TAG QUESTIONS the Easy Way! Don’t you? Isn’t it? Aren’t I?

TAG QUESTIONS the Easy Way! Don’t you? Isn’t it? Aren’t I? Easy English Grammar / Question tags

Explanation + Extra Practice

Tag Questions Explained

What Are Tag Questions? Tag questions are short questions added to the end of a statement. They check information or ask for agreement. For example, if you say, “It’s a nice day, isn’t it?” you’re asking for confirmation that the day is nice.

How to Make Tag Questions

  1. Basic Structure:
    • If the statement is positive, the tag question is negative.
    • If the statement is negative, the tag question is positive.
    Examples:
    • Statement: “You are coming to the party, aren’t you?” (Positive + Negative)
    • Statement: “She isn’t tired, is she?” (Negative + Positive)
  2. Use the Same Verb:
    • The tag question uses the same verb as the main sentence.
    • If the main sentence uses a form of “to be,” “have,” or a modal verb, use that in the tag.
    Examples:
    • “He is a doctor, isn’t he?“
    • “They have finished their work, haven’t they?“
  3. Pronouns in Tag Questions:
    • Use a pronoun in the tag that matches the subject of the main sentence.
    Examples:
    • “John likes ice cream, doesn’t he?“
    • “My friends are here, aren’t they?“
  4. Special Cases with “Am I” and “Aren’t I”:
    • For the first-person singular (I), the tag question can be “am I?” or “aren’t I?” depending on the statement.
    • If the statement is positive, use “aren’t I?”
    • If the statement is negative, use “am I?”
    Examples:
    • “I’m invited to the party, aren’t I?“
    • “I’m not late, am I?“

Special Cases

  1. Imperatives:
    • For commands or requests, use “will you?” or “won’t you?” for positive tags.
    • For negative commands, use “will you?” for agreement.
    Examples:
    • “Close the door, will you?“
    • “Don’t be late, will you?“
  2. Let’s:
    • When using “let’s” (let us), the tag question is “shall we?”
    Example:
    • “Let’s go for a walk, shall we?“
  3. Never and Rarely:
    • When using “never,” “seldom,” or “rarely,” the tag question is positive.
    Example:
    • “She never eats vegetables, does she?“
  4. Always:
    • When using “always,” the tag question is negative.
    Example:
    • “He always arrives early, doesn’t he?“
  5. Indefinite Pronouns:
    • With words like “everyone,” “nobody,” etc., use “they” in the tag.
    Example:
    • “Everyone is here, aren’t they?“

Summary

  • Positive statement → Negative tag.
  • Negative statement → Positive tag.
  • Use the same verb and correct pronoun in the tag.
  • Special cases include imperatives, “let’s,” and certain adverbs like “never.”
  • For “I,” use “am I?” or “aren’t I?” based on whether the statement is positive or negative.

By practicing tag questions, you can improve your speaking skills and confirm information easily!

Extra Practice!

Here is an ESL quiz on Tag Questions for all English verb tenses, divided into three levels (Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced), with increasing difficulty and complexity. The answer key is placed at the bottom of each level with a good mix of A, B, and C answers.

Beginner Level Quiz

  1. She’s your sister, ___?
    a) isn’t she
    b) is she
    c) doesn’t she
  2. You like pizza, ___?
    a) do you
    b) didn’t you
    c) don’t you
  3. They aren’t coming, ___?
    a) are they
    b) aren’t they
    c) do they
  4. It’s cold today, ___?
    a) isn’t it
    b) is it
    c) doesn’t it
  5. We can go home now, ___?
    a) can we
    b) can’t we
    c) couldn’t we
  6. He wasn’t at the party, ___?
    a) was he
    b) wasn’t he
    c) did he
  7. You haven’t seen her, ___?
    a) hasn’t you
    b) did you
    c) have you
  8. This is your car, ___?
    a) isn’t it
    b) is it
    c) doesn’t it
  9. They’re playing football, ___?
    a) aren’t they
    b) are they
    c) do they
  10. You will come to the meeting, ___?
    a) won’t you
    b) will you
    c) doesn’t you
  11. She was very tired, ___?
    a) didn’t she
    b) wasn’t she
    c) isn’t she
  12. I should call him, ___?
    a) shouldn’t I
    b) should I
    c) can’t I
  13. You don’t know the answer, ___?
    a) don’t you
    b) didn’t you
    c) do you
  14. He speaks Spanish, ___?
    a) doesn’t he
    b) does he
    c) isn’t he
  15. They didn’t finish the work, ___?
    a) did they
    b) don’t they
    c) aren’t they

Answers (Beginner Level):

  1. a, 2. c, 3. a, 4. a, 5. b, 6. a, 7. c, 8. a, 9. a, 10. a, 11. b, 12. a, 13. c, 14. a, 15. a

Intermediate Level Quiz

  1. You’ve been to London before, ___?
    a) have you
    b) haven’t you
    c) don’t you
  2. She should have called us by now, ___?
    a) didn’t she
    b) shouldn’t she
    c) won’t she
  3. You would have come if you knew, ___?
    a) wouldn’t you
    b) would you
    c) didn’t you
  4. They weren’t supposed to leave early, ___?
    a) did they
    b) weren’t they
    c) were they
  5. I had told you the truth, ___?
    a) didn’t I
    b) hadn’t I
    c) haven’t I
  6. You hadn’t finished the project yet, ___?
    a) had you
    b) didn’t you
    c) wouldn’t you
  7. He won’t be late again, ___?
    a) will he
    b) won’t he
    c) isn’t he
  8. We were working hard yesterday, ___?
    a) didn’t we
    b) weren’t we
    c) were we
  9. She could have helped, ___?
    a) didn’t she
    b) could she
    c) couldn’t she
  10. They didn’t know about the meeting, ___?
    a) didn’t they
    b) did they
    c) aren’t they
  11. We aren’t supposed to go there, ___?
    a) are we
    b) aren’t we
    c) do we
  12. You wouldn’t have done that, ___?
    a) wouldn’t you
    b) would you
    c) don’t you
  13. He has finished his homework, ___?
    a) hasn’t he
    b) has he
    c) did he
  14. We’re going to the concert tomorrow, ___?
    a) aren’t we
    b) are we
    c) isn’t it
  15. You had studied for the exam, ___?
    a) hadn’t you
    b) have you
    c) didn’t you

Answers (Intermediate Level):

  1. b, 2. b, 3. a, 4. c, 5. b, 6. a, 7. a, 8. b, 9. c, 10. b, 11. a, 12. b, 13. a, 14. a, 15. a

Advanced Level Quiz

  1. You won’t have forgotten by then, ___?
    a) will you
    b) haven’t you
    c) didn’t you
  2. She had been working there for five years, ___?
    a) hadn’t she
    b) didn’t she
    c) has she
  3. They should have been notified already, ___?
    a) hadn’t they
    b) should they
    c) shouldn’t they
  4. He might not have heard the news, ___?
    a) did he
    b) might he
    c) mightn’t he
  5. You must have known about the situation, ___?
    a) didn’t you
    b) must you
    c) mustn’t you
  6. They can’t have been expecting that, ___?
    a) could they
    b) couldn’t they
    c) can they
  7. You will have been living here for ten years next month, ___?
    a) haven’t you
    b) won’t you
    c) didn’t you
  8. He wouldn’t have been able to finish on time, ___?
    a) could he
    b) would he
    c) couldn’t he
  9. We should have been studying harder, ___?
    a) haven’t we
    b) shouldn’t we
    c) didn’t we
  10. They had been waiting for hours, ___?
    a) didn’t they
    b) hadn’t they
    c) were they
  11. You could have been more careful, ___?
    a) couldn’t you
    b) could you
    c) didn’t you
  12. They will be preparing the presentation tomorrow, ___?
    a) will they
    b) aren’t they
    c) won’t they
  13. He hadn’t been there before, ___?
    a) had he
    b) hadn’t he
    c) did he
  14. You mustn’t forget to call them, ___?
    a) will you
    b) must you
    c) mustn’t you
  15. I wouldn’t have called if I didn’t need to, ___?
    a) didn’t I
    b) would I
    c) wouldn’t I

Answers (Advanced Level):

  1. a, 2. a, 3. c, 4. c, 5. c, 6. a, 7. b, 8. b, 9. b, 10. b, 11. a, 12. c, 13. a, 14. a, 15. b
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