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Using Question Tags in Practice in English

Question tags are short phrases that are added to the end of statements to form questions. Using them correctly requires knowledge of grammar rules. This article offers practice in understanding question tags in English by answering the 22 questions below. For each statement, choose the best option (one of 5) to form a question tag and create a grammatically correct question. Watch for matching the tense and verb form, as well as properly using positive and negative question tags.

To begin, we recommend reviewing the grammar to remind yourself of the rules and usage of question tags.

Forming Question Tags

Auxiliary Verbs: The auxiliary verb used in a question tag depends on the tense of the main verb in the sentence. For example:
- Present tense: She is happy, isn’t she?
- Past tense: They went to the party, didn’t they?
- Modal verbs: You can swim, can’t you?
Pronouns: The pronoun used in the question tag should match the subject of the sentence. For example:
- He is coming, isn’t he?
- They were late, weren’t they?
- She can dance, can’t she?
Negative to Positive and Vice Versa: If the statement is positive, the question tag is usually negative, and vice versa. For example:
- Positive statement: You like chocolate, don’t you?
- Negative statement: He didn’t finish his homework, did he?

Common Uses of Question Tags

Seeking Confirmation: Question tags are often used to confirm information or to seek agreement from the listener.
- You enjoyed the movie, didn’t you?
- She’s from Spain, isn’t she?
Softening Statements: Adding a question tag can soften a statement, making it sound less direct or confrontational.
- You’re not busy, are you?
- It’s quite chilly outside, isn’t it?
Engaging the Listener: Question tags can be used to engage the listener in conversation, inviting them to respond.
- This coffee is delicious, isn’t it?
- We’re having a great time, aren’t we?

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using Incorrect Auxiliary Verbs: Make sure to use the correct auxiliary verb based on the tense of the main verb in the sentence.
Mismatched Pronouns: Ensure that the pronoun in the question tag matches the subject of the sentence.
Forgetting the Comma: Always separate the statement from the question tag with a comma.

Simple Present Tense – Question tags

Positive Statement	Negative Tag	Negative Statement	Positive Tag
I am	Aren’t I?	I am not	Am I?
You are	Aren’t you?	You are not	Are you?
He is	Isn’t he?	He is not	Is he?
She is	Isn’t she?	She is not	Is she?
It is	Isn’t it?	It is not	Is it?
They are	Aren’t they?	They are not	Are they?
We are	Aren’t we?	We are not	Are we?

Simple Past Tense – Question tags

Positive Statement	Negative Tag	Negative Statement	Positive Tag
I was	Wasn’t I?	I was not	Was I?
You were	Weren’t you?	You were not	Were you?
He was	Wasn’t he?	He was not	Was he?
She was	Wasn’t she?	She was not	Was she?
It was	Wasn’t it?	It was not	Was it?
They were	Weren’t they?	They were not	Were they?
We were	Weren’t we?	We were not	Were we?

Simple Future Tense – Question tags

Positive Statement	Negative Tag	Negative Statement	Positive Tag
I will	Won’t I?	I will not	Will I?
You will	Won’t you?	You will not	Will you?
He will	Won’t he?	He will not	Will he?
She will	Won’t she?	She will not	Will she?
It will	Won’t it?	It will not	Will it?
They will	Won’t they?	They will not	Will they?
We will	Won’t we?	We will not	Will we?

Present Perfect Tense – Question tags

Positive Statement	Negative Tag	Negative Statement	Positive Tag
I have	Haven’t I?	I have not	Have I?
You have	Haven’t you?	You have not	Have you?
He has	Hasn’t he?	He has not	Has he?
She has	Hasn’t she?	She has not	Has she?
It has	Hasn’t it?	It has not	Has it?
They have	Haven’t they?	They have not	Have they?
We have	Haven’t we?	We have not	Have we?

Past Perfect Tense – Question tags

Positive Statement	Negative Tag	Negative Statement	Positive Tag
I had	Hadn’t I?	I had not	Had I?
You had	Hadn’t you?	You had not	Had you?
He had	Hadn’t he?	He had not	Had he?
She had	Hadn’t she?	She had not	Had she?
It had	Hadn’t it?	It had not	Had it?
They had	Hadn’t they?	They had not	Had they?
We had	Hadn’t we?	We had not	Had we?

Future Perfect Tense – Question tags

Positive Statement	Negative Tag	Negative Statement	Positive Tag
I will have	Won’t I?	I will not have	Will I?
You will have	Won’t you?	You will not have	Will you?
He will have	Won’t he?	He will not have	Will he?
She will have	Won’t she?	She will not have	Will she?
It will have	Won’t it?	It will not have	Will it?
They will have	Won’t they?	They will not have	Will they?
We will have	Won’t we?	We will not have	Will we?

Using Question Tags in Practice – Grammar Test