English tag questions are really common, but for learners they can be pretty difficult to form! Even though they are just 2 words long, there are many parts of grammar to keep track of: whether the sentence is positive or negative, what kind of verb is in the sentence, and which subject pronoun you'll need.
You're ready to learn more about tag questions, aren't you? Here's how they work in English!
In this post:
3 things you'll need to know to form tag questions
English question tags for positive sentences
English question tags for negative sentences
Examples of tag questions in English
What are tag questions?
Tag questions are short questions added to the end of a sentence to ask for confirmation—whether the sentence is true or not. Unlike tag questions in many other languages, English tag questions are actually full questions!
In English, tag questions for positive sentences are negative—they ask whether the statement is true or not:
- You are from Ecuador, aren't you?
- Andrew prefers to eat dinner late, doesn't he?
- We've checked in already, haven't we?
And tag questions for negative sentences are positive—they confirm if something is untrue (or is it actually true?):
- These boots aren't waterproof, are they?
- The taxi didn't save us time, did it?
- We can't reserve a table in advance, can we?
3 things you'll need to know to form tag questions
To add tag questions to a sentence, you'll need to pay attention to 3 parts of grammar: the kind of verb in the sentence, pronouns, and contractions.
What kind of verb is in the sentence
Just like for yes/no and "wh" questions in English, there are different rules depending on the kind of verb in the sentence. There are 2 verb categories to keep in mind:
- Category 1: forms of the verb to be (like is, are, and were), modals (like could and might), and auxiliary verbs (like will in will go and has in has seen)
- Category 2: all other verbs
Which pronoun replaces the noun
In tag questions, you'll replace the subject of the sentence with a pronoun, so you'll get lots of practice swapping nouns with the appropriate pronoun! Here are a few reminders about English pronouns:
- You: In English, you can be used formally and informally, for a single person or a group of people.
- He: Use he whenever you refer to a male person, and it's not used for objects.
- She: This is the pronoun for a female person (and it's also not used for objects).
- It: Use this for a single object (like the book, a concert, or my incredible new idea).
- They: Use they for groups of people and groups of objects.
How to make contractions with not
In tag questions, you'll either encounter contractions like can't and doesn't in negative sentences, or you'll need them to make tag questions in positive sentences.
English question tags for positive sentences
For positive sentences—those that say something is true or did happen—tag questions include a negative contraction followed by a pronoun.
The exact formula you'll use for question tags depends on the kind of verb in the positive sentence. Here are the 2 options:
Category 1: tag questions for positive sentences with to be, modals, and auxiliaries
For question tags on positive sentences where the first verb is a form of to be, a modal, or an auxiliary, you'll form the tag by adding the negative contraction of the first verb followed by a subject pronoun.
First, take that first verb (to be, modal, or auxiliary) add n't to it. This is the negative contraction, which is the equivalent of the verb + not. For example:
- Should + not = shouldn't
- Was + not = wasn't
Sometimes the first verb will be attached to the subject in a contraction, so look out for these short forms! So if you see I've eaten, the first verb is have (I + have = I've).
Next, add the subject pronoun after the negative contraction. This might remind you of forming yes/no questions and "wh" questions! To know which pronoun you need in the question tag, find the subject of the sentence and replace it with a subject pronoun (I, you, he, she, it, we, or they). The subject of the sentence might already be a pronoun, in which case you'll just reuse it in the tag!
- You are from Ecuador, aren't you?
- Positive verb --> Negative contraction: are --> aren't
- Subject of sentence --> Subject pronoun: you --> you (no change!)
- The concert was amazing, wasn't it?
- Positive verb --> Negative contraction: was --> wasn't
- Subject of sentence --> Subject pronoun: the concert --> it
- The tour should start now, shouldn't it?
- Positive verb --> Negative contraction: should --> shouldn't
- Subject of sentence --> Subject pronoun: the tour --> it
- We've checked in already, haven't we?
- Positive verb --> Negative contraction: have --> haven't
- Subject of sentence --> Subject pronoun: we --> we (no change!)
One exception to be aware of is when the sentence includes I am, like I am on time. If you follow the rules, the tag should be amn't (am + not), but this form isn't used in most dialects of English. Instead, you'll use aren't I in tag questions, as in I am on time, aren't I? (Interestingly some dialects, like Irish English, do say amn't I!)
Category 2: tag questions for positive sentences with all other verbs
For positive sentences where the verb is anything other than to be, a modal, or an auxiliary, you'll use a negative contraction with a form of do followed by a subject pronoun.
Just like you do for yes/no questions and "wh" questions, you'll use do or does for present tense verbs and did for past tense verbs, and you'll make it a negative contraction: don't, doesn't, or didn't.
After the negative contraction form of do, you'll add the subject pronoun that matches the subject of the sentence, following the same rules as for Category 1.
- Andrew prefers to eat later, doesn't he?
- Form of do needed: does
- Negative contraction: doesn't
- Subject of sentence --> Subject pronoun: Andrew --> he
- His sister traveled separately, didn't she?
- Form of do needed: did
- Negative contraction: didn't
- Subject of sentence --> Subject pronoun: his sister --> she
- Everyone needs their own boarding pass, don't they?
- Form of do needed: do
- Negative contraction: don't
- Subject of sentence --> Subject pronoun: everyone --> they (remember that in English everyone gets replaced with the plural pronoun they!)
English question tags for negative sentences
For negative sentences, question tags confirm that the information is not true and the question tags are positive. That's right: positive sentences get negative tags, and negative sentences get positive tags!
Just like for positive sentences, the rules around tag questions are slightly different depending on the kind of verb in the sentence.
Category 1: tag questions for negative sentences with to be, modals, and auxiliaries
When the first verb of a negative sentence is a negative form of to be, a modal, or an auxiliary, use the positive form of the verb followed by the appropriate subject pronoun.
First you'll add the plain, positive version of the first verb to the end of the sentence. Then you'll add the pronoun version of the sentence's subject, just like you did for question tags in positive sentences.
- These boots aren't waterproof, are they?
- Negative verb --> Positive form: aren't --> are
- Subject of sentence --> Subject pronoun: these boots --> they
- He and his boyfriend weren't disappointed by the schedule, were they?
- Negative verb --> Positive form: weren't --> were
- Subject of sentence --> Subject pronoun: he and his boyfriend --> they
- We can't reserve a table in advance, can we?
- Negative verb --> Positive form: can't --> can
- Subject of sentence --> Subject pronoun: we --> we (no change!)
- The queue hasn't moved at all, has it?
- Negative verb --> Positive form: hasn't --> has
- Subject of sentence --> Subject pronoun: the queue --> it
Category 2: tag questions for negative sentences with all other verbs
For negative sentences that have a verb other than those in Category 1, you'll use a positive form of do and the appropriate subject pronoun.
As with question tags in positive sentences, you'll use do or does for present tense sentences and did for past tense, followed by the subject pronoun that replaces the subject of the sentence. You might find these tags even easier to form, since negative sentences in Category 2 already have the correct form of do right in them!
- American biscuits don't look like English biscuits, do they?
- Negative form of do --> Positive form of do: don't --> do
- Subject of sentence --> Subject pronoun: American biscuits --> they
- The taxi didn't save us time, did it?
- Negative form of do --> Positive form of do: didn't --> did
- Subject of sentence --> Subject pronoun: the taxi --> it
- The souvenir for my mom doesn't fit in my suitcase, does it?
- Negative form of do --> Positive form of do: doesn't --> does
- Subject of sentence --> Subject pronoun: the souvenir for my mom --> it
Get your questions answered with tag questions!
Tag questions are one of the most advanced topics English learners will encounter when it comes to questions, but focus on one sentence type at a time to strengthen your skills and make the task manageable.
Examples of tag questions in English
To 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?
All other verbs
- 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?
