Practice
Tag questions: check information in natural conversation
Sign in to saveThe room is on this floor, isn't it? The short question at the end checks a detail and makes the statement part of a conversation.
Build a natural tag question by choosing the matching auxiliary verb, subject pronoun, and usual opposite polarity.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
The room is on this floor, isn't it? /ðə ruːm ɪz ɒn ðɪs flɔː, ˈɪz.ənt ɪt/
The short answer
Use the statement's auxiliary verb and a matching pronoun in the tag. A positive statement usually takes a negative tag, and a negative statement usually takes a positive tag.
The keys are on the desk, aren't they?
Why it works: Are becomes aren't, and the plural noun keys becomes they.
4 more examples
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Nora finished the schedule, didn't she?
Finished is a simple past verb, so the tag uses did. Nora becomes she in this context.
Not this:Nora did not finish the schedule,
did she? What changes: Because the statement is negative, the regular checking tag is positive. -
The guests have arrived, haven't they?
Have is the present-perfect auxiliary and guests becomes they.
Not this:The guest has arrived,
hasn't she? What changes: A singular person uses has and a matching singular pronoun. -
This form can be submitted online, can't it?
Can stays in the tag because it is already a modal auxiliary.
Not this:This form cannot be submitted online,
can it? What changes: A negative modal statement takes a positive modal tag. -
Let's meet outside the station, shall we?
Let's introduces a shared suggestion, so shall we invites the other person into the plan.
Not this:Wait near the entrance,
will you? What changes: Will you is a familiar tag after an imperative request.
Read the full guide
Find the working verb before you write the tag. Keep be, have, can, will, or another auxiliary when the statement already has one. When a simple present or past statement has an ordinary verb, use do, does, or did. Then choose a pronoun and check the statement's polarity.
Start with the verb in the statement
The tag normally repeats the statement's working verb. If the statement has be, have, will, can, should, or another auxiliary, use that verb again. Do not replace it with do or did. The tag follows the grammar already present in the statement.
The reception desk is closed, isn't it?
Is is already the verb here, so isn't appears in the tag. A did tag would not match the statement.
Which verb belongs in the tag after The files have disappeared?
Use have: The files have disappeared, haven't they?
Use do, does, or did with ordinary verbs
Simple present and simple past statements often have no auxiliary word. In that case, use do, does, or did in the tag. Choose does for a singular present-tense subject, do for most other present-tense subjects, and did for a past-tense statement.
The bus stops here, doesn't it?
Stops is a simple present verb with a singular subject. Does supplies the auxiliary in the tag.
Your cousins stayed late, didn't they?
Stayed is simple past, so the tag needs did. Cousins is plural, so the pronoun is they.
Reverse the positive or negative form
For an ordinary confirmation question, switch the polarity. A positive statement usually ends in a negative tag. A negative statement usually ends in a positive tag. Check the whole statement, including words such as not, never, nobody, and hardly, because they can make the meaning negative.
The shop is not open on Sundays, is it?
The statement is negative because it contains not. The tag therefore uses the positive form is it.
How do you finish They will arrive before lunch with a regular tag?
Write: They will arrive before lunch, won't they?
Match the subject with a pronoun
The tag uses a pronoun instead of repeating the subject. Use it for a thing, place, or idea; they for plural people or things; and a suitable singular pronoun for a person. This keeps the tag brief and shows that it refers back to the statement.
The new instructions are clear, aren't they?
Instructions is plural, so they is the matching pronoun. It would be wrong for several instructions.
What pronoun follows your aunt when the speaker knows she uses she?
Use she: Your aunt lives nearby, doesn't she?
Choose a tag that fits the conversation
A tag question can have more than one conversational purpose. With a rising voice, This is your seat, isn't it? may ask for real confirmation. With a falling voice, it may invite agreement. Imperatives and suggestions use familiar forms too: will you often follows a request, and shall we follows Let's.
Bring your ID with you, will you?
The speaker is making a request. Will you makes the request sound less abrupt.
Let's review the map first, shall we?
The suggestion includes both speakers, so shall we is the usual response tag.
Before you go
Remember this
Locate the auxiliary or choose do, does, or did. Change the subject to a pronoun, then reverse positive and negative form. Use the finished sentence to check a fact, invite agreement, or make a request sound more conversational.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
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Try the written questionsQuestions about "Tag questions: check information in natural conversation"
What is a tag question?
A tag question is a brief question added after a statement. It often asks the listener to confirm a detail or agree with the speaker. The tag normally contains an auxiliary verb and a pronoun that refer back to the statement.
The keys are on the desk, aren't they?
How do I choose the verb for a tag question?
Reuse be, have, a modal, or another auxiliary already present in the statement. If a simple present or past statement has only an ordinary verb, use do, does, or did. The tag must match the statement's tense and subject.
The key is on the desk, isn't it?
Why does a tag question use a pronoun?
The pronoun replaces the statement's subject so the tag stays short. Use it for a singular thing or place and they for a plural subject. For a person, choose the pronoun that fits that person's stated or known reference.
Nora finished the schedule, didn't she?
Do tag questions always switch from positive to negative?
Opposite polarity is the usual pattern for a confirmation tag: a positive statement normally has a negative tag and a negative statement normally has a positive tag. Same-polarity tags can express surprise or challenge, so learn the regular pattern first.
Nora did not finish the schedule, did she?
Which tags follow requests and suggestions?
Will you is common after an imperative request, while shall we usually follows Let's when the speaker suggests a shared action. These familiar patterns help a request or suggestion sound conversational, even though they do not copy the ordinary statement pattern exactly.
The guests have arrived, haven't they?