Question tags are asked in almost every Lok Sewa English paper, usually as one-mark objective questions where you must choose the correct tag. The rules are short but the special cases (I am, Let’s, imperatives, nobody, hardly, used to and so on) catch many candidates. This note explains the basic rules, the tags for each tense, and every special case with examples.
1. What is a question tag?
A question tag (tag question) is a short question added at the end of a statement. It is used to check information or to ask the listener to agree. Example: You are a student, aren’t you? The statement is ‘You are a student’ and the tag is ‘aren’t you?’
A tag is made of two parts only: an auxiliary (helping) verb and a subject pronoun. A comma is placed before the tag and a question mark at the end.
2. The four basic rules
- Positive statement, negative tag: He is honest, isn’t he?
- Negative statement, positive tag: He is not honest, is he?
- Use the same auxiliary that is in the statement: She can swim, can’t she? They have finished, haven’t they?
- Use a pronoun, never a noun, in the tag: Ram is tall, isn’t he? The book is old, isn’t it?
- The negative tag is always contracted: isn’t, aren’t, don’t, won’t, can’t, (not ‘is not he’).
- The tense of the tag must match the tense of the statement.
3. Tags with auxiliary verbs
| Statement (auxiliary) | Question tag |
|---|---|
| She is reading. | isn’t she? |
| They were late. | weren’t they? |
| You have seen it. | haven’t you? |
| He had left. | hadn’t he? |
| She will come. | won’t she? |
| We shall win. | shan’t we? |
| He can drive. | can’t he? |
| You could help. | couldn’t you? |
| You should rest. | shouldn’t you? |
| He must go. | mustn’t he? |
| They would agree. | wouldn’t they? |
| He won’t come. | will he? |
| She can’t swim. | can she? |
4. Tags when there is no auxiliary: do, does, did
When the statement is in the simple present or simple past and has no helping verb, use do, does or did in the tag.
| Statement | Tag | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| You like tea. | don’t you? | Simple present with I, we, you, they |
| She works here. | doesn’t she? | Simple present with he, she, it |
| They went home. | didn’t they? | Simple past |
| He didn’t call. | did he? | Negative past, so positive tag |
| He has to go. | doesn’t he? | ‘Has to’ is not an auxiliary here |
| He used to smoke. | didn’t he? | ‘Used to’ takes did |
When have is a main verb meaning ‘possess’, modern usage takes do: He has a car, doesn’t he? With have got, use have: He has got a car, hasn’t he?
5. Special cases you must remember
| Statement | Correct tag |
|---|---|
| I am right. | aren’t I? (not ‘amn’t I’) |
| I am not late. | am I? |
| Let’s go for a walk. | shall we? |
| Let me help you. / Let him go. | will you? |
| Open the window. (request or order) | will you? / won’t you? / would you? / can you? |
| Don’t make a noise. (negative imperative) | will you? |
| There is a bank nearby. | isn’t there? |
| There are no chairs. | are there? |
| This is your bag. / That is his car. | isn’t it? |
| These are yours. / Those are new. | aren’t they? |
| Everybody came. / Someone called. | didn’t they? |
| Nothing happened. / Everything is ready. | did it? / isn’t it? |
| You had better leave. | hadn’t you? |
| He would rather stay. | wouldn’t he? |
| He ought to work hard. | shouldn’t he? (oughtn’t he?) |
| One should be honest. | shouldn’t one? |
| What a lovely day it is! | isn’t it? |
Note: Let’s (let us = a suggestion including the speaker) takes shall we?, but Let us meaning ‘allow us’ takes will you?: Let us go out, will you? (asking permission).
6. Negative words take a positive tag
Words such as never, no, none, nobody, no one, nothing, hardly, scarcely, barely, seldom, rarely, few and little make the statement negative in meaning, so the tag is positive.
- He never tells a lie, does he?
- She hardly ever comes here, does she?
- Nobody came to the party, did they?
- Nothing was wrong, was it?
- Few people knew him, did they? (but: A few people knew him, didn’t they?)
- There is little water in the jug, is there? (but: There is a little water, isn’t there?)
- Neither of them was present, were they?
Remember: ‘few’ and ‘little’ are negative, but ‘a few’ and ‘a little’ are positive.
7. Tags in complex sentences
- Normally the tag follows the main clause: She said that she was tired, didn’t she?
- When the main clause is I think, I believe, I suppose, I feel, the tag follows the subordinate clause: I think he is right, isn’t he?
- If the subject is not ‘I’, the tag follows the main clause: He thinks she is right, doesn’t he?
- I don’t think he will come, will he? (the negative is in ‘I don’t think’, so the tag is positive)
8. Intonation and common mistakes
A tag said with a falling tone means the speaker is sure and expects agreement. A tag said with a rising tone is a real question. Common mistakes in exams:
- Using a noun in the tag: Sita is kind, isn’t Sita? (wrong) → isn’t she? (right)
- Using ‘amn’t I’: I am late, aren’t I? is correct.
- Forgetting the tense: They were busy, weren’t they? (not aren’t they)
- Giving a negative tag after never or hardly: He seldom smiles, does he? (not doesn’t he)
9. Practice: statements and their tags
Read each sentence aloud with its tag. Saying them many times is the fastest way to remember the patterns before the exam.
| Statement | Tag | Rule used |
|---|---|---|
| Hari is from Butwal. | isn’t he? | Same auxiliary ‘is’, pronoun ‘he’ |
| You haven’t eaten yet. | have you? | Negative statement, positive tag |
| The children are sleeping. | aren’t they? | Plural noun becomes ‘they’ |
| She rarely visits us. | does she? | ‘Rarely’ is negative |
| Let’s start the meeting. | shall we? | Let’s takes ‘shall we’ |
| Bring me a glass of water. | will you? | Imperative takes ‘will you’ |
| I am not wrong. | am I? | ‘I am not’ takes ‘am I’ |
| Something is wrong. | isn’t it? | ‘Something’ becomes ‘it’ |
| No one knew the answer. | did they? | ‘No one’ is negative and becomes ‘they’ |
| He must pay the fine. | mustn’t he? | Same modal ‘must’ |
| We need more time. | don’t we? | ‘Need’ as a main verb takes do |
| She would rather walk. | wouldn’t she? | ‘Would rather’ takes ‘wouldn’t’ |
📌 Key points to remember
- Positive statement takes a negative tag; negative statement takes a positive tag.
- Use the same auxiliary and a subject pronoun; use do, does or did if there is no auxiliary.
- I am → aren’t I?; I am not → am I?
- Let’s → shall we?; Let me, let him and imperatives → will you?
- Don’t + verb (negative imperative) → will you?
- There is → isn’t there?; this/that → it; these/those → they.
- Everybody, somebody, nobody → they; everything, nothing → it.
- Never, hardly, seldom, nobody, few, little take a positive tag; a few and a little take a negative tag.
- Used to → didn’t; had better → hadn’t; would rather → wouldn’t; I think + clause → tag follows the clause.
Test yourself: Question Tags
Practise What is a question tag?, Special cases you must remember and Practice: statements and their tags with 20 questions.