Question tags are used to:
- verify whether or not something is true
- urge the person we are speaking to to respond
The auxiliary or modal word from the sentence and the right subject are put together to make a question tag.
Question tags are formed with the auxiliary verb (do/did/have/had) or the modal verb from the statement that is combined with an appropriate pronoun. There are two types of question tags: positive question tags and negative question tags.
Positive question tags:
A positive statement is followed by a negative question tag.
You are hungry, AREN'T you?
He speaks French, DOESN'T he?
They can swim, CAN'T they?
Negative question tags:
A negative statement is followed by a positive question tag.
Mark didn't do it, DID he?
You won't talk to her, WILL you?
Nina and Mary couldn't have stolen the money, COULD they?
How do I know which question tag to use?
1. Identify whether the sentence is positive or negative.
2. Identify the tense in which the sentence was written/spoken.
3. Identify the auxiliary verb that is normally associated with the tense of the sentence. It is usually used in the sentence but in some cases, it is not there. That is why you have to understand how sentences are created in English in every tense.
4. Use the auxiliary verb or the modal verb to create a question tag. Don't forget to add not if the sentence is positive.
5. When the statement contains a word with a negative meaning (rarely, hardly, barely, nothing, seldom, etc.) the question tag has to be positive.
It hardly rains here, DOES it?
6. A subject pronoun comes after the verb and it replaces a name used in the statement.
Ana has got a beautiful house, hasn't SHE?
Exceptions:
I am
I am cool, AREN'T I?
There is/There are
There is no cloud in the sky, IS THERE?
There are many people in the center today, AREN'T THERE?
This is/That is
This is Martin's car, ISN'T IT?
That isn't his house, IS IT?
Let's
Let's go out tonight, SHALL WE?
Have got
They have got two dogs, HAVEN'T THEY?
Positive imperative
Stop doing it, WILL YOU/WON'T YOU?
Negative imperative
Don't do it, WILL YOU?
Example:
You are so happy, AREN'T YOU?
You aren't at the office right now, ARE YOU?
Martha is quite intelligent, ISN'T SHE?
Martha isn't that charming, IS SHE?
He was Polish, WASN'T HE?
He wasn't that good, WAS HE?
John and Mark were incredible, WEREN'T THEY?
John and Mark weren't there, WERE THEY?
You will visit her, WON'T YOU?
You won't talk to him ever again, WILL YOU?
They are going to do it, AREN'T THEY?
They aren't going to the bar, ARE THEY?
It barks loudly, DOESN'T IT?
It doesn't rain much here, DOES IT?
He knows our secret, DOESN'T HE?
He doesn't know how to ride a horse, DOES HE?
You read very little, DON'T YOU?
You don't speak much, DO YOU?
Mary has already told you the news, HASN'T SHE?
Mary hasn't cooked the meal yet, HAS SHE?
They have sold the house, HAVEN'T THEY?
They haven't repaired their window, HAVE THEY?
He has been renovating his flat for a month, HASN'T HE?
He hasn't been eating much lately, HAS HE?
Martin and his father have been building their family business for decades now, HAVEN'T THEY?
Martin and his father haven't been investing much lately, HAVE THEY?
She married that year, DIDN'T SHE?
She didn't dig a well by herself, DID SHE?
They had robbed the bank before the police arrived, HADN'T THEY?
They hadn't called her, HAD THEY?
Joshua and Jill had been fighting for months, HADN'T THEY?
Joshua and Jill hadn't been painting their house, HAD THEY?
You can write emails very well, CAN'T YOU?
You can't create online content, CAN YOU?
They could meet us tomorrow, COULDN'T THEY?
They couldn't swim, COULD THEY?
You must study more, MUSTN'T YOU?
You mustn't spend more money, MUST YOU?
Isabel should pass the exam with flying colors, SHOULDN'T SHE?
Isabel shouldn't drive so quickly, SHOULD SHE?
He would like to get a promotion, WOULDN'T HE?
He wouldn't like to meet her, WOULD HE?