Question Tag - Definition, Use and Examples

Question tag is a short question added to the end of a sentence. It is used when someone wants to confirm something or check if the other person agrees. For example: “It is raining, isn’t it?” The part “isn’t it?” in this sentence is the question tag.

Question tags in English are mostly used while speaking. They help make the sentence sound more polite or friendly. Sometimes, they are also seen in stories or dialogues in books. To learn the question tag definition, its rules, and how to add a question tag in a sentence, keep reading.

What is Question Tag?

What is Question Tag? is the common question among learners who start learning it in grammar. Question tags in English are short questions added at the end of a sentence. It is used to ask for confirmation or agreement. For example, "You are coming to the party, aren’t you?” Here, “aren’t you?” is the question tag.

In English grammar, question tags are made using helping verbs like is, are, do, and did and a pronoun like he, she, you, and they. These tags are common in everyday conversations and make the sentence more friendly and polite.

Read More - Conjunctions: Definition, List, Types and Examples

Question Tag Definition

Question Tag Definition as per the different dictionaries is given below:

• According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, a question tag is a short phrase like “isn’t it?” or “don’t you?” that we add to the end of a sentence to turn it into a question or check if the sentence is correct. For example, “You like milkshakes, don’t you?”

• The Cambridge Dictionary says a question tag is a short phrase such as “isn’t it” or “don’t you” that is added to the end of a sentence to check information or to ask if someone agrees with the sentence.

• As per the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a question tag is a question like “isn’t it” in the sentence “It’s fine, isn’t it?” It is added to a statement or command to ask for agreement or sometimes to challenge the listener.

• The Collins Dictionary explains a question tag as a very short clause at the end of a sentence that turns it into a question. For example, in “She said half price, didn’t she?” the words “didn’t she” form the question tag.

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How to Add a Question Tag in a Sentence- Important Question Tag Rules to Follow

To add a question tag correctly, students must follow some simple question tag rules. These rules help to form question tags with proper grammar. Let’s look at the main rules:

Rule 1: Use short negative forms.

When the question tag is negative, we use short or contracted forms of the helping verb. For example, He can help, can’t he?

Rule 2: Opposite tag for the sentence.

If the sentence is positive, the tag will be negative. If the sentence is negative, the tag will be positive. A comma is used before the tag. For example, She is crying, isn’t she?

Rule 3: Use pronouns, not nouns, in tags.

We always use pronouns in question tags, not the full noun. For example, Ravi is playing, isn’t he?

Rule 4: Use do/does/did when there is no helping verb.

If there is no helping verb in the sentence, we use “do,” “does,” or “did” in the tag. For example, She sings well, doesn’t she?

Rule 5: Match the pronoun with the subject.

If the subject is a pronoun, use the same one in the tag. If it’s a noun, use the correct pronoun for it. For example, It is late, isn’t it?

Rule 6: Use correct tags with words like "this," "that," and "there."

Words like "this," "that," and "there" need proper pronouns in the tags. For example, there is a dog outside, isn’t there?

Rule 7: Use the correct tag with demonstratives.

Words like "this," "that," "these," and "those" are followed by tags based on the subject's number. For example, This book is heavy, isn’t it?

Rule 8: Use "they" for words like someone or nobody

When we use words like someone, anyone, everyone, or nobody, the tag uses “they.”
For example, “Someone is coming, aren’t they?”

Rule 9: Use "dare" or "need" again if used in the main sentence.

If dare or need is used like a helping verb, we use them again in the tag. For example, “He need not go now, need he?”

Question Tag Examples

Question tags are short questions we add at the end of a sentence. They help check if something is true or ask the listener to agree. Let's look at some examples with different types of sentences:

• Affirmative Sentences: These are normal, positive sentences. In these, we add a negative tag like:

• Riya is dancing, isn’t she?

• They are playing in the park, aren’t they?

• He helped you yesterday, didn’t he?

• Negative Sentences: Here, the sentence is negative, so we add a positive tag. For example:

• She isn’t at home, is she?

• You don’t like cold drinks, do you?

• We didn’t go to school today, did we?

• Interrogative Sentences: Even questions can have tags to check agreement. For example:

• You like mangoes, don’t you?

• He can solve this, can’t he?

• She was here last week, wasn’t she?

• Imperative Sentences: These give orders or requests. For example:

• Open the door, will you?

• Please help me, won’t you?

• Don’t shout, will you?

• Exclamatory Sentences: These show surprise or excitement, but we can still add a tag. For example:

• Wow! That was a great show, wasn’t it?

• Oh no! He missed the bus, didn’t he?

• Hurray! We won the match, didn’t we?

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Question Tags in Different Tenses

The helping verb in a sentence helps us choose the right tag. Here is how we use them in different tenses:

• Simple Present Tense

• “You are happy, aren’t you?” – It’s a positive sentence, so the tag is negative.

• “You are not ready, are you?” – Here the sentence is negative, so the tag is positive.

• Simple Past Tense

• “She was late, wasn’t she?”

• “She was not here, was she?”

• Simple Future Tense

• “They will come, won’t they?”

• “They will not stay, will they?”

• Present Perfect Tense

• “He has finished his work, hasn’t he?”

• “He has not gone, has he?”

• Past Perfect Tense

• “I had met him before, hadn’t I?”

• “I had not seen the movie, had I?”

• Future Perfect Tense

• “It will have started by then, won’t it?”

• “It will not have ended, will it?”

Look at the helping verb and use the right tag. Always use a pronoun like he, she, it, they in the tag.

Question tags make our sentences sound more natural and friendly. They help check if someone agrees with us or if what we’re saying is true. By learning the rules and practicing with examples, students can get better at using question tags in English speaking and writing.

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Question Tag Practice Sheet With Answers

Instructions: Read each sentence and add a suitable question tag at the end.

1. You are coming to the party, ________?

2. He can swim very well, ________?

3. They haven’t done the homework, ________?

4. She was not at school yesterday, ________?

5. It is raining heavily, ________?

6. We should leave now, ________?

7. Riya likes ice cream, ________?

8. The sun sets in the west, ________?

9. I am late again, ________?

10. Let’s go for a walk, ________?

Answer Key:

1. You are coming to the party, aren’t you?

2. He can swim very well, can’t he?

3. They haven’t done the homework, have they?

4. She was not at school yesterday, was she?

5. It is raining heavily, isn’t it?

6. We should leave now, shouldn’t we?

7. Riya likes ice cream, doesn’t she?

8. The sun sets in the west, doesn’t it?

9. I am late again, aren’t I?

10. Let’s go for a walk, shall we?

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