English Grammar: Question Tags

• Question tags are short questions added to the end of statements.
• Predominantly used in spoken English, they serve to either confirm information or prompt a response from the listener.
• The structure is: statement, comma, question tag.

Basic Rules

• Positive statements are coupled with negative question tags.
  • For example: "You are coming, aren't you?"
• Negative statements are coupled with positive question tags.
  • For example: "You aren't coming, are you?"
• The question tag should repeat the auxiliary verb used in the main statement; if no auxiliary verb (is, are, was, were, have, has, had, do, does, did, will, would, can, could, should, might, must, etc.) is present, use a form of "do" (do/does/did).
  • For example: "She can swim, can't she?"
  • For example: "They went to the park, didn't they?"
• The pronoun in the question tag has to match the subject of the main clause.
  • For example: "John is here, isn't he?"
  • For example: "The books are on the table, aren't they?"

Auxiliary Verbs

• Auxiliary verbs (or helping verbs) are necessary when forming correct question tags.
• Common auxiliary verbs include: be (am, is, are, was, were), have (has, have, had), do (does, did), and modal verbs (can, could, will, would, shall, should, may, might, must).
• When a statement includes an auxiliary verb, this should be repeated in the question tag.
  • For example: "You have finished your work, haven't you?"
• If a statement does not include an auxiliary verb, utilize "do," "does," or "did," aligning with the tense of the main verb.
  • Present simple: He likes coffee, doesn't he?
  • Past simple: They lived here, didn't they?

Special Cases

• For "I am," the appropriate question tag is "aren't I?"
  • For example: "I am right, aren't I?"
• The construction "used to" takes "didn't" in the tag.
  • For example: "He used to smoke, didn't he?"
• Imperative sentences (commands) typically use "will you?" or "won't you?" as the question tag.
  • For example: "Open the door, will you?"
  • For example: "Don't forget, will you?"
• Following "let's," the correct question tag is "shall we?".
  • For example: "Let's go to the beach, shall we?"
• When using "there is/are," the question tag uses "there."
  • For example: "There is a problem, isn't there?"
  • For example: "There are many options, aren't there?"
• Words like "nobody," "no one," "everybody," "everyone," "somebody," and "someone" require "they" in the question tag.
  • For example: "Nobody called, did they?"
  • For example: "Everyone is ready, aren't they?"
• Statements featuring words such as "hardly," "scarcely," "barely," "never," and "rarely" are treated as negative.
  • For example: "He hardly ever speaks, does he?"
  • For example: "They rarely complain, do they?"
• Collective nouns (e.g., team, family) may be treated as either singular or plural; this depends on whether you’re referring to the group as a unit or its individual members; the question tag should match.
  • For example (group as a whole): "The team is playing well, isn't it?"
  • For example (individual members): "The team are playing well, aren't they?" (less common)

Intonation

• A rising intonation within the question tag turns it into a genuine inquiry.
• Conversely, a falling intonation suggests the speaker anticipates agreement rather than posing a true question.

Examples Summation

• Positive statement, negative tag: "She is a doctor, isn't she?"
• Negative statement, positive tag: "He isn't coming, is he?"
• Using 'do' for present simple: "You like chocolate, don't you?"
• Using 'did' for past simple: "They went home, didn't they?"
• With modal verbs: "You can swim, can't you?"
• Special case 'I am': "I am late, aren't I?"
• Imperative: "Close the window, will you?"
• Let's: "Let's dance, shall we?"
• There is/are: "There is a cat, isn't there?"
• Indefinite pronouns: "Everyone is here, aren't they?"
• Negative adverbs: "He never smiles, does he?"