Question Tags

In this blog, we have compiled all the important rules with their examples to help you understand the concept of Question Tag. We hope the post will be helpful for you.  Questions Tags (or tag questions) turn a statement into a question.

A question tag is a special construction in English. It is a very short clause that changes the statement into a question. We use question tags to ask for confirmation or certainty. They mean something like: “Is that right? Or “ Do you agree? They are more common in speaking than writing.

For example- He will play, won’t he?

You want to speak English, don’t you?

Note: Question Tags का प्रयोग सिर्फ spoken English या Informal writing में होता है। Formal writing में इसका प्रयोग नहीं किया जाता।

है न / है कि नहीं ? ( Question Tag की हिन्दी)

You are coming, aren’t you?

You are not coming, are you?

Form-

• If a sentence is positive, Tag is negative.
• If a sentence is negative, Tag is positive.

A positive statement + a negative question tag

A negative statement + a positive question tag

Basic Points to Remember for Question Tags-

      1. The sentence and the question tag will be in the same tense.

      2. Tag questions are made using an auxiliary verb ( for example- be or have/has) and a subject pronoun ( for  example-I, you, she, he, they, it )        

       3. The pronoun is always used in the question tag (according to the subject). We can’t use a noun to make a ‘question tag’.

       4. In negative question tags, we use the contracted form of the helping verb and not.

It’s hot today, isn’t it?    (is not it- it would be wrong)                                                                                                                            Am not- aren’t

Will not- won’t

Shall not- shan’t

       5. In affirmative sentences, the tag question will be negative.

A good student always works hard, doesn’t he?

       6. In a negative sentence, the tag question will be positive.

All the children were not present, were they?

When the verb in the main sentence is in simple present, we form the question tag with do/does.

1^st form -do

1^st form + s/es- does

2^nd form- did

Examples:

You play cricket, don’t you?

Her mother goes to temple daily, doesn’t she?

You don’t take sugar in tea, do you?

You don’t need to finish this today, do you?

Jenni eats cheese, doesn’t she?

Rahul doesn’t play cricket, does he?

This dog bites, doesn’t it?

People like to have more money, don’t they?

If the verb is in the simple past, we use ‘did’ in Question Tags.

The phone didn’t ring, did it?

He studied in London, didn’t he?

They went for a walk, didn’t they?

He went to the market, didn’t he?

You all watched TV during the night, didn’t you?

My mother cooked food, didn’t she?

Note1: ‘Have to’ is considered simple present and ‘had to’ is considered simple past.

You have to wear glasses, don’t you?

They had to borrow some money to buy a new house, didn’t they?

They didn’t have to sleep early, did they?

Note 2 -अगर has ,have या had sentence में main verb का काम करे तो question tag do, does या did से बनेगा। अगर Auxiliary verb का काम करे तो इन्हीं से Question Tag बनेगा।

I have a car, don’t I? √√√

I have a car, haven’t I? ×××

He had a pen, didn’t he?

(had-main verb)

He had money to buy that car, didn’t he?

He has a beautiful wife, doesn’t he?

He has a new dress, doesn’t he?

He has got a new dress, hasn’t he?

He has been doing his work, hasn’t he?

He has a toy, doesn’t he?

Your parents have retired, haven’t they?

Meena has not come late today, has she?

He’s been to India twice, hasn’t he?

Modals-Sentences having modal auxiliary verbs in Question Tags.

He used to work hard, didn’t he?

He must work hard, mustn’t he?

Something can be done for him, can’t it?

A student must be regular in his studies, mustn’t he?

Everybody should wear a seat belt while driving, shouldn’t they?

Water animals can breathe underwater, can’t they?

I’d like to go home, wouldn’t I?

I’d done the work, hadn’t I?

They needn’t worry, need they?

He shouldn’t do it, should he?

Everybody cannot be clever, can they?

We shall wait for you there, shan’t we?

Ravi won’t go to school, will he?

When we use a ‘there+ be’ combination in a sentence, the pronoun in the Questions Tag is ‘there’.

There won’t be any trouble, will there?

There isn’t a school next to the temple, is there?

There is no child in the classroom, is there?

There is a bus to Shimla every hour, isn’t there?

Note: aren’t के स्थान पर ‘ain’t’ का प्रयोग किया जा सकता है परन्तु अब यह अप्रचलित ( obsolete) हो गया है इसलिए aren’t का प्रयोग करना बेहतर है।

Note- 1. There is no contracted form of ‘am not’. So, in question tags “aren’t” is used.

2. Ain’t has become obsolete/old-fashioned but it is still used in spoken English.

E.g.-I am a teacher, am not I ? ×××

I am a teacher, aren’t I?

I am not a teacher, am I?

I am not busy, am I?

I am a little late today, aren’t I?

I am confident, aren’t I?

Rule 1.- In English grammar, objects without life are often personified as if they were living beings. We then regard them as males or females.

•  The feminine gender is often applied to objects remarkable for beauty, gentleness, and gracefulness such as Moon, Earth, Spring, Autumn, Nature, Motherland, Country, River, Train, and Ship….
• These are treated as feminine gender. In the question tag, the pronoun will be ‘she’.
•  The masculine gender is often applied to objects remarkable for strength and violence such as sun, summer, winter, time, death

According to this rule, the sun is masculine.

So, The sun is shining today, isn’t he?

India has never attacked any country, has she?

The Titanic was thought to be unsinkable, wasn’t she?

The moon shines at night, doesn’t she?

Rule 2. Never, no, not, rarely, hardly, barely, scarcely, seldom, no one, nobody, none, nothing, few, little, etc. – These are negative words, so the question tag is always positive.

He hardly does his duties, does he?

He hardly came here, did he?

My son never stands still, does he?

I have no friends, do I?

No one knows this matter, do they?

You seldom take tea, do you?

Barking dogs seldom bite, do they?

Little-negative/ negligible

A little – positive ( at least something)

The little- positive ( remaining/ left)

( Same case in few)

He needs little money, does he?

(Little-negative word)

The little milk left in the bottle turned sour, didn’t it?

(The little-positive word)

Few people were present, were they?

(Few-negative word)

We have never seen that, have we?

Rakhi hardly has a new dress, does she?

No one wants to die, do they?

None of your friends has arrived yet, have they?

Rule 3. Each, Everybody, Somebody, Nobody, Anybody, Everyone, Someone, No one- These words are singular(Singular Indefinite Pronoun), So we use a singular verb and singular pronoun with them but in the question tag, we always use a plural verb and a plural pronoun. 

Anybody can defeat him, can’t they?

Everybody knows me, don’t they?

No one could do it, could they?

Each of the students has been well in the examination, haven’t they?

Nobody is perfect, are they?

Everybody is perfect, aren’t they?

Nobody (person) is present, are they?

Nothing (thing) is present, is it?

Somebody(person) stole the book, didn’t they?

Something( thing) went wrong, didn’t it?

Everybody is present, aren’t they?

Everything is perfect, isn’t it?

You and I often go home late, don’t we?

Rule 4. Imperative Sentences

Let us first know about imperative sentences. Then, we will discuss the ‘Question tag’ for imperative sentences.

An imperative sentence is a sentence that expresses an order, a request, or a piece of advice.

Its structure is ‘ verb+ extension’

Do it at once. (order)

After positive imperatives, we use ‘will you, ‘won’t you. ‘can you, ‘could you, ‘can’t you, etc. For the negative imperatives, we only use ‘will you’ in question tags.

Open the door, will you/won’t you, can you, could you, etc.

Don’t play with him, will you?

Don’t make a noise, will you?

Don’t run in the sun, will you?

Kindly take a seat, will you?

Please give me the documents, won’t you?

Switch on the radio, will you?

Don’t be late tomorrow, will you?

Give the book, will you?

Do it now, will you?

Please wait a bit, won’t you?

Open the door, will you/won’t you? (Both can be used in positive imperative sentences.)

Give me a hand, will you?

Generally, for affirmative imperative sentences, we use ‘ will you’ or ‘won’t you’ in the question tag.

कभी कभी question tag में would का भी  use किया जाता है जब हम किसी से polite request करते है।

Have a cup of coffee, would you?

( जब थोड़ा डांटने का भाव हो)

Use your own mind, can’t you?

Use your own book, can’t you?

 

Rule 5. If the imperative sentence starts with ‘Don’t ‘, we can use only ‘will you’ to form a ‘Questions Tag’.

Don’t touch the wire, will you?

Don’t litter here, will you?

Don’t make a noise,  will you?

Don’t run in the sun, will you?

Don’t let it happen again, will you?

Rule 6. If a statement starts with let’s ( Let’s=let us) in the imperative sentence then we use ‘ Shall we?’ in the question tag.

Let us go for a movie, shall we?
Let us help her to complete the work, shall we?

Let us go to meet her, shall we?

Let’s go out for a walk, shall we?

Let’s help the flood-affected people, shall we?

Let’s sit in the garden, shall we?

Rule 7. For imperative sentences beginning with let but not followed by ‘us’, the question tag will be ‘will you?’

After ‘Let him/them/me’ in the imperative sentence, we use ‘will you?’ in the question tag.

Let Madhu go, will you?

Let them do their homework, will you?

Let him do it, will you?

Let me do it, will you?

Let the boy tell it, will you?

Let me do this work, will you?

Let’s read the Geeta, shall we?

Let’s dance together, shall we?

Rule 8. Questions Tags of complex sentences-

A sentence having one principal clause and one or more subordinate clauses is called a complex sentence.

E.g.-       I know that he will come.

 (Principal clause)     (subordinate clause)

Now, we see the question tag in a complex sentence.

Generally, the question tag is formed on the principal clause/main clause. That is, the question tag is not formed on the subordinate clause.

Wait here, until I come back.

(P.C.)           ( S.C.)

Wait here, until I come back, will you?

When he went at home, he had known everything, hadn’t he?

You’ll tell me if she calls, won’t you?

Some introductory phrases such as I am afraid,   I hope, I think, I believe, I am sure, I suspect, I suppose, It appears that, It seems that, As far as I remember, As far as I can see, I know, I wish, etc. don’t affect the question, except for the transfer of negation.

I suppose you are kidding me, aren’t you?

I think my kids returned home, didn’t they?

I don’t suppose you are serious, are you?

I know that he is a talented man, isn’t he?

I wish that John will do well in the exam, won’t he?

I hope you will do better in life, won’t you?

Rule 9. For sentences having nothing, anything, everything, or something as the subject, the question tag will have ‘it’ as the pronoun.

Everything has gone bad today, hasn’t it?

Everything is clear, isn’t it?

Nothing can revive this worse situation, can it?

If any sentence has ‘used to’ in it then the question tag will be made using  “didn’t”.

He used to play the Casio very well, didn’t he?

Rule 10. In exclamatory sentences- the question tag will contain the auxiliary verb.

 How beautiful the garden is, isn’t it?

How big the slide is, isn’t it?

How nicely the bird sings, isn’t it?

Rule 11. Collective nouns are used in singular forms so the question tag will have a singular verb and a singular pronoun.

The class has selected its monitor, hasn’t it?

The team has played very well, hasn’t it?

If the collective noun is not treated as one unit, we use the plural verb and the plural pronoun.

 The team have to arrange for their own shoes, haven’t they?

 Rule 12. The sentence starts with this, that, these, those 

When the subject of the statement is ‘this/that’, the pronoun in the tag is ‘it’. The pronoun ‘They’ is used for their plural forms-these and those.

These/Those-They

This/That-It

These are mine, aren’t they?

This is an expensive mobile, isn’t it?

Those are very naughty children, aren’t they?

That wasn’t mine, was it?

This is my book, isn’t it? √√√

This is my book, isn’t this? ×××

This is my car, isn’t it?

That boy is stupid, isn’t he?

Those are yours, aren’t they?

How do we answer a question tag?

Often, we just say ‘ Yes or No’.

Sometimes, we may repeat the tag and reverse it.

They don’t live here, do they?

Ans. Yes, they do.

We are leaving at 3:00, aren’t we?

Ans. Yes, we are.

The moon goes round the earth, doesn’t it?

Ans. Yes, it does.

To give the full answer, you use the same auxiliary or modal verb that was used in the question.

I hope guys you like this article on Question Tags.

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