

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

ok thanks for reply Peter Sir can u help me When i ask you question at any time i need a teacher like you ....plz tell how i contact you online .....its request from yours student