you did your homework question tag

are you?; is he (question tags)

Question tags, (rules for using question tags in english), what are question tags.

In general, question tags (also called tag questions or question tails ) are used to elicit confirmation or affirmation for a statement from the person one is talking to. This grammatical feature can sometimes provoke problems (especially for learners of English as a foreign language) as the question tag always has to be adapted to the previous part of the statement. This means it has to be grammatically in accordance with it. It can be different in other languages when only generic question tags are used. Compare the following:

Examples in English

Examples in other languages

How are question tags used.

Question tags always appear at the end of the sentence and refer to the verb used in the clause before as well as the subject (which is a noun or a personal pronoun in most cases) of the corresponding statement. Basically, the following rule applies: In positive sentences a negative question tag is needed and in negative ones a positive . However, there may be other combinations depending on meaning and pronunciation. Be aware that question tags are only common in spoken language.

How are question tags formed in a sentence?

Further explanations related to ‘tag questions’.

The following exercises and explanations relate to the topic ‘ rules for using question tags in English’ and could also be interesting:

Question Tags

It’s Matt here, Director of Studies at Langports Brisbane. Today, we are going to look at a bit of grammar, specifically we are going to review the use of question tags (aren’t we? – a joke for all you guys familiar with this language point!).

So, the first thing is:

What is a Question Tag?

Well, it is a small question that usually comes at the end of a sentence in speech (and sometimes informal writing): For example:

This food is delicious, isn’t it?

You did your homework, didn’t you?

In the first example, the verb to be (is) is contracted in the question tag – isn’t

In the second example, the verb did is contracted  – didn’t

You can see that the verb tense doesn’t change in each sentence. If you start with a present simple infinitive, finish the sentence in present simple infinitive. If you start with a past simple verb, finish in the past simple verb and so on.

We can reserve this pattern above from positive to negative and make the sentence pattern negative to positive. For example:

This food isn’t delicious, is it?

You didn’t do your homework, did you?

However, we can’t use a question tag after a question. For example, you can’t say :

Is this food delicious, isn’t it? XXX

Did you do your homework, didn’t you? XXX

So, question tags can be used to check whether something is true or to ask for agreement. If you can use them correctly in your everyday speaking, it shows you have a good understanding of the language and you can impress your teachers and friends with your range of English!

You can also use it in your writing, especially informally in emails or possibly articles (see early blog post on register in writing).

More examples

Does/Doesn’t

Could/couldn’t

Would/wouldn’t

Have/haven’t

One last thing to remember is that if the sentence you are trying to question tag doesn’t have one of the above listed verbs, you need to change the verb in the question tag to do. For example

You take milk in your coffee, don’t you?

He played football every Saturday, didn’t he?

Now, you will go forth and practice, won’t you?

Until the next time…

Matt Hopkins – Director of Studies, Brisbane School

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Search Eslbase

How to use tag questions.

Learn about Tag Questions in English grammar. Clear and simple explanation of meaning and use, with examples.

Forming tag questions

auxiliary verb + subject

• You live in Spain, don’t you?
• You’ re learning Spanish, aren’t you?
• You don’t speak Spanish, do you?
• There is a lot of noise, isn’t there?
• You’ re a little late, aren’t you?
• You want to come with me, don’t you?
• You can swim, can’t you?
• You don’t know where the boss is, do you ?
• This meal is horrible, isn’t it?
• That film was fantastic, wasn’t it?
• The meeting’s tomorrow at 9am, isn’t it ?
• You won’t go without me, will you ?

Additional points

• I’m sitting next to you, aren’t I?
• I’m a little early, aren’t I?
• Let’s go to the beach, shall we?
• Let’s have a coffee, shall we?
• Close the window, will you?
• Hold this, will you?
• Nobody lives in this house, do they?
• You’ve never liked me, have you?
• Nothing bad happened, did it?
• Nothing ever happens, does it?
• Nobody asked for me, did they?
• Nobody lives here, do they?
• You have a Ferrari, don’t you?
• She had a great time, didn’t she?
• You used to work here, didn’t you?
• He used to have long hair, didn’t he?
• You’re moving to Brazil, are you?

Pronunciation

• You don’t know where the boss is, do you ? ↗
• That film was fantastic, wasn’t it ? ↘

Related grammar points

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585 comments

Anyone is allowed, are they? Is that correct?

This could be correct, if you are following point 9 under “additional points” in the article.

Normally though, the tag would be “aren’t they?”

Hope that helps.

Belal Hossain

May you be happy. What should be the right tag for the statement, please.

Hi, we can’t add a tag to this statement unfortunately.

No brother we can add a tag May you be happy, mayn’t you?

Unfortunately, we can’t say “mayn’t you?” – it doesn’t work.

Mrs Patil donated generously What will be its question tag ? And why that answer please explain

Mrs Patil donated generously, didn’t she?

Please help me with this Only 2 days are left, …? Is the correct answer aren’t they or aren’t there?

Only 2 days are left, aren’t they? There are only two days left, aren’t there?

Help me please.

One can do almost nothing without it. What will be its tag question?

One possibility is: “One can do almost nothing without it, can they?” (“can one?” is possible but sounds quite formal.)

Pratilal Chaudhary

What is the question tag for Don’t worry?

Don’t worry, will you?

Jitendra Kumar Singh

Tell the Tag Question of them: 1. You wanted that. 2. He has to work late tonight.

1. You wanted that, didn’t you? 2. He has to work late tonight, doesn’t he?

ASHADULLAH RAFI

1. Here is your shirt, …? 2. He said to me “Never waste your time, …”?

MD.Ashif Kabir

Can’t we use have/has/had as auxiliary verb? If they form sentences as principal verb.

Hi What is the question tag for these sentences: 1 Adam’s broken’s stolen, …? 2 Adam’s broken car’s stolen, …? 3 I think she is a good student, …? 4 There’s been no news, …?

What is the correct question tag? There is a man in the room…..

What is the tag Q here? A: I couldn’t stand my boss. B. couldn’t you? or could you?

Joel uwamahoro

Hi, my questions are the following.

1. Where is the difference between everybody and every person in the tag question? E.g. Everybody can clean the chalkboard, …? Every person can clean the chalkboard, …?

2. How do you say that EVERYTHING takes IT as a subject in tag question? Don’t you understand that there is a plural hidden there?

Help me please!

What a shame!…?

All of us can do it

How odd, …?

The buses aren’t brand new, …?

The rooms aren’t ready for the visit, …?

Please sir convert this statement into a question tag: ‘He never hid.’

“None was said” make it tag

The little girl is playing piano, isn’t she?

Everyone objected to her coming along with us, didn’t they? (Please note the change in the construction of the sentence).

John hardly ever studies, …?

John hardly ever studies, does he?

Sir what will be the tag of all these sentences, please tell me about it so I will be very thankful to you. I have been called by them. I had been invited by them. He has been punished. He was killed by them. They were punished. He will be liked by them. He will have been punished by them. He is liked by us. They are arrested by them. I am loved by them. He is being given money by them. They are being invited. He was being invited. They were being beaten.

I have been called by them, haven’t I? I had been invited by them, hadn’t I? He has been punished, hadn’t he? He was killed by them. wasn’t he? They were punished, weren’t they? He will be liked by them, won’t he? He will have been punished by them, won’t he? He is liked by us, isn’t he? They are arrested by them, aren’t they? I am loved by them, aren’t I? He is being given money by them, isn’t he? They are being invited, aren’t they? He was being invited, wasn’t he? They were being beaten, weren’t they?

God is kind to all, …?

God is kind to all, isn’t he?

‘As you know a doctor’s duty toward his patient is above everything.’ Could you please tell me what the tag question for the sentence is?

As you know a doctor’s duty toward his patient is above everything, isn’t it?

Rabiul Jewel

What is the tag question of ‘Everything depends on the sincerity of the government, …?’

Everything depends on the sincerity of the government, doesn’t it?

What is the question tag of these 3 statement? 1. Everyone has come late today. 2. The audience have taken their seats. 3. Wait for me.

1. Everyone has come late today, haven’t they? 2. The audience have taken their seats, haven’t they? 3. Wait for me, won’t you?

Please help me with this: Are they sleeping?

Hi Emmanuel “Are they sleeping?” is a direct question, so we can’t add a tag. However, we can change it to a statement and add a tag, like this: “They are sleeping, aren’t they?” I hope that helps! Keith

a) Please help me, won’t you? b) Please do not disturb me, will you? c) Please give me a cup of coffee, will you?

Are the above tag questions correct?

Yes, they are correct :-)

Hi. There are few illnesses in modern medicine, … aren’t there or are there? And why? Thank you in advance.

“aren’t there” is correct.

Bibek pandey

Please tell: I am always interested in learning new things, …?

I am always interested in learning new things, aren’t I?

1. Who loves a parental baby, …? 2. The mother roused her, …?

1. Who loves a parental baby, …? This is a direct question so we can’t use a question tag here. To use a question tag, it needs to be a statement.

2. The mother roused her, didn’t she?

Where do we have to use the ‘do’ forms? She needed a pen She has a pen

She needed a pen, didn’t she? She has a pen, doesn’t she?

Francis kapalasa

Am totally confused with your explanation regarding how to form a question tag from a clause. Surely, most of you said, ‘when the clause has main verb, this means, the clause has no other verbs assisting the other one, we use a tag, do/does/did’. My question, why on ‘there is silence, takes ‘isn’t there?’ instead of ‘doesn’t there? What is special with ‘there’ as used in the clause? I have seen other questions of similar nature taking ‘do/does/did’ but not with that one above. Help fast

If the main verb in the clause is “be”, then we use this in the tag. This is the case with “there is”: There is silence, isn’t there?

I’ve updated the post, adding this point.

Suliman Khan

Hi Tag question for She has her hair styled

She has her hair styled, doesn’t she?

Sada kimbengele

May you assist me tag question of this sentence? One of the teachers attended the meeting

One of the teachers attended the meeting, didn’t they?

Md Abdul Based Miah

Always remember breaking a friendship is easier than building it – what will be the tag question, please?

Always remember, breaking a friendship is easier than building it, isn’t it?

Change “there are ten bungalows on this street” to negative tag question

There are ten bungalows on this street, aren’t there?

Kamre Qubad

I mustn’t be late – solve

I mustn’t be late, must I?

Taylor Alison

Hi, I don’t know if you’re still answering the questions. But if you are, could you help with this? When I don’t know the gender of the person I’m talking about, I replace with they? Example: That student has done all the homework, haven’t they?

Yes, you can use “they” if you don’t know the gender of the person.

I have a very good reason for doing so, …? What will be the tag question here?

I have a very good reason for doing so, don’t I?

‘No’ is a word, …? Tag question please

‘No’ is a word, isn’t it?

Ibrahim Ibrahim

My question is: Add question tag (1) He cannot do this to you

He cannot do this to you, can he?

So you haven’t done your homework, …? What is correct tag question here?

So you haven’t done your homework, have you?

I am standing on my chair, …? Bola was going home, …?

I am standing on my chair, aren’t I? Bola was going home, wasn’t he?

(a) Father: What a nice garden it is, …? (b) Son: You are right, father, …? (c) Father: Let’s go closer, …? (d) Son: No, Father. We don’t have enough time, …? (e) Father: Ok. Let’s not go today, …?

What a nice garden it is, isn’t it? You are right, father, aren’t you? Let’s go closer, shall we? No, Father. We don’t have enough time, do we? Ok. Let’s not go today, shall we?

Nikhil kolekar

Will you do the sentence I gave

Hi Nikhil – which sentence do you mean? Could you write it again?

They never meet the minister…?

They never meet the minister, do they?

Kalpita muchhal

(1) Are you happy with me? (2) Someone has shouted my name. (3) You broke the door. (4) You don’t like tea. (5) I didn’t hurt you.

(1) Are you happy with me? – This is already a question, so we can’t a dd a tag question. (2) Someone has shouted my name, haven’t they? (3) You broke the door, didn’t you? (4) You don’t like tea, do you? (5) I didn’t hurt you, did I?

I don’t think he cares, …? What is the tag question?

I don’t think he cares, does he?

Take your certificate, …? I shall arrive on time, …?

Take your certificate, won’t you / will you? I shall arrive on time, shan’t I?

The name of the man who owns your company is Joy, isn’t it? This sentence is correct in meaning and grammar or not. Thanks

Alisha kattel

Well I couldn’t help it We’d never have known The weather’s bad You won’t be late You have a bath daily You couldn’t help me Shut up Change into question tag please

Well I couldn’t help it, could I? We’d never have known, would we? The weather’s bad, isn’t it? You won’t be late, will you? You have a bath daily, don’t you? You couldn’t help me, could you? Shut up Change into question tag please

Yes, that is correct.

We see that they have little knowledge about games and sports, don’t we? (“We” is the subject”) But you could also say: We see that they have little knowledge about games and sports, do they? (“they” is the subject)

“The child died at the spot” – make tag question

She came since he had called her, didn’t she?

He did nothing, did he?

The buses aren’t brand new, are they?

The rooms aren’t ready for the visit, are they?

He never hid, did he?

None was said, was it? “Nothing was said, was it?” may be better.

Hi Asif This sentence can’t have a tag. Keith

Hi Reshma It’s not really possible to make a tag question with this, but you could say: “How odd, isn’t it?” – This is like saying “It’s odd, isn’t it?” Hope that helps.

I am used to walking in the morning, aren’t I?

Hi Anik, it’s not really possible to add a tag to this sentence. You would need to change it to: “It’s a shame.” The tag would then be “isn’t it?”

All of us can do it, can’t we?

Jane believes that her team members easily won the game because they are familiar with teamwork, doesn’t she?

She said she was happy, didn’t she? She said that she was happy, didn’t she? Congratulations – it is not possible to add a question tag to this. One should always speak the truth, shouldn’t one? – This doesn’t sound very natural, so we might say “shouldn’t we?”

1. There is no difference for the tag: Everybody can clean the chalkboard, can’t they? Every person can clean the chalkboard, can’t they?

2. “Everything” is singular, so the tag is “it”. If you said “All the things”, then “things” is plural, so the tag is “they?

I hope this helps.

Hi Akbar You could say: “There exists no air on Mars, does there?” or “There is no air on Mars, is there?”

Hi Mah The subject is “I”, so we need to use “I” in the tag: I couldn’t stand my boss, could I?

Hi Mira You can say: “ This is my uncle, isn’t it ?” or “ He is my uncle, isn’t he ?”

Hello, Roman. I believe you’re coming to the airport, aren’t you?

This is my uncle – isn’t it or isn’t he – which correct?

Hi Sara 1 Adam’s broken’s stolen, …? (This sentence doesn’t really make sense – maybe number 2 is the sentence you wanted to write?) 2 Adam’s broken car’s stolen, isn’t it? 3 I think she is a good student, isn’t she? 4 There’s been no news, has there?

There is a man in the room, isn’t there?

Hi, here’s an example:

“Only a few children went to the party, didn’t they?”

If “have” is the principal verb, the auxiliary verb in the tag is “do” (don’t, did, didn’t, etc)

All that glitters is not gold, is it?

In the sentence “All that glitters is not gold” we have the negative “is not”. Therefore the tag must be affirmative.

Hi, neither of these options are correct. The correct tag is “mustn’t it?”

You are not happy with the decision, are you?

Can you give me an example sentence?

1. Here is your shirt, …? It isn’t really possible to add a tag to this sentence.

2. He said to me “Never waste your time, will you”?

Yes, this sounds okay too.

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EnglishPost.org

Tag Questions Examples: Past, Present and Future

In this post, you will find all the information that you need to understand what tag questions are.

Question tags are the short questions that we put on the end of sentences particularly in spoken English.

Now, let’s check some information and example so you can make tag questions correctly

Table of Contents

Tag Questions: Structure and Rules

Question tags with present tenses, question tags with past tenses, questions tags with future tenses, question tags: special points, examples of tag questions, tag questions video by woodward english, tag questions video by mmmenglish, tag questions exercises.

The basic structure of a tag question is:

A  negative  statement is followed by a  positive  question tag.

A  positive  statement is followed by a  negative  question tag.

Tag questions are made using different tenses in English so let’s check example with some of them.

There are lots of different question tags but the rules are not difficult to learn.

These are questions tags with past tenses:

These are questions tags with future tenses

Although the negative word  not  is not in the sentence, the sentence can be negative. Then we use the  positive  question tag.

Use will/would with imperatives 

If the main clause verb is  I am , then the negative tag form is  aren’t I :

We can use right and yeah in very informal situations instead of question tags:

We use shall after Let’s.

These are some examples of tag questions in different contexts:

• It’s a lovely day,  isn’t it?
• You didn’t do your homework,  did you?
• You don’t like me, do you?
• You haven’t seen Sascha, have you?
• You think you’re clever, don’t you?
• You have a car, don’t you?
• She can’t swim,  can she ?
• She  was  crying,  was n’t she?
• He  does  look like his father,  does n’t he?
• He hasn’t arrived yet,  has he?
• You want to come with me,  don’t you?
• You can swim,  can’t you?
• You don’t know where the boss is,  do you ?
• This meal is horrible,  isn’t it?
• That film was fantastic,  wasn’t it?
• You have a Ferrari,  don’t you?
• She had a great time,  didn’t she?
• You used to work here,  didn’t you?
• You’re moving to Brazil,  are you?
• He used to have long hair,  didn’t he?

This is a pretty good video created by Woodward English that explains what tag questions are

Another good video that you can watch on YouTube to understand more about tag questions was posted by mmmEnglish

These are some tag questions exercises that you can use to reinforce what you know about this topic

• Online Questions Tags Quiz
• Online Grammar Quiz – Questions Tags
• Exercises on Question Tags
• Question Tags – Positive
• Question Tags – Negative
• Question Tags – Multiple Choice
• Past Tense Question Tags

These are some tag questions files that can help you learn more about this topoc

• Tag questions test PDF
• Grammar Challenge – Question Tags Practice PDF 
• Question Tags Exercises PDF

Manuel Campos

I am Jose Manuel, English professor and creator of EnglishPost.org, a blog whose mission is to share lessons for those who want to learn and improve their English

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Question Tags In English Grammar

Table of contents, introduction, what are tag questions, why are tag questions used, used to confirm or clarify information:, used to seek agreement:, used to express emotions or attitudes:, used to soften a request:, used in leading questions, particularly in legal settings.

Teach Question Tags with Ease

Looking for an easy way to teach question tags to your English language students? Our Question Tag Worksheet is just what you need! With its discovery-based approach, this worksheet will have your students mastering question tag form and use it in no time. Designed for intermediate-level learners, this worksheet can be completed in just one class period. Add it to your teaching toolkit today!

How are question tags formed?

Question tag rule:.

In a positive statement, a negative tag is used. However, in a negative statement, a positive tag is used.

Forms of tag questions

Question tags with affirmative statements.

Question tags with negative statements

Question tags with imperatives

Examples of question tags.

How do you punctuate question tags?

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Question tags.

Asking questions

1. question tags.

2. Characteristics and uses of questions tags

• Question tags are formed taking into account the verb tense of the statement of reference.
• When the statement of reference is affirmative , the question tag is negative ; when the statement of reference is negative , the question tag is affirmative .
• They are placed at the end of the sentence, preceded by a comma and followed by a question mark.
• Question tags are formed by an auxiliary or modal verb , followed by a personal subject pronou n , according to the verb tense and the subject of the statement of reference.

Below, we detail different verb tenses with their corresponding question tags.

When the statement of reference is in present   simple or past simple affirmative , no auxiliary verb is used. However, we must remember that in the question tag we will use don't/doesn't in the present and didn't in the past .

3. Special cases

We must take into account some special cases:

4. Comments

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• Transcription

Question tags

One of the ways of making questions in English is the use of question tags.  Some examples ( tags in black ):

• These are all examples of balanced tags .  A negative sentence takes a positive tag and vice versa :     She doesn't understand, does she? (negative + positive)     Mary can come too, can't she? (positive + negative) Not all tag forms are balanced as we shall see.
• With main or lexical verbs such as like, hate, enjoy, do, arrive etc., we use the auxiliary verb do in the tag, providing the verb is in the present simple or past simple tense:     He didn't go, did he?     She smokes too much, doesn't she?
• With modal auxiliary verbs like can, must, could etc., we simply invert the verb and the subject to make a tag:     They couldn't see her, could they?     The play should be popular, shouldn't it?
• With the verb to be , whether it is an auxiliary or a main verb, we simply invert the order of subject and verb to make the tag:     You are John, aren't you? (as a main identifying verb)     You aren't alone, are you? (as a main verb with an adjective complement)     You are working too hard, aren't you? (as an auxiliary forming the progressive)     She was arrested, wasn't she? (as an auxiliary forming a passive voice sentence)
• With the verb to have the situation is slightly more complicated: When it is an auxiliary forming a tense, we treat it like to be , inverting the subject and the verb:     She has arrived, hasn't she?     She had left already, hadn't she? When it functions as a main verb, meaning something like possess , both forms are possible:     They have a lot of money, don't they?     They have a lot of money, haven't they?     They don't have much money, do they?     They haven't much money, have they? But, when we insert got after the verb, only the inverted form is possible:     We haven't got a lot of time, have we? not     *We haven't got a lot of time, do we? American and British usage differs in some respects here because AmE uses got less frequently in this sense.

That is actually rather a long list of rules and some are not simple.  It's an area to treat carefully and piecemeal in the classroom.

A few languages work like English with tags following grammatical rules for forming questions and negatives but many do not.  For example:

Many languages, including Polish, German, Greek and others can use a phrase or a single word meaning, roughly, True? or Not true?   So, e.g.: German: nicht wahr? [ not true? ], Spanish: ¿verdad? [ true? ], Polish: prawda? [ true? ] or nieprawdaż? [ not true? ], Greek: δεν είναι ετσι; ( then eenay etsi? ) [ is it not so? ] and so on. Some languages have a small range of words or phrases to ask for agreement such as French: n'est ce pas? [ isn't it ] or d'accord? [ agree? ]. In many languages there exists a small word used only for tag questions such as Mandarin ( ma? ), German dialects ( gell? ) Portuguese: né? and so on.

In most languages, the forms have become fossilised and do not vary in the complicated ways that the tags vary in English.  This presents obvious problems for learners.

Meaning is closely tied to intonation. In many cases, the tone of voice falls on the tag, like this:

When the voice falls like this, the tag functions to mean something like:     Please say you agree with me . In other words, it asks for confirmation that the speaker is correct rather than signalling a true question.  Notice that the words lovely and late are also stressed here.

When the tone rises, like this:

Then the sentences function as true interrogatives.  Notice that now we stress the verb because that is the focus of our attention.

The communicative function of the sentence is drawn from the first clause.  Compare, e.g.:     You want a drink, don't you? where the speaker is probably sure the answer will be 'yes' with:     You don't want a drink, do you? where a falling tone would imply the speaker expects a negative response but a rising tone would indicate surprise. The same thing happens with modal auxiliary verbs.  Compare:     You couldn't do it for me, could you? where a rising tone indicates a request, with:     You could do it for me, couldn't you? where a rising tone indicates a request but a falling tone indicates almost a command.

Unbalanced tags have a different, but very common, structure.  They involve positive + positive or negative + negative and have number of uses:

• Inference: So, the car's over the road, is it? i.e., I have figured this out from where we are walking
• Sarcasm, suspicion or irony: So you think you know me, do you? i.e., you are presuming too much or So, you don't believe me, don't you? i.e., it's not your place to make judgements
• Threat: You'd take my money, would you?
• Conclusion: So, he likes the book, does he? So, he hasn't had the time, hasn't he? The sense of reaching a conclusion is also signalled by the word then.    Technically speaking the word is a conjunct, linking what has been said before and implying that the hearer has inferred something from what has been said.  In this case, the intonation patterns strongly suggest that the word is being used instead of a tag question.  For example:     I'll give you a lift tonight if you like, then?     Oh, you are coming to the party, then?

In all of these the tone usually rises on the tag.

The use of an introductory So ... in these sorts of utterances is extremely common.  Don't try to teach the area without making that clear.

There are a few irregular forms to be wary of.

• Negating the verb be is irregular so the tags used with it are also irregular. If the first statement starts with I , the tag is formed with aren't :     I'm here, aren't I? This does not work the other way round:     I'm not invited, am I? not     *I'm not invited, are I? ( amn't I? exists in some dialects.) When the negative tag is used with the first person, only the contracted form is allowable so we get:     I'm playing, aren't I? but not     *I'm playing, are not I? This causes trouble when trying to use formal unabbreviated language and the only alternative is:     I'm playing, am I not? which sounds far too formal for many people. When the first clause is negative, no issues arise and we allow:     I'm not playing, am I? but learners may carry over the negative tag form, logically, and produce:     *I'm not playing, are I?
• Some consider a tag formed with may to be unusual or stilted:     Joan may come, mayn't she? The preference here is often to exchange may for could/might, when talking about possibility:     She could/might be here early, couldn't/mightn't she? and can for may when talking about permission:     M ary can come, can't she?
• Positive imperative forms (commands) take will in the tag:     Be quite, will you? which can be softened with would:     Be quiet, would you?
• Positive imperative forms also take both positive and negative tags with a slight change of emphasis:     Be quiet, won't you? (pleading)     Be, quiet, will you (command imperative) but this is not allowed with would:     *Be quiet, wouldn't you?
• Negative commands (i.e., prohibitions) take no tag so we can't say:     *Don't touch it, will you? (Although You won't touch it, will you? is fine.)
• Real imperatives are used with a rising tone and both positive and negative tags but a falling tone with a negative tag denotes concern.  Compare:     Drive carefully, will you? (rising tone indicates irritation and is an imperative)     Sit still, won't you? (rising tone indicates irritation and is an imperative)     Drive carefully, won't you? (falling tone indicates concern rather than an imperative)
• Complex tenses When we make a tag question with a complex tense (i.e., one that has more than one auxiliary verb), it is the first auxiliary which is used in the tag:     He has n't been working too hard again, has he?     He wo n't have arrived yet, will he?
• Pronunciation It is rare for weak forms of vowels to occur in tags.  The verb can is usually contracted to/kən/ in connected speech but in the tag, it retains its full pronunciation as /kæn/.  E.g.:     I can come, can't I? is usually transcribed as /ˈaɪ kən kʌm ˈkɑːnt aɪ/ but     I can't come, can I? is usually /ˈaɪ kɑːnt kʌm ˈkæn aɪ /

Tag questions are almost solely used in informal spoken language or written language which resembles spoken language (such as informal emails). As we saw above, under meaning, they can be simple statements requiring only confirmation, real questions or expressions of inference, sarcasm, threat, reprimand or conclusion. To make sure you have this, try a test .

Very often, tags questions are used to initiate or maintain a conversation and are very helpful to learners who sometimes struggle to achieve this. They are, however, quite complicated so should be approached in a piecemeal fashion.  One lesson will not be enough.

• Start with balanced tags.  Negative + Positive and Positive + Negative.
• Focus on to the use of be and have :     It's cold, isn't it?     You aren't wearing a coat, are you?     You haven't got a spare one, have you?
• Focus on modal auxiliary verbs:     I can't borrow hers, can I?     You could go inside, couldn't you?
• Focus on main verbs and do, does, did :     You didn't bring a hat, did you? etc.
• Only when the above have been mastered should you focus at more advanced levels on functions such as inference, conclusion, sarcasm or threat.

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Which is the right response for the question "Did you do your homework?"

I am trying to refresh my grammar and I want to remember what was the right past tense for this question

Did you do your homework? Yes I did it Yes I have done it Yes I had done it

Which is correct and when should I use others ?

3 Answers 3

“Yes, I did it” is the right answer to “Did you do your homework?”. But it would be more likely for the question to be “Have you done your homework?”, to which the answer is “Yes, I have done it” (or in speech, nearly always “Yes, I’ve done it”).

The difference is that “Did you do your homework?” is asking about the past —— did you, at some time in the past, do your homework? “Have you done your homework?” is asking about the present situation — are you, right now, in a state of having done your homework?

• I think "Did you do your homework?" would be idiomatic in American English, but I'll leave it to the Americans to suggest what the natural reply would be. –  Kate Bunting Commented Sep 9, 2020 at 7:52

Yes I did it

Yes I have done it

are correct and good responses to the question. It would be normal to reflect the form of the question, so if asked "Did you do your homework?" you would normally say "Yes, I did it." If asked "Have you done your homework?" (which means the same thing) you would answer "Yes, I have done it."

"Yes I had done it" is pluperfect tense and incorrect here.

Did you do your homework?

Have you done your homework?

Yes I have.

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How to answer“Did you finish your homework?”

Consider a scenario in which my friend, Jack, did NOT finish his homework. If I ask him the question “did you finish your homework?”, what is the correct way for Jack to answer this question? More specifically, can it be answered objectively with a Yes/No?

I feel like my friends would just say “no” as in “no, I didn’t finish”

But I feel like the correct answer should be “yes” as in “yes, you’re correct, I didn’t finish”

I know the easiest way to avoid this vagueness is to just add the “___, I didn’t finish” but I feel like most people don’t elaborate like that.

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"Haven't you?" or "don't you?"

What is the right question tag (in British English) when we use the verb have ? I have interviewed a few native speakers and none of them could explain why sometimes they prefer "haven't/hasn't" and why other times they prefer "don't/doesn't". Here are 4 different groups of sentences. Which ones are correct and which ones aren't and why?

• I've got a good voice, haven't I?
• You've got a dog, haven't you?
• She's got a new boyfriend, hasn't she?
• We've got very good friends, haven't we?
• They've got our address, haven't they?
• I have a good voice, don't I?
• You have a dog, don't you?
• She has a new boyfriend, doesn't she?
• We have very good friends, don't we?
• They have our address, don't they?
• I've got a good voice, don't I?
• You've got a dog, don't you?
• She's got a new boyfriend, doesn't she?
• We've got very good friends, don't we?
• They've got our address, don't they?
• I have a good voice, haven't I?
• You have a dog, haven't you?
• She has a new boyfriend, hasn't she?
• We have very good friends, haven't we?
• They have our address, haven't they?
• grammaticality
• british-english
• question-tags

• I will not spell every detail out but please note: English has two present tenses for have: have/have got, and they mean exactly the same thing in AmE and BrE and have exactly the same helping verbs in their standard forms. "I've got a good voice, haven't ?" The auxiliary matches the verb: have (do/does) or have got (has/have). –  Lambie Commented Sep 12, 2021 at 15:55
• Group 3 does not work for me (UK). "I've got a good voice..." = I have got a good voice. The tag question that follows needs to invert the auxiliary which is 'have' not 'do' - "haven't I". –  Dan Commented Dec 31, 2021 at 20:45

7 Answers 7

From the wikipedia article on question tags :

The English tag question is made up of an auxiliary verb and a pronoun. The auxiliary has to agree with the tense, aspect and modality of the verb in the preceding sentence. If the verb is in the present perfect, for example, the tag question uses has or have; if the verb is in a present progressive form, the tag is formed with am, are, is; if the verb is in a tense which does not normally use an auxiliary, like the present simple, the auxiliary is taken from the emphatic do form; and if the sentence has a modal auxiliary, this is echoed in the tag.

But then later on:

If the main verb is to have , either solution ( does/has ) is possible

Using this rule, group 2 and group 4 would both be correct. (As an AmE, I prefer group 2 with group 4 sounding awkward to a degree approaching incorrect, but I'm unsure about BritE)

Following the same rule, group 1 would be correct and group 3 incorrect as has/have is the auxiliary verb, and so it should be used in the question. However, as a native AmE speaker, this actually runs counter to my intuition as I would prefer group 3. I have a feeling this has to do with the 'have got' construction somehow affecting things.

Edit: updated because I should have read the whole thing

• So going by wikipedia, only groups 1 and 2 would be correct. Is that right? Is that how these are actually used in the U.K? –  Peter Shor Commented Oct 31, 2011 at 14:55
• @PeterShor - Yeah, you caught me mid-edit there. 1 and 2 are correct by the 'rule' from WP. As my edit states though, I prefer group 3 to group 1, but I'm AmE. I agree with your other comment that group 1 sounds more 'British', though I'll leave it up to the UK natives to answer that definitively. –  Dusty Commented Oct 31, 2011 at 15:07
• But in the Wikipedia page that you quoted it says: "If the main verb is to have, either solution is possible: - He has a book, hasn't he? / - He has a book, doesn't he?" This would seem to suggest that Group 4 is correct. What do you think? –  Martina Commented Oct 31, 2011 at 15:52
• @Martina - See my edit above from a few min ago. –  Dusty Commented Oct 31, 2011 at 15:53
• 2 Group 3 is "non standard". –  Lambie Commented Sep 12, 2021 at 15:57

In British English groups 1, 2 and 4 would be accepted as grammatically correct, though group 4 examples sound outdated. Group 3 examples would be defined as incorrect.

But language is defined by the people who use it, not by grammar books. I have the feeling group 3 examples are used more and more often, as AmE use is spread even among BrE speakers. Therefore, when you hear native English speakers use the examples you cite, it's safe for you to do the same.

• "Group 3 examples ... incorrect." - What grammar rule do these infringe? Presumably something that allows "She's got a new boyfriend, hasn't she?" (1) and "She has a new boyfriend, doesn't she?" (2) but not "She's got a new boyfriend, doesn't she?" (3). –  James Waldby - jwpat7 Commented Oct 31, 2011 at 16:32
• @jwpat7: The rule is that you use the same auxiliary verb in the tag as appeared in the original sentence. See Dusty's answer. You can't say "She's moved to London, didn't she," because that follows "have" with "did". In American English, the participle "got" is an exception to the rule (not "gotten" -- that follows the rule). I'm now wondering whether British English speakers who use "do" with "have got" distinguish between the different meanings of the word "got" the way Americans do. –  Peter Shor Commented Oct 31, 2011 at 17:36
• @Peter: You bring up a good point, but note that your "She's moved" example is fundamentally different from the examples in the question. When we say "She has a dog", "has" is a verb indicating possession. When we say "She has moved", "has" is not a stand-alone verb but a tense modifer for "moved". (I hadn't thought of that construct when I gave my answer and I would have answered somewhat differently if I had.) –  Jay Commented Oct 31, 2011 at 21:21
• 1 @Jay: I thought that my "She's moved" example parallels the "She's got" construction of groups 1 and 3. The participles "moved" and "got" aren't treated any differently in standard British English. –  Peter Shor Commented Oct 31, 2011 at 22:48
• 2 @Jay: You're right that "have" (like "do" and "be") can be used both as an auxiliary and as a substantive verb. "Be" always patterns as an auxiliary even when it is substantive ("Is he?", "He's not" rather than "*Does he be?" "*He doesn't be"). "Do" never patterns as an auxiliary when it is substantive ("*He don't it"). But in British English "have" is like "be", and can pattern like an auxiliary even when it is substantive: "Have you [got] any?" Fifty years ago this was the only option: "Do you have ..." would not have been said by many Britons. –  Colin Fine Commented Nov 1, 2011 at 12:12

I think all your examples are grammatically correct and would be well understood by any English speaker. It's just a matter of choice of words. It's like the difference between asking, "Does she have a dog?", "Does she own a dog?", "Has she got a dog?", etc. All are equally valid and mean essentially the same thing.

Personally I think the "haven't I" construct is a little unusual and awkward. Expand the contractions and you're saying, "She has got a dog, has she not?" We don't use this construct with any word other than "to have" that I can think of. All others we use versions of "to do". We don't say, "She runs very fast, runs she not?", or "She eats too much, eats she not?" So I PREFER "doesn't she", but that's just a personal preference for consistency. (I can think of some examples from very old books, like "You thinketh that he speaks falsely, thinkest thou not?" But I thinkest this usage is mostly obsolete.)

• 2 British English? Group 3 sounds more American to me, and group 1 more British. In American English, we would use "have" for any present perfect participle except "got", in which case I believe we prefer group 3 rather than group 1. For example, "You've replied to her email, haven't you?" would be perfectly normal American (and in this case also British) English. In fact, I believe the past participles "got" and "gotten" behave differently in American English in this usage. So it's "you've gotten her email, haven't you," and "you've got her email, don't you." –  Peter Shor Commented Oct 31, 2011 at 15:07
• "haven't I" is used all the time., "I've made all the efforts I should've made, haven't I? –  Lambie Commented Sep 12, 2021 at 16:01
• @Jay "doesn't she" - "does not she" - sounds pretty unusual and awkward to me! –  Dan Commented Dec 31, 2021 at 21:03
• @Dan Technically, "Doesn't she?" expands to "Does not she?", which yes, would be awkward. But nevertheless, people say it all the time. I think most would expand it to "Does she not?" Which sounds very formal, but that's why we use the contraction. –  Jay Commented Jan 1, 2022 at 2:42
• @Jay - hereabouts (UK) 'haven't' is used everywhere; not unusual or awkward. The issue here is not contractions in themselves. It is also not about whether 'bad' English "...would be well understood by any English speaker". The OP is asking for guidance about whether the tag question need 'agree' with the auxiliary associated with the statement (" ...the right question tag (in British English) " –  Dan Commented Jan 2, 2022 at 11:25

To me the rule is that the verb in the tag question should be the same as the auxiliary verb in the first part of the sentence (affirmative or negative). This may also apply to auxiliary verbs that would be used in the emphatic form of the first part of the sentence, which may or may not appear in such part, and to verbs which can act as both substantive and auxiliary. I would say group 1, 2 and 4 are correct, group 3 is not. I understand language is in a constant process of change (see Noam Chomsky's article 'Transformational Grammar') and what really matters is to make ourselves be understood by others when we use a language. The examples to illustrate my idea of the rule are as follows: I've got a good voice, haven't I? (Have - auxiliary) I (do) have a good voice, don't I? (Do - hidden auxiliary) I have a good voice, haven't I? (Have - substantive)

In Group 3 'I've got a good voice, don't I?' it is not possible to have 'do' as an hidden auxiliary as this form is already emphasized by 'got'. 'I do have got..' would be wrong. Thus, the tag question 'don't I?' is inconsistent with the verb 'have' in the first part of the sentence.

Groups 1,2 and 4 are fine. Group 3 is the problem.

In the first example sentence of Group 3 - I've got a good voice, don't I? the tag question is using a different auxiliary (do) to the statement that precedes it (have).

Starting " I've got... " the tag question is " ...haven't I ?".

Starting with " I have... " the tag question can be either " ... haven't I? " or " ... don't I ". UK English tends to use the former and US English the latter, I think.

Group 1&2 are correct. Because in first group have is a helping verb and sentence is in present perfect tense.... in second group have is a verb and sentence is in simple present tense.... so 1&2 are right

None are correct, take out the apostrophes and then ask do they make sense? don’t you should be do you not and haven't you should be have you not. Not do not you and have not you as they are being used in the former.

• Your answer could be improved with additional supporting information. Please edit to add further details, such as citations or documentation, so that others can confirm that your answer is correct. You can find more information on how to write good answers in the help center . –  Community Bot Commented Sep 12, 2021 at 12:13
• This must be a joke because it just is not serious. –  Lambie Commented Sep 12, 2021 at 16:02

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• English Grammar
• Grammar Exercises

Question Tags Exercises

Are you a person who uses a lot of question tags ? Do you think you are using them right? Let us check. This article has some question tags exercises you can try out to find how good you are with them.

Question Tags Exercises with Answers

Complete the following exercises and also check your answers once you are done.

Exercise 1 – Complete the sentences

Read the following statements and fill in the gaps using correct question tags.

• Juhi is from Mumbai, ____?
• We are late for the movies, ___?
• Sam isn’t a good boy, ____?
• I was wrong about this, ___?
• Andrew was present at the school yesterday, ____?
• You have done your homework, _____?
• Please stop talking, ___?
• I am afraid Tim is very sick, ____?
• Sheena won’t mind if I use her book, ____?
• The girl is playing the piano, ____?
• Patrick will come to the seminar tonight, ____?
• Rita never acts so rudely, ____?
• Sam isn’t a student, _____?
• It is very humid today, ____?
• Laura is beautiful, _____?

Answers for Exercise 1

• Juhi is from Mumbai, isn’t she ?
• We are late for the movies, aren’t we ?
• Sam isn’t a good boy, is he ?
• I was wrong about this, wasn’t I ?
• Andrew was present at the school yesterday, wasn’t he ?
• You have done your homework, haven’t you ?
• Please stop talking, will you ?
• I am afraid Tim is very sick, isn’t he ?
• Sheena won’t mind if I use her book, will she ?
• The girl is playing the piano, isn’t she ?
• Patrick will come to the seminar tonight, won’t he ?
• Rita never acts so rudely, does she ?
• Sam isn’t a student, is he ?
• It is very humid today, isn’t it ?
• Laura is beautiful, isn’t she ?

Exercise 2 – Fill in the Blanks

Read the sentences and fill in the blanks with the correct question tags.

• Let’s go surfing, ____?
• The children are sleeping, ____?
• The pan is hot, ___?
• Amy doesn’t like solving maths problems, _____?
• You are from West Bengal, ____?
• I like eating chocolate pastries, ____?
• You have completed your assignment, ____?
• You don’t live here, ____?
• The children are playing in the garden, ____?
• We often go out for dinner on weekends, _____?

Answers for Exercise 2

• Let’s go surfing, shall we ?
• The children are sleeping, aren’t they ?
• The pan is hot, isn’t it ?
• Amy doesn’t like solving maths problems, does she ?
• You are from West Bengal, aren’t you ?
• I like eating chocolate pastries, don’t I ?
• You have completed your assignment, haven’t you ?
• You don’t live here, do you ?
• The children are playing in the garden, aren’t they ?
• We often go out for dinner on weekends, don’t we ?

Frequently Asked Questions

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Question Tags Exercise 1

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Do you enjoy quiz shows? (question tags)

Grammar - question tags

LESSON OVERVIEW

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

• learn to form question tags, 
• apply general knowledge to practise forming question tags,
• practise expressing uncertainty about facts using question tags.

With this question tags lesson plan, students learn to use question tags when they are uncertain about some facts. They do a general knowledge quiz . They also talk about quiz shows and watch people answering general knowledge questions.

B1 / Intermediate B2 / Upper Intermediate 60 min Standard Lesson Free / Premium Plan student's version teacher's version Unlock the e-lesson plan with the Premium subscription

VIDEO & QUESTION TAGS

This question tags lesson starts with a warm-up activity. Students discuss what general knowledge is and assess the state of their knowledge. Then, they watch the video and decide whether the questions in it are general knowledge questions. You can also choose to pause the video before the quiz show participants provide their answers. After that, students match halves to sentences with question tags (e.g. The driest place in the world is in the Atacama Desert, isn’t it? ). They also need to tick rules that apply to using and forming question tags. Then, students match the sentences with answers. Next, students complete gaps with question tags. They also need to answer the questions. 

The second part of this question tags lesson starts with a discussion . Students talk about quiz shows, explain rules of some, think of winning strategies, etc. Then, they answer questions from a quiz using question tags to confirm with their partner (e.g. There are four time zones in Brazil, aren’t there? ). Finally, students play a game based on the quiz show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? . If they are unsure about a rule, they can use a question tag to check with you. There are four sets of questions in the teacher’s pdf and the e-lesson plan. 

HOMEWORK/REVISION

This question tags lesson also includes an additional task that you can use as homework or revision. In the task, students practise creating question tags. The task is available in the teacher’s version of the worksheet. You can print it and hand it out to your students. It’s also included in the e-lesson plan.

Unlock the e-lesson plan with the Premium subscription

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Hi! Thank you for such a wonderful lesson, but I failed to find the 4 sets of questions without answers to play the game.

Thanks! The questions are on slides 28-31 (the slides are hidden so that students don’t see the answers) and on pages 5-6 of the teacher’s pdf.

But the right answers are highlighted there, so there aren’t tests without highlighted answers neither in the teacher’s pdf or on slides

The game that you are referring to (ex. 8/slide 27) is based on the game show ‘Who wants to be a millionaire?’. The objective of the game isn’t to take a test but to communicate with team members and the teacher using question tags. This is why the teacher needs to read the questions out to students instead of showing the questions to them. See more details in ex. 8/slide 27.

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Question tags worksheet

Question tags are the small questions that come at the ends of sentences. They are mainly used in informal writing and speech. We use negative tags after affirmative sentences and non-negative tags after negative sentences.

Note that question tags are not used after questions.

Add appropriate question tags to the following sentences.

1. You don’t work on Sundays, .....................?

We use affirmative question tags after negative verbs.

2. They haven’t forgotten us, ..................... .?

3. there is little point in doing anything about it, ........................

Words like hardly and little are negative, so we use an affirmative tag after them.

4. She didn’t recognize him, .......................?

5. you passed the test, ..................... ...

When the sentence is in the simple past tense, we make question tags with did or didn't.

6. They bought a new car last week, .....................?

7. she wants to be a writer, ........................

When the sentence is in the simple present tense, we make question tags with do or does.

8. They make a lot of money, …..................... ..?

9. no one helped him, ........................

Words like no and none are negative, so we use an affirmative tag after them.

10. She knows the answer, ............................?

1. You don’t work on Sundays, do they?

2. They haven’t forgotten us, have they?

3. There is little point in doing anything about it, is there?

4. She didn’t recognize him, did she?

5. You passed the test, didn’t you?

6. They bought a new car last week, didn’t they?

7. She wants to be a writer, doesn’t she?

8. They make a lot of money, don’t they?

9. No one helped him, did they?

10. She knows the answer, doesn’t she?

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Tag Questions A tag question starts out as a statement and then becomes at the end. There are different reasons for using tag questions, but usually it’s because you have an idea of what the answer might be. Examples: You want to learn English, We’ve had some really good weather, She can help you with your homework, Notice the subject is repeated at the end of the question, and the helping verb (auxiliary verb) is used to reinforce the tense of the verb. The first question is in the present tense; therefore, use "do" as the helping verb. In this question, I know you want to learn English: You want to learn English, don’t you? The second question is in the present perfect; therefore, use "have" as the helping verb. Remember that your choice of helping verb sometimes depends on the subject. In this question, we both know that the weather has been great: We’ve had some really nice weather, haven’t we? How about a question in which "he" is the subject and there’s a contraction: He’s made a lot of friends in school, hasn’t he? The third question uses a modal verb, "can," so you simply make it negative before the subject. In this question, I think the person can help you, but I might not be sure: She can help you with your homework, can’t she? Tag questions can start out in the negative and then end in the affirmative: It hasn’t been a very good day, has it? They don’t like to eat different kinds of food, do they? You wouldn’t do that, would you?   Here are some more examples:   She’s very beautiful, isn’t she? (We all agree that this is a beautiful woman.) The baby doesn’t want to eat her food, does she? (It’s obvious that this baby isn’t going to eat.)   She’s done something really interesting to her hair, hasn’t she? (Dying your hair purple is interesting–although you may or may not like it. I like it, but you might not like it. However, I want you to agree with me.)   Here’s a video explaining tag questions: You can practice with a quiz. Click here . Next: Lesson 20 embedded questions 153 IMAGES 100 Question Tag Examples question tags Fill in the right question tag! Question Tags in English Question Tags in English • 7ESL 100 Question Tag With Answer in Interrogative Sentences COMMENTS How to reply to question tags the same and reply with "Yes, I didn't". - MediumOne. Apr 1, 2011 at 16:42. @MediumOne: That's right, "No, I didn't" is the correct way to answer the question. It does seem illogical. As @Mitch says the key is to include the "did/didn't" in the answer and match the positive/negative yes/no to that. Rules for using question tags in English (don't you?, isn't it? …) What are question tags? In general, question tags (also called tag questions or question tails) are used to elicit confirmation or affirmation for a statement from the person one is talking to. This grammatical feature can sometimes provoke problems (especially for learners of English as a foreign language) as the question tag always has to be adapted to the previous part of the statement. Question tags Exercises: 1 2 3. Question tags - aren't you? don't you? Exercise 1. Choose the correct form to complete the question tags below. 1 You are a student, ? 2 It isn't too cold today, ? 3 He was at the concert, ? 4 You like chocolate, ? 5 She arrived too late, ? Question Tags Did you do your homework, didn't you? XXX. So, question tags can be used to check whether something is true or to ask for agreement. If you can use them correctly in your everyday speaking, it shows you have a good understanding of the language and you can impress your teachers and friends with your range of English! You can also use it in ... Question Tag Examples And Exercises Exercise 2: PDF Worksheet. This next question tag exercise is a printable PDF worksheet. There are 10 questions and answers and each question asks you to fill in the blank with the appropriate question tag. This PDF also includes the answers on a separate page. Question Tag Exercise With Answers. How to use Tag Questions in English Grammar, with examples Forming tag questions. auxiliary verb + subject. We use the same auxiliary verb in the tag as in the main sentence. If there is no auxiliary verb in the main sentence, we use do in the tag. You live in Spain, don't you? If the auxiliary verb in the sentence is affirmative, the tag is negative. You' re learning Spanish, aren't you? Tag Questions Examples: Past, Present and Future Examples of Tag Questions. These are some examples of tag questions in different contexts:. It's a lovely day, isn't it? You didn't do your homework, did you? You don't like me, do you? You haven't seen Sascha, have you? You think you're clever, don't you? You have a car, don't you? She can't swim, can she? She was crying, wasn't she?; He does look like his father, doesn ... Master Tag Questions: Definition, Form, Use, And Examples Tag questions vary according to different factors such as the choice of auxiliary, type of sentence, and negation. The following table outlines the main rules for forming tag questions: Rule. Example. Rule #1. - Use a negative tag if the statement is positive. - Use a positive tag if the statement is negative. Tag Questions Tag questions (or question tags) turn a statement into a question. They are often used for checking information that we think we know is true. Tag questions are made using an auxiliary verb (for example: be or have) and a subject pronoun (for example: I, you, she ). Negative question tags are usually contracted: It's warm today, isn't it (not ... Question Tags The Collins Dictionary definition of a question tag is as follows - "In grammar, a question tag is a very short clause at the end of a statement which changes the statement into a question. For example, in 'She said half price, didn't she?', the words 'didn't she' are a question tag.". Question tags 2. Characteristics and uses of questions tags. Question tags are formed taking into account the verb tense of the statement of reference.; When the statement of reference is affirmative, the question tag is negative; when the statement of reference is negative, the question tag is affirmative.; They are placed at the end of the sentence, preceded by a comma and followed by a question mark. ELT Concourse: question tags Task 1: These examples demonstrate the essential rules for forming question tags. Focus on: The occurrence of negative and positive forms. Click here when you have a list. These are all examples of balanced tags . A negative sentence takes a positive tag and vice versa: Not all tag forms are balanced as we shall see. Which is the right response for the question "Did you do your homework?" Yes I did it. and. Yes I have done it. are correct and good responses to the question. It would be normal to reflect the form of the question, so if asked "Did you do your homework?" you would normally say "Yes, I did it." If asked "Have you done your homework?" (which means the same thing) you would answer "Yes, I have done it." Question Tags Exercise You went there yesterday, didn't you? You had a word with your boss, didn't you? She told you something, didn't she? They live here, don't they? She is an architect, isn't she? She earns a six figure salary, doesn't she? He spends a lot of money on gadgets, doesn't he? Somebody knocked on the door, didn't they? How to answer"Did you finish your homework?" Therefore, "Yes, (you're correct)" is not an appropriate answer. On its own, "Yes" would be interpreted as, "Yes, I did finish my homework." It gets more complicated when you do make a statement or use a tag question: "You didn't finish your homework, (did you?)" grammaticality The English tag question is made up of an auxiliary verb and a pronoun. The auxiliary has to agree with the tense, aspect and modality of the verb in the preceding sentence. If the verb is in the present perfect, for example, the tag question uses has or have; if the verb is in a present progressive form, the tag is formed with am, are, is; if ... Question Tag Exercises: In this article, explore Question Tag Exercises Let us check. This article has some question tags exercises you can try out to find how good you are with them. Question Tags Exercises with Answers. Complete the following exercises and also check your answers once you are done. Exercise 1 - Complete the sentences. Read the following statements and fill in the gaps using correct question tags. Question Tags Exercise 1 Try an exercise about making question tags here - it's interactive and free or you can print the quiz in PDF. Login Contact Courses Membership Speaking Explanations Exercises Method. Question Tags Exercise 1. Perfect English Grammar. Check how to make question tags here. Download this exercise in PDF here. Do you enjoy quiz shows? (question tags) This question tags lesson also includes an additional task that you can use as homework or revision. In the task, students practise creating question tags. The task is available in the teacher's version of the worksheet. You can print it and hand it out to your students. It's also included in the e-lesson plan. Question tags worksheet Question tags worksheet. February 11, 2017 -. Question tags are the small questions that come at the ends of sentences. They are mainly used in informal writing and speech. We use negative tags after affirmative sentences and non-negative tags after negative sentences. Note that question tags are not used after questions. O19 Tag Questions The first question is in the present tense; therefore, use "do" as the helping verb. In this question, I know you want to learn English: You want to learn English, don't you? The second question is in the present perfect; therefore, use "have" as the helping verb. Remember that your choice of helping verb sometimes depends on the subject. essay homework paper phd project resume review speech study