Tag Questions

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 statementDon’t tagExample question
You like cheesedon’t youYou like cheese, don’t you?
He has a green cardoesn’t heHe has a green car, doesn’t he?
They play on Mondaysdon’t theyThey play on Mondays, don’t they?
Jonas fixes radiosdoesn’t heJonas fixes radios, doesn’t he?
New York has five boroughsdoesn’t itNew York has five boroughs, doesn’t it?
Negative statementdo tagExample question
You don’t have a cardo youYou don’t have a car, do you?
We don’t need to godo weWe don’t need to go, do we?
The company doesn’t make clothesdoes itThe company doesn’t make clothes, does it?
The newsreader doesn’t speak welldoes sheThe newsreader doesn’t speak well, does she?
Bath doesn’t have an airport, does itdoes itBath 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 tagExample 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 tagExample 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’ statementNegative ‘be’ tagExample question
He is your brotherisn’t heHe is your brother, isn’t he?
The lift is brokenisn’t itThe lift is broken, isn’t it?
They are so beautifularen’t theyThey are so beautiful, aren’t they?
Venezuela is in South Americaisn’t itVenezuela is in South America, isn’t it?
Their restaurant is open late tonightisn’t itTheir restaurant is open late tonight, isn’t it?
Negative ‘be’ statementPositive ‘be’ tagExample question
You aren’t a doctorare youYou aren’t a doctor, are you?
She isn’t happyis sheShe isn’t happy, is she?
We aren’t in troubleare weWe aren’t in trouble, are we?
Max isn’t in the houseis heMax isn’t in the house, is he?
The office isn’t locked todayis itThe 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’ tagExample 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 tagExample 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 tagExample 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 tagExample 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?