Tag Questions

TAG QUESTIONS

What are they?

We often use question tags when we expect the listener to agree with our statement. In this case, when the statement is positive, we use a negative question tag.

She's a doctor, isn't she?
Yesterday was so much fun, wasn't it?

​Example

He isn't here, is he?
The trains are never on time, are they?
Nobody has called for me, have they?

​If the statement is negative, we use a positive question tag.

If there is an auxiliary verb in the statement, we use it to form the question tag.

Examples

I don't need to finish this today, do I?
James is working on that, isn't he?
Your parents have retired, haven't they?
The phone didn't ring, did it?
It was raining that day, wasn't it?
Your mum hadn't met him before, had she?

Sometimes there is no auxiliary verb already in the statement. For example, when:

... the verb in the statement is present simple or past simple and is positive. Here we use don't, doesn't or didn't:

Jenni eats cheese, doesn't she?
I said that already, didn't I? 

​the verb in the statement is to be in the present simple or past simple. In this case we use to be to make the question tag:

The bus stop's over there, isn't it?
None of those customers were happy, were they?

Multiple Choice

He is a good skater, ...?

• is he

• isn't he

• are he

• aren't he

Multiple Choice

My sisters aren't pupils yet, ...?

• are they
• are we
  are my sisters
• aren't they
• are we

Multiple Choice

We were at the theatre yesterday, ...?

• were we
• weren't they
• weren't we
• wasn't we

Multiple Choice

I am fond of reading books, ...?

• aren't I
• amn't I
• am I
• are I

Multiple Choice

Our classmates are wonderful sportsmen, ...?

• aren't we
• aren't they
• are we
• are they

Multiple Choice

She was fond of listening to music, ...?

• is she
• was she
• wasn't she
• weren't she

Multiple Choice

There is a fine collection of bridges, ...?

• isn't there
• is there
• isn't they
• is they

Multiple Choice

There were a lot of kittens in the box, ...?

• were they
• were there
• weren't there
• were them

Multiple Choice

There are three rabbits in the garden, ...?

• aren't there
• are there
• are they
• aren't they

Multiple Choice

I am at the cinema now, ...?

• am not I
• aren't I
• am I
• are I