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Using Tag Questions

• She's very beautiful, isn't she?

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• The baby doesn't want to eat her

food, does she?

She's done something really

interesting to her hair, hasn't she?

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TAG QUESTIONS
A tag question is a question
added at the end of a
sentence. Speakers use it to
make sure their information
is correct.

What is a tag question?

• A tag question is a sentence with a
question phrase connected at the
end.
• Example:
It’s windy today, isn’t it?

Sentence part Tag

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Tag questions have two purposes:

1. To clarify information
(the speaker expects an answer)

Example:

– We have a test tomorrow, don’t we?

– Mr. Smith is coming to the meeting, isn’t he?
– I’m permitted to park here, aren’t I?

Tag questions have two

purposes:
2. To agree with someone
(the speaker does not expect an
answer)

Example:
• You’re falling asleep, aren’t you?
• The party was a lot of fun, wasn’t it?
• I didn’t win the lottery, did I?

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Forming Tag Questions

Step 1:

Identify the verb in the sentence.

Sergio likes to eat at buffets, ______ __?

verb

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Step 2:

Identify the type of verb.

(Is it the verb “to be”, an auxiliary verb, or
the main verb?)

Sergio likes to eat at buffets, _____ ___?

Main verb

Step 3:

Identify the tense of verb.

(Is it in present or past tense?)

Sergio likes to eat at buffets, ______ ___?

Present tense

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Step 4:
If in present tense, determine if 1st or 3rd person.
If in past tense, use auxiliary “to be” or “do” in
past.

Sergio likes to eat at buffets , _ _ ____?

Third person
• Use the auxiliary verb “does”.

Step 5:

Is the verb affirmative or negative?

doesn’t
Sergio likes to eat at buffets, __________?

Affirmative

Write in the opposite.

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Step 6:

Add the pronoun at the end.

Sergio likes to eat at buffets, doesn’t he ?

Noun

Overview
Step 1: Identify the verb in the sentence.
Step 2: Identify the type of verb.
Step 3: Identify the tense.
Step 4: If in present tense, determine if 1st
or 3rd person. If in past tense, use auxiliary
“to be” or “do” in past.
Step 5: Affirmative or negative?
Step 6: Add pronoun.

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Affirmative sentence +
negative tag

Mary is here, isn’t she?

They have left, haven’t they?

1. She works for a big company, ____ _?

2. The movie started at 8:00, _____ ___?
3. This is a good apple, ____ _____?
4. You've eaten breakfast, _____ ____?
5. The students are going to take a test
today, ____ ____?
6. He'll be at the party, ______ ___?
7. Your car is working now, ______ ____?
8. John has some money, _______ _____?
9. You made some coffee, ______ ____?
10. They've done that before, _____ ___?

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Negative sentence +
affirmative tag

• Edy can’t sing, can he?

You don’t like tea, do you?

1. You don't have to work today, ___ ___?

2. She won't get here on time, _____ __?
3. Your dog hasn't had puppies, ____ ____?
4. That wasn't a very good movie, _____ __?
5. The computer isn't on, _____ ____?
6. Tracy and Bill are getting back together,
___ ____?
7. I'm not late, _____ ____?
8. The alarm didn't go off, _____ _____?
9. He can't move any heavy furniture, _ __?
10. It doesn't really matter, ____ ___?

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Let’s Practice

• Lunch was delicious, wasn’t it ?

• Spring break is next week, isn’t it

______?

didn’t it
• Class finished quickly, _________?

1. You’ve called the movers, a. can we?

2. They’re coming tomorrow, b. do we?
3. This isn’t going to be cheap, c. is he?
4. You haven’t finished packing, d. isn’t it?
5. We don’t need any more boxes, e. aren’t they?
6. Pablo is going to help us, f. have you?
7. We can put some things in g. isn’t he?
storage, h. is it?
8. Jack isn’t buying our bookcases, i. haven’t you?
9. We need to disconnect the j. don’t we?
phone,
10. The movers aren’t packing the k. can’t we?
books for us, l. are they?
11. We can’t turn off the electricity
yet,
12. Moving is hard,

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Important Notes

• In the present tense, if the

subject is "I", the auxiliary
changes to are or aren't.

I'm sitting next to you, aren't I?

• With let's, the tag question is shall

we.

• Let's go to the beach, shall we?

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• With an imperative, the tag

question is will you.

• Close the window, will you?

• We use a positive tag question

after a sentence containing a
negative word such as never,
hardly, nobody.

• Nobody lives in this house, do they?

You've never liked me, have you?

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• When the subject is nothing, we

use it in the tag question.

Nothing bad happened, did it?

• When the subject is nobody,

somebody, everybody, no one,
someone, or everyone, we use they
in the tag question.

Nobody asked for me, did they?

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If the main verb in the sentence is

have (not an auxiliary verb), it is
more common to use do in the
question tag.

You have a Ferrari, don't you?

• With used to, we use didn't in the

tag question.

You used to work here, didn't you?

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We can use positive question tags

after positive sentences to express
a reaction such as surprise or
interest.

You're moving to Brazil, are you?

•Here are some mixed examples:

• But you don't really love her, do you?

• This will work, won't it?
• Well, I couldn't help it, could I?
• But you'll tell me if she calls, won't you?
• We'd never have known, would we?
• The weather's bad, isn't it?
• You won't be late, will you?
• Nobody knows, do they?

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1. You should pay your credit card bill, ____ ____?

2. They have to drive to Chicago next week, __ __?
3. Those carrots aren't very good, ____ ______?
4. You love me, ___ ____?
5. You can't play the piano, ___ ____?
6. She has to work this evening, ____ ___?
7. She had to work yesterday too, ____ ___?
8. Rob will go fishing with us this weekend, __ ___?
9. You were able to find it on the interent, __ __?
10. This quiz wasn't too hard, _____ ____?

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