Question Tags Grammar Quiz
12 multiple-choice questions on English question tags: positive statements with negative tags, negative statements with positive tags, and tricky cases such as 'aren't I?', imperatives and 'let's'. B1–B2 level.
Keep building your grasp of question tags.
Question Tags — FAQ
A question tag is a short question added to the end of a statement, usually to ask for agreement or to confirm something. For example: 'You're coming, aren't you?' and 'She doesn't smoke, does she?'. The tag is made from an auxiliary verb (or a form of 'be') plus a subject pronoun, and it normally turns the statement into a question that expects a 'yes' or 'no' answer.
The basic rule is to reverse the polarity of the statement. A positive statement takes a negative tag, and a negative statement takes a positive tag: 'You're coming, aren't you?' (positive statement, negative tag) and 'She doesn't smoke, does she?' (negative statement, positive tag). The tag uses the same auxiliary as the statement, or a form of 'do' if there is no auxiliary, plus a pronoun for the subject.
With 'I am', the standard negative question tag is 'aren't I?', as in 'I'm late, aren't I?'. This is an exception, because 'amn't I?' is not used in standard English. 'Aren't I?' is the accepted form in both British and American English. (In some dialects, especially in Ireland and Scotland, 'amn't I?' does occur, but it is not standard.)
With imperatives (commands and requests), we usually add 'will you?', 'won't you?', 'would you?' or 'can you?'. For example: 'Open the window, will you?', 'Pass the salt, would you?'. 'Won't you?' tends to sound more polite and inviting. With a negative imperative we use 'will you?': 'Don't be late, will you?'.
With suggestions beginning 'Let's', we use the tag 'shall we?'. For example: 'Let's go for a walk, shall we?' and 'Let's start the meeting, shall we?'. This is a fixed pattern and does not follow the usual positive/negative reversal rule, so it is worth memorising as a special case.
Intonation matters a great deal with question tags. A falling intonation on the tag usually means the speaker is fairly sure and is simply seeking agreement: 'It's a lovely day, isn't it?' (falling) expects the listener to agree. A rising intonation turns the tag into a genuine question, where the speaker is not sure of the answer: 'You locked the door, didn't you?' (rising) really asks for the information.
After sentences beginning with 'there is' or 'there are', we keep 'there' in the tag: 'There's a problem, isn't there?' and 'There aren't any tickets left, are there?'. 'There' behaves like a subject in the tag, even though it is not a true pronoun. This is a common pattern at B1–B2 level.
When a sentence begins with 'I think', 'I believe' or 'I suppose' followed by a clause, the tag normally agrees with the second clause, not with 'I think'. For example: 'I think she's coming, isn't she?' (not 'don't I?'). When the main verb is negative, as in 'I don't think she's coming', the tag follows the inner clause and stays positive: 'is she?'.
Indefinite pronouns for people, such as 'everybody', 'somebody', 'nobody' and 'no one', take the pronoun 'they' in the tag: 'Everybody enjoyed it, didn't they?' and 'Nobody phoned, did they?'. Note that 'nobody' and 'no one' are negative words, so they take a positive tag, as in 'Nobody knows, do they?'.
You answer a question tag based on the facts, not on the form of the tag. So for 'You're not coming, are you?', if you ARE coming you say 'Yes (I am)', and if you are NOT coming you say 'No (I'm not)'. The key is that 'yes' always goes with a positive fact and 'no' always goes with a negative fact, regardless of how the tag is phrased.