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Question Tags

Question tags are not proper questions like who are you? Where did you go? These are types of questions joined with statements to ensure confirmation with the latter one.

Note – With a negative statement, a positive question tag is used.

With a positive statement, a negative question tag is used.

e.g. 

I can do this, can’t I?

I cannot do this, can I?

Note –  The auxiliary verb that is used in the question tag will be in the contracted form like-

Will not = won’t

Can not = can’t

Do not = don’t

Is not = isn’t

Rule 1

The subject of the question is always be a pronoun.

e.g. 

Bipasha is coming today, isn’t she?

My father is happy, isn’t he?

Rule 2

For introductory subjects in the statement, the tags used are-

This, That, It = it    These, Those = they    One = one    There = there

e.g. 

These are your favourite chocolates, aren’t they?

There is a house, isn’t there?

Rule 3

If no auxiliary verb is present in the statement, then in the question tag  do, did, does will be used.

e.g. 

Riya goes to the temple every day, doesn’t she?

Karan came last Saturday, didn’t he?

Rule 4

If the sentence is commanding or requesting in nature and also in positive form, then both will you and won’t you be suitable. 

But if such sentence is in negative form, only will you  is used in the tag.

e.g. 

Go there, will you?  / Go there, won’t you?

Don’t make noise, will you?

Rule 5

If the sentence is commanding or requesting in nature and expresses anger or displeasure or irritation, then can’t you will be used in the question tag.

e.g. 

Stop this non sense, can’t you?

Get out of my room, can’t you?

Rule 6

Positive tag should be used if the following words are used in the statement.

Nothing, nobody, neither, none, no, none, no one, hardly, rarely, seldom, barely, scarcely.

The above list of words is negative and hence positive tags reused.

e.g. 

He knows nothing, does he?

You rarely call me, do you?

Rule 7

‘it’ is used in the tag if everything, something, nothing, anything is used in the statement as the subject.

e.g. 

Everything is calm there, isn’t it?

Something was kept in front of your house, wasn’t it?

Rule 8

When distributive or demonstrative adjective is used in the statement, the subject of the tag will be according to the (person, gender, number) of the noun that the adjective describes.

e.g. 

This lady helped me → This lady helped me, didn’t she?

Two boys were playing → Two boys were playing, weren’t they?

Rule 9

‘they’ is used in the question tag if any indefinite pronoun is present in the statement.

e.g. 

Someone spread the rumor, didn’t they?

Nobody likes liars, do they?

Rule 10

Tag of the question will be as follows when the statement begins with ‘let’-

e.g. 

Let us play, shall we?

Let him study, will you?

Rule 11

The tag of the question will be subjective case of pronoun when the objective case of pronoun is used in the statement as the subject.

e.g. 

Neither of the bags is expensive, are they?

All of the employees are absent, aren’t they?