Look at these examples to see how question tags are used.
You haven't seen this film, have you?
Your sister lives in Spain, doesn't she?
He can't drive, can he?
Try this exercise to test your grammar.
- Grammar test 1
Read the explanation to learn more.
Grammar explanation
We can add question tags like isn't it?, can you? or didn't they? to a statement to make it into a question. Question tags are more common in speaking than writing.
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?
If the statement is negative, we use a positive question tag.
He isn't here, is he?
The trains are never on time, are they?
Nobody has called for me, have they?
If we are sure or almost sure that the listener will confirm that our statement is correct, we say the question tag with a falling intonation. If we are a bit less sure, we say the question tag with a rising intonation.
Formation
If there is an auxiliary verb in the statement, we use it to form the question tag.
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?
... the verb in the statement is a modal verb. Here we use the modal verb to make the question tag:
They could hear me, couldn't they?
You won't tell anyone, will you?
If the main verb or auxiliary verb in the statement is am, the positive question tag is am I? but the negative question tag is usually aren't I?:
I'm never on time, am I?
I'm going to get an email with the details, aren't I?
Do this exercise to test your grammar again.
- Grammar test 2
Hello bjn92band23,
Could you please explain this a bit more? I'm not sure I understand what the question is, as both forms are grammatical.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Karan Narang,
It is correct to use aren't I as the question tag like this. The reason we use this, I think, is that it is very hard to pronounce amn't I and so the form has shifted over time to one which is easier to say. Interestingly, if you do not use the contraction then am is still the correct form:
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Alain Gustave,
You could use either weren't there or were there as a tag here.
The difference is that weren't there indicates that the speaker expects confirmation. In a sense, it is not a real question but rather a rhetorical device. By contrast, were there shows that the speaker is either surprised and is asking if the information is really true, or else is not sure and wants to get an answer.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello abymonly,
The correct form here is shall we.
When the verb form in the main clause is let's, the tag is formed with shall not shan't.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello again abymonly,
Yes, that's correct:
However, note that the use of shall we as a tag is generally quite unusual. It's grammatically possible, but it is disappearing from English slowly and can sound very formal or old-fashioned.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team