What are tag questions and how do you use them?

English tag questions are really common, but they can be tricky for learners because there are many parts of grammar to keep track of—like whether the sentence is positive or negative, what type of verb it uses, and which subject pronoun you'll need. 

You're ready to learn more about tag questions, aren’t you? 😉 Let’s get started!

In this post:

• What are tag questions in English?
• How do you form tag questions in English?
  • Which pronoun to use in a tag question
  • Positive vs. negative tag questions
  • Choosing the right verb for your tag question
    • Tag questions with auxiliaries, modals, and forms of the verb be
    • Tag questions with forms of do
• Examples of English tag questions
  • Tag questions that use an auxiliary, a modal, or a form of be
  • Tag questions that use a form of do

What are tag questions?

A tag question is a statement (referred to in this post as a clause) followed by a short question (called a question tag) that asks the listener to confirm whether the statement is true or not. Unlike in many other languages, English question tags actually look almost like full questions! For example:

• He can swim, can’t he?
• They drink coffee, don't they?
• We aren’t late, are we?

How to form tag questions

Tag questions generally begin with the main clause, followed by a comma and a question tag made up of a verb (either negative or positive) and a pronoun. For example:

It may seem simple at first, but there are several factors you’ll have to consider when forming tag questions:

1. What’s the subject of the main clause?
2. Is the main clause positive or negative?
3. Does the main clause use an auxiliary verb, a modal verb, or a form of the verb be?
• If not, is the verb in the main clause in the present tense or the past tense?

Let’s take a closer look at each of these.

Pronouns in tag questions

Tag questions almost always use a pronoun, like he, we, or they. If the main clause already has a pronoun as its subject, you can simply use the same pronoun in the question tag:

However, if the main clause doesn’t use a pronoun, you’ll need to decide which pronoun can replace the subject and then use that pronoun in the question tag. For example, in the sentence Joe doesn’t speak Mandarin, we know that Joe refers to a male person, so we use the third person singular pronoun he in the question tag.

Tag questions with positive and negative clauses

In English, if the main clause is positive, the question tag is negative, typically in the form of a contraction:

Meanwhile, if the main clause is negative, the question tag is positive:

Choosing the right verb for your tag question

Tag questions with auxiliaries, modals, and forms of the verb be

If the main clause contains an auxiliary verb (like will, have, or do), you use the same auxiliary verb in the question tag. Don’t forget to check whether it should be positive or negative:

Similarly, if the main clause contains a modal verb (like can, should, or could), then you use the same modal verb in the question tag:

Finally, if the main clause contains a form of the verb be (like is, are, or were), then the question tag also uses that form of the verb be:

However, if the main clause contains I am or I’m, then you typically use aren’t I in the question tag:

Tag questions with forms of the verb do

If the main clause doesn’t contain an auxiliary verb, a modal verb, or a form of the verb be, the question tag uses a form of the verb do. Be sure to match the tense of do with the tense of the main clause. This means that if the verb in the main clause is in the present tense, use doesn’t (for third person singular subjects) or don’t (for all other subjects) in the question tag:

If the verb in the main clause is in the past tense, use didn’t in the question tag:

Get your questions answered with tag questions!

Tag questions can seem tricky when you’re learning English, but by focusing on one sentence type at a time, you’ll be able to strengthen your skills and handle this question type with confidence.

Examples of tag questions in English

Tag questions with a form of be, modals, and auxiliaries

To be

• The directions weren’t very clear, were they?
• You are the first to arrive, aren’t you?
• The whole crowd was surprised, weren’t they?
• I’m not going to present first, am I?
• This building is being renovated, isn’t it?

Modals

• We should check the second suitcase, shouldn’t we?
• Our grandparents can’t meet us at the park, can they?
• The photographer could show us the pictures before Sunday, couldn’t they?
• Note: If the gender of the photographer is known, the question tag could also be
  couldn’t he
  or
  couldn’t she
  .
• The team wouldn’t practice in the rain, would they?

Auxiliaries

• The children haven’t tried gelato yet, have they?
• She has designed other bridges, hasn’t she?
• Our rates will rise in the summer, won’t they?
• You hadn’t received a confirmation email, had you?

Tag questions with a form of do

• I don’t look like my passport photo, do I?
• The chairs don’t fit with the new decor, do they?
• Her work speaks for itself, doesn’t it?
• The puppy didn’t create this mess, did he?
• Note: If the puppy is female, the tag would be
  did she
  , and if the speaker is creating more distance between themself and the puppy, they could also say
  did it
  .
• The performance doesn’t usually begin on time, does it?