Question Tags in English: Rules, Examples & Quiz

Introduction to Question Tags

You’ve probably heard English speakers say things like “It’s cold today, isn’t it?” or “You’ve finished, haven’t you?” These little endings are called question tags. They turn a statement into a short question, often to confirm information, check agreement, or keep a conversation going.

Mastering question tags in English is essential for sounding natural and confident in conversation.

This article explains how to form them, when to use them, and common mistakes learners make. You’ll also find plenty of examples, a table of common patterns, and a quiz at the end to test your knowledge.

What Are Question Tags?

A question tag is a short question added to the end of a statement. It usually involves an auxiliary (helping) verb plus a subject pronoun.

It’s raining, isn’t it?
You like chocolate, don’t you?
She hasn’t finished, has she?

The main purpose is not to ask for new information but to check something you think is true or to invite the listener to respond.

‍

The Basic Rule:

Positive → Negative, Negative → Positive

The most important thing to remember is that the tag usually contrasts with the main statement:

If the statement is positive, the tag is negative.
You’re a teacher, aren’t you?
If the statement is negative, the tag is positive.
She isn’t coming, is she?

This creates balance and sounds natural.

‍

Structure of Question Tags

The structure follows three steps:

Use the auxiliary verb from the main sentence (or do/does/did if none is present).
Add the subject pronoun.
Switch to the opposite polarity (positive ↔ negative).

Statement	Tag	Example
Positive with auxiliary	Negative	She is here, isn’t she?
Negative with auxiliary	Positive	They aren’t late, are they?
Positive with no auxiliary	Use do/does/did	You play football, don’t you?
Negative with no auxiliary	Use do/does/did	He didn’t call, did he?
Future with will	Opposite polarity	We’ll meet later, won’t we?

Special Cases

With I am

The correct tag is aren’t I? (not amn’t I).

I’m early, aren’t I?

With let’s

Use shall we?

Let’s go, shall we?

With nobody / somebody / everybody

These take they as the pronoun.

Nobody called, did they?
Everybody’s ready, aren’t they?

With imperatives (commands)

Use will you? or won’t you? for politeness.

Close the door, will you?
Help me, won’t you?

‍

Intonation in Question Tags

How you say the tag changes its meaning:

Rising intonation = real question, genuine doubt.
You haven’t eaten yet, have you? (I’m not sure.)
Falling intonation = seeking agreement, rhetorical.
It’s a lovely day, isn’t it? (I’m confident, just inviting agreement.)

‍

Common Mistakes

❌ She’s French, isn’t she? (correct) → Many learners forget to match the auxiliary correctly.
❌ You’re tired, aren’t you? (correct) → but learners may wrongly use don’t you?
Using full nouns instead of pronouns: ❌ She is nice, isn’t she? → ✅ Sarah is nice, isn’t she?
Wrong polarity: ❌ He isn’t late, isn’t he? → ✅ He isn’t late, is he?

‍

Why Are Question Tags Important?

They make speech more natural and interactive.
They are essential in British English small talk.
They help learners sound polite but confident.
They often appear in listening exams (IELTS, Cambridge).

‍

Quick Reference List of Tag Questions

Present simple: He works hard, doesn’t he?
Present continuous: You’re reading, aren’t you?
Present perfect: She’s finished, hasn’t she?
Past simple: They went out, didn’t they?
Past continuous: He was waiting, wasn’t he?
Past perfect: You’d done it, hadn’t you?
Future simple: She’ll call, won’t she?
Modal verbs: You can swim, can’t you? / We must go, mustn’t we?

‍

Practice Quiz

Fill in the correct tag:

You’re hungry, ______?
He didn’t call, ______?
We’ll see her tomorrow, ______?
Let’s start now, ______?
She can’t drive, ______?

‍

Answers:

aren’t you?
did he?
won’t we?
shall we?
can she?

‍

Conclusion

Question tags in English are short but powerful tools for conversation. Remember the golden rule: positive → negative, negative → positive. Watch out for special cases like aren’t I? and shall we?, and pay attention to intonation for meaning. With practice, you’ll sound fluent and natural.

👉 Continue exploring our grammar articles for more guides on pronouns and their correct usage:

Past Continuous Tense Explained with Examples

Present Simple vs Present Continuous

Future Perfect Tense Made Easy

Reflexive Pronouns Explained

Countable vs Uncountable Nouns

Question Tags in English

Comparatives and Superlatives Exceptions

Conditionals with Unless, Provided That, As Long As

Quantifiers in English Grammar

‍