1. What are tag questions?
Tag questions are a way of making questions by combining a positive (+) and negative ( – ).
A tag question can differ from a normal question because it suggests that you know the answer, but want to check.
2. How to make tag questions
The grammatically correct way to make tag questions is:
- positive statement + negative tag (verb + subject + not)
- negative statement + positive tag (verb + subject)
However, in reality people use shortened versions that combine the verb and ‘not’:
- positive statement + negative tag (negative form of the verb + subject)
- negative statement + positive tag (positive form of the verb + subject)
3. ‘Don’t you?’
For non-‘be’ verbs, tag questions use ‘don’t you?’ or ‘do you?’:
- positive statement + don’t (you)?
- negative statement + do (you)?
| Positive statement | Don’t tag | Example question |
|---|---|---|
| You like cheese | don’t you | You like cheese, don’t you? |
| He has a green car | doesn’t he | He has a green car, doesn’t he? |
| They play on Mondays | don’t they | They play on Mondays, don’t they? |
| Jonas fixes radios | doesn’t he | Jonas fixes radios, doesn’t he? |
| New York has five boroughs | doesn’t it | New York has five boroughs, doesn’t it? |
| Negative statement | do tag | Example question |
|---|---|---|
| You don’t have a car | do you | You don’t have a car, do you? |
| We don’t need to go | do we | We don’t need to go, do we? |
| The company doesn’t make clothes | does it | The company doesn’t make clothes, does it? |
| The newsreader doesn’t speak well | does she | The newsreader doesn’t speak well, does she? |
| Bath doesn’t have an airport, does it | does it | Bath doesn’t have an airport, does it? |
*Note: although ‘have’ statements should take ‘don’t you?’, in spoken English many people say ‘haven’t you?’
If using the past tense, change the ‘tag’ into the past (did / didn’t):
| Past statement (positive / negative) | Did / didn’t tag | Example question |
|---|---|---|
| George took my watch (positive) | didn’t he (negative) | George took my watch, didn’t he? |
| She cooked this meal (positive) | didn’t she (negative) | She cooked this meal, didn’t she? |
| Charlie didn’t buy a gift for his mother (negative) | did he (positive) | Charlie didn’t buy a gift for his mother, did he? |
| I didn’t pass the exam (negative) | did I (positive) | I didn’t pass the exam, did I? |
If using the future tense, change the tag into the future (will / won’t)
| Future statement (positive / negative) | Will / won’t tag | Example question |
|---|---|---|
| I will be paid (positive) | won’t I (negative) | I will be paid, won’t I? |
| He will go on holiday (positive) | won’t he (negative) | He will go on holiday tomorrow, won’t he? |
| The company won’t call him (negative) | will it (positive) | The company won’t call him, will it? |
| The house won’t be sold this week (negative) | will it (positive) | The house won’t be sold this week, will it? |
4. ‘Isn’t it?’
If using a statement with the verb ‘be’, add the positive or negative form of ‘be’:
- positive statement + negative ‘be’ tag (negative form of verb + subject)
- negative statement + positive ‘be’ tag (positive form of verb + subject)
| Positive ‘be’ statement | Negative ‘be’ tag | Example question |
|---|---|---|
| He is your brother | isn’t he | He is your brother, isn’t he? |
| The lift is broken | isn’t it | The lift is broken, isn’t it? |
| They are so beautiful | aren’t they | They are so beautiful, aren’t they? |
| Venezuela is in South America | isn’t it | Venezuela is in South America, isn’t it? |
| Their restaurant is open late tonight | isn’t it | Their restaurant is open late tonight, isn’t it? |
| Negative ‘be’ statement | Positive ‘be’ tag | Example question |
|---|---|---|
| You aren’t a doctor | are you | You aren’t a doctor, are you? |
| She isn’t happy | is she | She isn’t happy, is she? |
| We aren’t in trouble | are we | We aren’t in trouble, are we? |
| Max isn’t in the house | is he | Max isn’t in the house, is he? |
| The office isn’t locked today | is it | The office isn’t locked today, is it? |
If using the past tense, change the ‘tag’ into the past (was / were / wasn’t / weren’t):
| Past statement (positive / negative) | Past ‘be’ tag | Example question |
|---|---|---|
| Rich was angry with you (positive) | wasn’t he (negative) | Rich was angry with you, wasn’t he? |
| The conference was a success (positive) | wasn’t it (negative) | The conference was a success, wasn’t it? |
| The room wasn’t ready (negative) | was it (positive) | The room wasn’t ready, was it? |
| Rita and Horace weren’t married (negative) | were they (positive) | Rita and Horace weren’t married, were they? |
If using the future tense, change the tag into the future (will / won’t)
| Future statement (positive / negative) | Will / won’t tag | Example question |
|---|---|---|
| Desmond will be surprised (positive) | won’t he (negative) | Desmond will be surprised, won’t he? |
| The judge will find him guilty (positive) | won’t she (negative) | The judge will find him guilty, won’t she? |
| I won’t be promoted (negative) | will I (positive) | I won’t be promoted, will I? |
| We won’t be invited to the party (negative) | will we (positive) | We won’t be invited to the party, will we? |
5. Perfect tense tag questions
Perfect tenses use ‘have + perfect participle (p.p)’.
To make a perfect tense tag question, use ‘have’ or ‘haven’t’.
| Perfect statement (positive / negative) | Have / haven’t tag | Example question |
|---|---|---|
| You have been busy (positive) | haven’t you (negative) | You have been busy, haven’t you? |
| Issac has been talking to my sister (positive) | hasn’t he (negative) | Isaac has been talking to my sister, hasn’t he? |
| Ezekiel hasn’t sold his car already (negative) | has he (positive) | Ezekiel hasn’t sold his car already, has he? |
| The mayor hasn’t raised taxes (negative) | has he (positive) | The mayor hasn’t raised taxes this year, has he? |
6. Modal tag questions
Modals (can, could, should, would, shall, must) can be used in tag questions.
To make a modal tag question:
- positive modal statement + negative modal tag (negative modal + subject)
- negative modal statement + positive modal tag (positive modal + subject)
| Modal statement (positive / negative) | Modal tag | Example question |
|---|---|---|
| We can win this game (positive) | can’t we (negative) | We can win this game, can’t we? |
| This idea could make us millionaires (positive) | couldn’t it (negative) | This idea could make us millionaires, couldn’t it? |
| The birds wouldn’t eat that (negative) | would they (positive) | The birds wouldn’t eat that, would they? |
| They shan’t need that (negative) | shall they (positive) | They shan’t need that, shall they? |
7. Exercises
Change these questions into tag questions:
(i) Do you like chicken?
(ii) Should I go to the party?
(iii) Do you have enough to drink?
(iv) Did you see the movie last night?