Definition
Question tags are not a complete question in itself. These are a form of question attached with a statement. This acts as a confirmation to that of the statements. Question tags are also used in everyday life conversations in order to seek the attention of the listener.
1. What is a question tag?
A question tag is a half question with a statement in a sentence that is used for confirmation of something.
Let’s figure it out with a few question tags
examples.
1.She is honest, isn’t she?
2.They are always ready for me, aren’t they?
In the above examples the underlined part of sentences represent question tags.
There are mainly two main question tags rules for the formation of sentences.
Statement positive = negative question tag
Statement negative = positive question tag
Structure of tags
(a) Structure of a positive tag (b) Structure of a negative tag
Auxiliary +
subject +? Auxiliary +not +subject +?
If the sentence is positive, the question tag is always used in negative.
Examples
1.She loves me a lot, doesn’t she?
(+) (- )
2.Rahul is a doctor, isn’t he?
( + ) ( – )
These sentences are positive hence the last part of sentences are in negative formation.
For a detailed explanation you need to go through the below sentences which shares a precisely clear information about question tags rules and examples.
(a) Positive Question Tags: are said to be positive if it is attached to a negative statement. For examples.
(i) She is not working, is she?
ò ò
Negative statement positive tag
(ii) 
They
had not gone there had they?
ò ò
Negative statement positive tag
(b) Negative Question Tags: are said to be negative if it is attached to a positive statement. For examples
(i) We are reading aren’t we?
ò ò
Positive statement negative tag
(ii) You will do this job won’t you?
ò ò
Positive tag negative tag
The most important part about question tags is, they follow some common words in all the types. I have given the list of words below. Kindly read it first before you go to the exercise just have a quick glance at it.
The auxiliary that is to be used in the formation of question tags must be in the contracted form. This holds good only in the case of a negative tags. Here is the list of those contracted auxiliaries.
|
Words |
Question tag forms |
|
Do not |
Don’t |
|
Did not |
Didn’t |
|
Are not |
Aren’t |
|
Is not |
Isn’t |
|
Am not |
Aren’t |
|
Has not |
Hasn’t |
|
Have not |
Haven’t |
|
Had not |
Hadn’t |
|
Does not |
Doesn’t |
|
Will not |
Won’t |
|
Shall not |
Shan’t |
|
May not |
Mayn’t |
|
Might not |
Mightn’t |
|
Can not |
Can’t |
|
Could not |
Couldn’t |
|
Would not |
Wouldn’t |
|
Need not |
Needn’t |
|
Used not |
Usedn’t |
|
Dare not |
Daren’t |
|
Was not |
Wasn’t |
|
Were not |
Weren’t |
|
Ought not |
Oughtn’t |
|
Must not |
Mustn’t |
|
Should not |
Shouldn’t |
There are certain rules that one must keep them in mind to answer the question tags correctly.
Rule no. 1 The subject of a question tag can never be a noun. It is always a pronoun. For example
(i) Miss Neha Yadav is a highly
proficient SEO expert, isn’t Neha? (Incorrect)
(ii) The students of my class were
always out in Economics’ period, weren’t they students? (Incorrect)
Here are the correct question tags with answers.
I. Miss Neha Yadav is a highly
proficient SEO expert, isn’t she? (Correct )
II. The students of my class were
always out in Economics’ period, weren’t they? (Correct)
In the above sentence the subject (Neha)
is a noun, but still in the question tag She a pronoun
is used else it would be incorrect to use ‘Neha’ on the place of ‘She’.
Rule no. 2 Question tags can never start with a capital letter.
I. My friend doesn’t sleep without
a good night message, Does he? (Incorrect)
My friend doesn’t sleep without a good night message, does he?
(Correct) don’t use the first word of a question tag in capital letter.
Rule no. 3 The statements that use the followings are considered negative and
hence, the question tags for the statements are always positive.
(Barely, Rarely, Hardly, Seldom,
Nothing, Never, Few, less, Nowhere, Scarcely, No, Neither, Nobody and No one)
Question tags with example are available for the above mentioned
rules in details.
1. The barking dogs seldom bite, do they?
2. Nothing is going on between her and me, Is it?
3. Few questions about grammar lessons confused me in the exam, did they?
4. Neither decisions made by me proved to be accurate, Is it?
5. I rarely talk to people, am I??
Exercise A
Complete the following question tags exercises by
using suitable tags.
1. He isn’t going to do it,……………?
2. You enjoyed that,……….. ?
3. He doesn’t write very well,…………?
4. We love it …………….?
5. It doesn’t work, ………….?
6. They don’t live in Liverpool, ……….?
7. She works in sales, …………….?
8. It looks perfect there ,…………….?
9. We went there last year, ………….?
10. I don’t know him,……………?
