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“Lovely weather, isn’t it?” — if you have ever heard British people chatting, you will know that question tags are everywhere. These little phrases tacked onto the end of a sentence make speech sound natural, friendly and conversational. But they are also one of the trickiest grammar points to get exactly right.
A question tag (or tag question) is a short question added to the end of a statement, usually to invite agreement or check information: You’re from Spain, aren’t you? The good news is that they follow a clear set of rules, with a handful of special cases. This guide covers every one of them, plus the all-important matter of intonation.
Key Takeaways
- The basic rule is reversed polarity: positive statement → negative tag; negative statement → positive tag.
- The tag repeats the auxiliary or modal verb from the statement, plus a matching pronoun.
- Special cases to memorise: I am → aren’t I, Let’s → shall we, imperatives → will you / won’t you.
- Rising intonation = a real question; falling intonation = seeking agreement.
- Words like everyone take they; this/that and nothing take it.
The Basic Rule: Reversed Polarity
Every standard question tag follows one core principle: the polarity of the tag is the opposite of the statement. A positive statement takes a negative tag, and a negative statement takes a positive tag.
You are tired, aren’t you? (positive statement → negative tag)
She doesn’t smoke, does she? (negative statement → positive tag)
They have finished, haven’t they?
The tag always contains two parts: an auxiliary or modal verb and a pronoun that refers back to the subject. In most cases the tag verb is negative and contracted (isn’t, doesn’t, won’t).
Matching the Auxiliary or Modal
To build the tag, look at the verb in the statement and reuse the same auxiliary or modal. If there is no auxiliary, use the correct form of do / does / did.
| Statement contains | Tag uses | Example |
|---|---|---|
| be (is/are/was) | same form of be | He is here, isn’t he? |
| have (perfect) | have / has / had | You’ve seen it, haven’t you? |
| a modal (can, will, should…) | the same modal | She can swim, can’t she? |
| no auxiliary (present/past simple) | do / does / did | You like tea, don’t you? |
The tag always uses a pronoun (he, she, it, they, we…), never the full noun. The film was good, wasn’t it? — not “wasn’t the film?”.
Special Cases You Must Memorise
A small group of tags break the normal pattern. These cause more mistakes than anything else, so it is worth learning them by heart.
The seven tags that don’t follow the rule
| Statement | Tag | Why |
|---|---|---|
| I am late | aren’t I? | There is no contraction “amn’t” |
| Let’s go | shall we? | It is a suggestion, not a statement |
| Open the door (imperative) | will you? / won’t you? | Requests and invitations |
| Don’t forget (negative imperative) | will you? | Always positive will you |
| There is a problem | isn’t there? | there is repeated, not a pronoun |
| This/That is yours | isn’t it? | this/that → it |
| Everyone agrees | don’t they? | indefinite people → they |
“I am” → “aren’t I?”
Because English has no contraction for am not, we use aren’t I? as the standard tag: I’m next, aren’t I? The very formal alternative is am I not?, but in everyday British English aren’t I? is correct.
“Let’s” → “shall we?”
When a sentence begins with Let’s (a suggestion that includes the speaker), the tag is always shall we?: Let’s take a break, shall we?
Imperatives → “will you? / won’t you?”
Commands and requests take will you?, won’t you?, would you? or can you?. A polite invitation often uses won’t you? (Have a seat, won’t you?), while a firmer request uses will you? (Be quiet, will you?). Negative imperatives keep will you?: Don’t be late, will you?
“There is”, “this/that”, and indefinite words
With there is / there are, the word there is repeated in the tag: There’s milk left, isn’t there? The demonstratives this and that become it: That’s your bag, isn’t it? Indefinite pronouns for people (everyone, somebody, no one) take they: Somebody called, didn’t they? Indefinite pronouns for things, and the words nothing / everything, take it: Nothing happened, did it?
Nobody and nothing are already negative words, so they need a positive tag: Nobody phoned, did they? — not “didn’t they?”.
Rising vs Falling Intonation
Here is the part many textbooks skip: the tune of your voice on the tag completely changes the meaning. The words are identical, but the message is not.
Falling intonation ↓
- The voice goes down on the tag
- You are seeking agreement, not information
- You already expect the answer to be “yes”
- “Lovely day, isn’t it?” (you both know it is)
Rising intonation ↑
- The voice goes up on the tag
- It is a genuine question
- You are unsure and really want an answer
- “You locked the door, didn’t you?” (I’m not certain)
So You’re coming tonight, aren’t you? with a falling tone simply confirms a plan you both assume is true. The same sentence with a rising tone shows real doubt — you genuinely want to know whether they will turn up. Mastering this difference is what makes question tags sound natural rather than mechanical.
Same-Way Tags & Common Mistakes
Occasionally you will hear a same-way tag, where a positive statement is followed by a positive tag: So you’re the new teacher, are you? These break the reversed-polarity rule on purpose and carry extra meaning — interest, surprise, suspicion, or a slightly challenging tone. They are useful in conversation but should be avoided in formal exams, where examiners expect standard reversed tags.
Below are the errors that appear most often. Watch for them in your own speaking and writing.
You’re ready, are you? → meant as a normal check: You’re ready, aren’t you?
She can drive, doesn’t she? → match the modal: She can drive, can’t she?
I’m right, amn’t I? → I’m right, aren’t I?
Nothing’s broken, isn’t it? → Nothing’s broken, is it?
Let’s start, will we? → Let’s start, shall we?
Practise Question Tags
Test yourself with gap-fill exercises and get instant feedback on every answer.
Complete the SentenceExercises to Practise on LexFizz
- Complete the Sentence — add the correct question tag to each statement
- Cloze Dropdown — choose the right tag from a dropdown menu
- True or False — decide whether a tag matches its statement
- Quiz — multiple-choice questions on tags and special cases
- Flash Cards — review the seven special-case tags with spaced repetition
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Frequently Asked Questions
A question tag (also called a tag question) is a short question added to the end of a statement to invite a response or confirm information, such as isn’t it? or don’t you? For example: You’re coming, aren’t you? The tag repeats the auxiliary or modal verb from the main clause along with a pronoun. Tags are extremely common in spoken British English and make statements sound friendlier or more conversational.
The basic rule is reversed polarity: a positive statement takes a negative tag, and a negative statement takes a positive tag. Use the same auxiliary or modal verb as the main clause, plus a matching pronoun. For example: She is here, isn’t she? (positive + negative) and They aren’t ready, are they? (negative + positive). If the statement has no auxiliary, use the correct form of do: You like tea, don’t you?
There is no standard contraction for am not in English, so “amn’t” is avoided in most varieties. The accepted negative tag for I am is therefore aren’t I?: I’m late, aren’t I? This is the standard form in British and American English. In very formal writing you might see am I not?, but in everyday speech aren’t I? is the natural choice.
The question tag for a Let’s sentence is shall we?: Let’s go to the park, shall we? This is a fixed special case because Let’s is a suggestion that includes the speaker, and shall we? invites agreement to the proposal. It does not follow the normal auxiliary-matching rule.
Imperatives usually take will you?, won’t you?, would you? or can you?. Polite invitations often use won’t you?: Sit down, won’t you? Requests and orders use will you? or can you?: Open the window, will you? Negative imperatives take will you?: Don’t be late, will you? The exact choice changes the tone from polite to insistent.
Rising intonation (the voice goes up) signals a genuine question: the speaker is unsure and really wants an answer, as in You locked the door, didn’t you? (rising = I’m not certain). Falling intonation (the voice goes down) signals that the speaker expects agreement and is simply seeking confirmation, as in Lovely day, isn’t it? (falling = I know you’ll agree). The grammar is identical; only the meaning changes with the tune.
A same-way tag uses a positive statement with a positive tag (or, less often, negative with negative): So you’re the new manager, are you? These break the normal reversed-polarity rule and carry special meaning — often interest, surprise, suspicion, or a slightly challenging or sarcastic tone. They are common in informal speech but should be avoided in formal exams, where reversed-polarity tags are expected.
With there is and there are, the word there is repeated in the tag instead of a pronoun: There is a problem, isn’t there? and There aren’t any tickets left, are there? This is unusual because there is not a true subject pronoun, but it behaves like one in the tag. Keep the same form of be and reverse the polarity.
Indefinite pronouns for people (everyone, somebody, no one, nobody) take they in the tag: Everyone passed, didn’t they? Indefinite pronouns for things (everything, something, nothing) take it: Nothing happened, did it? Note that nobody and nothing are already negative, so they take a positive tag: Nobody called, did they?
Common errors include: forgetting to reverse the polarity (You’re tired, are you? when aren’t you? is meant); mismatching the auxiliary (She can swim, doesn’t she? instead of can’t she?); using amn’t I? instead of aren’t I?; treating nobody/nothing as positive and adding a negative tag; and ignoring the special cases for Let’s, imperatives and there is. Practising with gap-fill exercises helps these become automatic.
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