Question Tag
By Gaurav Rana
What is a Question Tag?
• 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?
Important table of contracted forms
• aren't are not • mightn't might not
• can't cannot • mustn't must not
• couldn't could not • needn't need not
• didn't did not • oughtn't ought not
• doesn't does not • shan't shall not
• don't do not • shouldn't should not
• hadn't had not • wasn't was not
• hasn't has not • weren't were not
• haven't have not • won't will not
• isn't is not • wouldn't would not
Some important rules for question tags
• The sentence and the question tag must be in the same tense.
• If the Sentence is positive, the question tag must be negative and
vice versa.
• Always use pronoun in the question tag.
• For negative question tag, use the Contracted form of 'helping verb'
and 'not' .E.g didn't, hadn't, won't etc.
Formation
• If there is an auxiliary(helping) 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?
Rule- 1 :: There is no contracted form of 'am
not' but 'aren't' is used in question tag.
• Eg- I am fine, aren't I?
Rule-2 :: Each, every, everyone, everybody, no one,
nobody, none are singular and hence will take
singular verb/ singular pronoun/ singular adjective
with them but their question tag will take plural
verb and plural pronoun.
• E.g- Everyone has come, hasn't he ( Incorrect)
• Everyone has come, haven't they (correct)
• None of your friends like her, do they
• Everyone can speak English, can't they?
Rule-3:: Collective noun takes singular verb and
singular pronoun in question tag.
• E.g.- The jury has taken its decision, hasn't it?
• The team has won the match, hasn’t it?
• The group will go and play the match, won’t it?
Rule-4:: If we talk about the individual members of
the collective noun or if there is a difference in
opinion among the members of the collective
noun, plural verb and plural pronoun are used.
• E.g.- The committee are divided in their opinion, aren't they?
• The audience have taken their seats, haven't they?
Rule-5:: Some words are negative in meaning . For
e.g. hardly, seldom, scarcely, rarely, barely etc.
Hence they will take positive question tag after
them.
• E.g.- He hardly does any work, does he?
• He found barely anything to eat , did he?
• He is seldom absent, is he?
Rule-6:: If the sentence starts with "let us/
let's ", " shall we" is used in the question.
• E.g.- Let’s go to party tonight, shall we?
• Let’s watch a movie, shall we?
Rule-7:: In Imperative sentences, question tag
'won't you' is used.
• E.g- come in, won't you?
• Sit here, won’t you?
Practice questions
• I am happy. [Link]'t I
• I don't write letters. [Link] I
• I didn't go to college yesterday. [Link] I?
• It is very cold. [Link]'t it?
• You haven't eaten anything. [Link] you?
• She doesn't drive carelessly. [Link] she?
• I have called him up. [Link]'t I?
• The boys are quite boisterous. [Link]'t they?
• My friend Ram is an egoist. [Link]'t he?
• God is omnipotent, omnipresent [Link]'t he?
and omniscient.