Tag Questions

Forming tag questions

auxiliary verb + subject

  1. 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?
  2. If the auxiliary verb in the sentence is affirmative, the tag is negative.
    • You’re learning Spanish, aren’t you?
  3. If the auxiliary verb in the sentence is negative, the tag is affirmative.
    • You don’t speak Spanish, do you?
  4. If the main verb in the sentence is be (am, is, are, was, were), we use this in the tag:
    • There is a lot of noise, isn’t there?
    • You’re a little late, aren’t you?

Meaning

  1. We use tag questions to confirm or check information or ask for agreement.
    • 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?
  2. We use tag questions to check whether something is true.
    • The meeting’s tomorrow at 9am, isn’t it?
    • You won’t go without me, will you?

Additional points

  1. In the present form of be: In an affirmative statement, if the subject is “I”, the auxiliary changes to aren’t in the tag.
    • I’m sitting next to you, aren’t I?
    • I’m a little early, aren’t I?
  2. With let’s, the tag is shall we?
    • Let’s go to the beach, shall we?
    • Let’s have a coffee, shall we?
  3. With an imperative, the tag is will you?
    • Close the window, will you?
    • Hold this, will you?
  4. We use an affirmative tag 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?
  5. When the subject is nothing, we use “it” in the tag.
    • Nothing bad happened, did it?
    • Nothing ever happens, does it?
  6. If the subject is nobody, somebody, everybody, no one, someone or everyone, we use “they” in the tag.
    • Nobody asked for me, did they?
    • Nobody lives here, do they?
  7. If the main verb in the sentence is have (not an auxiliary verb), it is more common to use do in the tag.
    • You have a Ferrari, don’t you?
    • She had a great time, didn’t she?
  8. With used to, we use “didn’t” in the tag.
    • You used to work here, didn’t you?
    • He used to have long hair, didn’t he?
  9. We can use affirmative tags after affirmative sentences to express a reaction such as surprise or interest.
    • You’re moving to Brazil, are you?

Pronunciation

  1. If we don’t know the answer, it is a real question and we use a rising intonation with the tag.
    • You don’t know where the boss is, do you? ↗
  2. If we know the answer and are just confirming the information a falling intonation is used with the tag.
    • That film was fantastic, wasn’t it? ↘

Related grammar points

Questions

Author picture

Comments

  1. After I introduce the topic, we usually play bingo with tag endings. I give students cards like the bingo ones with different tag endings (for example …, did she? …, haven’t they?). Then I take a paper and read the sentence:

    “She went to the supermarket.”

    If they have a possible ending, they cross it out. The idea is to complete the card first. Students enjoy the game a lot! They have to pay attention to the tense and pronoun used.

    Reply
  2. Put some sentences and question tags on cards. Stick the sentences on the wall and distribute the cards with question tags among the students. Ask them to move around and put the tag on the appropriate sentence.

    Reply
  3. This is an exercise to test students’ ability to come up with quick answers, and it’s very simple. The main pupose is to speed up students’ minds and enabe them to use the structure as fast as they can.

    Make a list of sentences covering most structures and tenses (affirmative and negative in random order). You read out one of your sentences in the list and assign one of your students to come up with the proper tag. The student has only one chance to answer. If they are wrong, you go to the next student for the right tag. You should get the right tag before moving on.This exercise is fast and there are no explanations on why the answers they come up with are right or wrong. Students realize their mistakes through their classmates’ answers.

    They get a little stressed out because when their turn comes, they tend to panic trying to think of the right tag. This is good because it gets their minds used to responding quickly and directly in English and avoids over-thinking structures and translating from their native language.

    Reply
  4. You forgot to tell us the difference between let’s…? and let us… in suggestions and requests
    e.g.
    1 – Let’s go to the zoo, shall we?
    2 – Let us go to the zoo, will you?

    However I think this is the best explanation for tag question on the internet, thanks.

    Reply
    • how to ask in this below case :
      let him / me go ……………………………. ?
      in case of using the pronoun him and in case of using any other pronoun
      thanks

      Reply
      • Avatar photo

        Abuadam, these are imperatives, and in imperatives the subject is always “you”. So the question tags will be like this:

        Let him go, will you?
        Let me go, will you?

        Or…

        Let him go, won’t you?
        Let me go, won’t you?

        Reply
        • Please help me with the tag question:
          It’s necessary to make a list of items when carrying out a meeting, …?

          Reply
          • The answer is… “isn’t it?”

          • Isn’t it

          • It’s can also be written in form of ” It is ” the questions tag will be ” isn’t it “

        • The dog’s worshipped at Tihar,
          Now add tag of it…

          Reply
          • Avatar photo

            The dog’s worshipped at Tihar, isn’t it?

            Or, if you prefer to use “he” or “she” to describe the dog, you can say:

            The dog’s worshipped at Tihar, isn’t he?
            The dog’s worshipped at Tihar, isn’t she?

          • Hi, I see your support on tags is very well but I’ve some preoccupation on the first person in singular, so what can I do to put the tag when it’s that?

          • Isn’t it?

        • Hi there!!!! I have a question. So, we start tomorrow, aren’t we? Is it correct to say like this?

          Reply
          • Avatar photo

            “don’t we” is the correct tag for this sentence. Hope that helps!

          • Would you please tell me what the tag is for the following sentence:
            Jane believes that her team members easily won the game because they are familiar with teamwork, …?

          • Please help me with the tag question,
            I am used to walking in the morning.

          • He did nothing, …?
            Can you add the tag?

          • First your question is incorrect. You should have written today instead of tomorrow….. But according to that question the tag is …. Don’t we?

        • What is the answer of ‘Kamal answered the letter .’Add question tag can you answer fast?

          Reply
          • What is the answer of ‘Everything is lost’
            Please answer fast

          • Avatar photo

            Everything is lost, isn’t it?

          • Avatar photo

            Kamal answered the letter, didn’t he?

          • Didn’t he?

          • We see that they have little knowledge about games and sports, …?
            What is its answer?

          • Didn’t he/she

        • He’s accused of stealing money, …?

          Reply
          • Avatar photo

            He’s accused of stealing money, isn’t he?

          • What is the answer for this: “The little girl is playing piano”

        • “The little girl knew little about the matter” – what is the answer of this tag question? Please care to explain. Thank you.

          Reply
          • Avatar photo

            “little” has a negative meaning here, so we could use an affirmative tag, like this:
            The girl knew little about the matter, did she?

            But, this doesn’t sound very natural to me. I think this sounds more natural:
            The girl knew little about the matter, didn’t she?

          • All that glitters is not gold, isn’t it / is it?
            please explain.

        • These man drive too fast, we hardly have time to cross the street, …?

          Reply
          • Avatar photo

            Hi Heena

            The tag for this is “do we?”

            (and “man” needs to change to “men”)

            Hope that helps.

        • You are not happy with the decision…

          Reply
        • She said she was happy, …?
          She said that she was happy, …?
          Congratulations, …?
          One should always speak the truth, …?

          Ppz, answer with explanation.

          Reply
        • One should be sincere in one’s work, …?

          Reply
          • Avatar photo

            One should be sincere in one’s work, shouldn’t one?

      • Shall I / will you

        Reply
      • In my opinion, it must be WILL YOU

        Reply
    • I have a question,
      What will be the Answer?
      1. One but all of the members worked for me, …?
      2. You surely plan to fail if you fail to plan, …?

      Reply
      • Avatar photo

        1. One but all of the members worked for me, didn’t they? (Do you mean “Not one but all…”?)
        2. You surely plan to fail if you fail to plan, don’t you?

        Reply
        • I along with my friend went there, …?
          What will be the tag?

          Reply
          • Avatar photo

            It depends if you want to talk about just yourself (your friend coming is just extra information):

            I, along with my friend, went there, didn’t I?

            …or if you are talking about you and your friend as a group of people together:

            I along with my friend went there, didn’t we?

        • 1. One but all of the members worked for me, didn’t they?
          Hey Eslbase if you don’t mind, can you explain me why you used “they” as pronoun??? Plz help me I’m really confused about it

          Reply
    • I think the tag will be same as let’s or let us

      Reply
  5. Imperative tag
    Stop here, will you?
    Stop here, won’t you?
    Both are possible.
    How’s that?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Thanks for the question! What we’re talking about here is question tags with imperative sentences. These are a bit of a special case. We normally use “will you” or “would you” as the tag in imperative sentences, but “won’t you” is also possible.

      Reply
      • Remember to lock up, …?
        What will be the question tag

        Reply
        • Avatar photo

          Remember to lock up, will you?
          OR
          Remember to lock up, won’t you?

          Both are correct.

          Reply
      • Actually, the thing is if the imperative sentence is in an affirmative form , you can use both ‘will you’ or ‘won’t you’ . But the fact is when the imperative sentence is in a negative form, you only can use ‘will you?’ You can’t use ‘won’t you’ in that case. Example:
        Do not read the book, _______? Ans.’ will you? ‘ (can’t be ‘won’t you’)

        Reply
      • Please help me with these tag questions
        She thought he was not right, …?
        She didn’t think he was right, …?
        She didn’t think he was not right, …?
        I don’t think you are right, …?
        I think you aren’t right, …?
        I don’t think you aren’t right, …?

        Reply
        • Avatar photo

          She thought he was not right, didn’t she?
          She didn’t think he was right, did she?
          She didn’t think he was not right, did she?
          I don’t think you are right, do I?
          I think you aren’t right, don’t I?
          I don’t think you aren’t right, do I?

          Reply
  6. If we have Little or few, the tag is negative? Iittle is done, isn’t it or little is done, is it?

    Reply
    • When there is a sentence that contains “little or “few” they denote a negative statement in case of questions tags so the tags of the question should be in positive. But where there is “a little ” or “a few” then the sentence denotes positive statement so we use a negative tag.

      Reply
      • What’s the tag
        That is John….?

        Reply
        • Avatar photo

          That is John, isn’t it?

          Reply
        • Hi! I have a question. “All for none, none for all.” Can this sentence have a tag and if it does what is it?

          Reply
  7. Is it correct to say: Nothing mentioned, did it?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Leena

      Did you mean to say:

      “Nothing was mentioned”?

      If so, then the correct question tag would be:

      “Nothing was mentioned, was it?”

      Reply
      • No,I didn’t mean to say that.
        I want to know what is the question tag for the sentence “Nothing mentioned”

        Reply
        • Hi Leena

          The sentence “Nothing mentioned” doesn’t look like a complete sentence. Do you have an example of a conversation where we would find this sentence?

          Reply
          • yes.
            it could be….
            nothing was mentioned.
            Nothing is mentioned.

      • “He has few friends, hasn’t he?” – is it correct?

        Reply
        • Avatar photo

          Hi Angelina

          “He has few friends, doesn’t he” is correct.

          “Has” in your sentence is the main verb, so we need to use “do” as the auxiliary verb in the tag.

          Hope that helps.

          Reply
          • few is a negative word, so I think, “does he?” is correct

          • only few refers to negative sense. In this case tag would be has he/does he?

          • would you please make it clear about: few & a few, little & a little?
            greetings

          • Unfortunately, the answer given here is wrong.
            Since ‘few’ has a negative meaning, the answer is: He has few friends, has he or does he?

      • They have to respect their parents, …?

        Reply
        • Avatar photo

          They have to respect their parents, don’t they?

          Reply
          • Shouldn’t they? Is it correct?

          • Avatar photo

            “They should respect their parents, shouldn’t they?”

          • Don’t tell my mother, will you?

            Is it correct?

          • Avatar photo

            Yes, this is correct.

    • Yes it is correct because the word nothing is negative and when the reference of a word is not understood “it” is used as a reference.

      Reply
  8. Hai…
    I still confuse about using “hardly ever” and “rarely”.
    A word with a negative meaning, the question tag needs to be positive, How many words like that?

    Reply
    • They are as few as your fingers

      Reply
  9. Hello, I’d like to learn what tag question is correct: You have a brother, don’t you? or You have a brother, haven’t you?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Darya

      You have a brother, don’t you? is correct.

      Hope that helps.

      Reply
      • Thanks
        Yes it helps to me

        Reply
    • One tag is…
      I think , we are still friends.

      Aren’t we?
      Or
      Don’t you?

      Which one is correct

      Reply
      • Aren’t we is correct

        Reply
        • Everyone can take time to do good things for others, …?

          Reply
          • Avatar photo

            Everyone can take time to do good things for others, can’t they?

    • In British English we use “have” as an auxiliary verb but in American we can use both auxiliary and main verb.So both can be correct.

      Reply
  10. Hi!
    There won’t be 10 people, will they?
    Is it correct?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Ivan

      “There won’t be 10 people, will there?” is correct.

      Reply
  11. Help me this: Every person should respect the authorities, shouldn’t they? Is it correct or not?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Ngendakunana

      To see if this is correct, let’s think of a sentence starting with “Every person…”:

      “Every person has to sit down”.

      We can see from this sentence that the subject “Every person” takes the third person singular form of the verb (has). This means that the subject that we put in the question tag should be in the third person singular form too. So your sentence should read:

      “Every person should respect the authorities, shouldn’t he?”

      BUT…

      Not everyone is a “he” so it does’t seem right to say this. Also, not everyone is a “she” so we can’t use this either. In these circumstances, the common thing to do is to use “they”, exactly like you did.

      So your sentence is correct!

      Reply
      • These are books, aren’t they or aren’t these?

        Reply
        • Avatar photo

          Hi Ayla

          These are books, aren’t they?

          Reply
        • There are three hundred students in this room, aren’t there? Is it the correct tag?

          Reply
          • Avatar photo

            Yes, that’s correct.

      • Hello, Roman. I believe you’re coming to the airport, …?

        Reply
      • Everyone objected her to come along with us… tag?

        Reply
  12. “No one will be coming, will they?”
    Is this grammatically correct?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Rey D

      This is similar to the comment above from Ngendakunana. if we start a sentence with the subject “No one” we can see that it takes the third person singular form of the verb:

      “No one has seen him”.

      So the subject in the question tag should also be in the third person singular form (“he” or “she”). But not everyone is a “he” and not everyone is a “she”, so the common thing to do is to use “they”.

      So your sentence is correct!

      Reply
  13. It’s too hot to drink, is it ? Is that correct?

    Reply
    • Hi Mohamed

      The correct sentence is: It’s too hot to drink, isn’t it?

      Reply
  14. Tell me please, it is correct to say:
    Everyone ought to respect the elders, shouldn’t they?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Irina

      “Ought to” and “should” have the same meaning so this is just okay, although it sounds a little strange because you are using a different modal verb in the question tag.

      You could say “Everyone ought to respect their elders, oughtn’t they?”

      …but “oughtn’t they” sounds a bit heavy. So it might be better to say “Everyone should respect their elders, shouldn’t they?”

      Reply
  15. Please could any one recommend me a perfect and absolute Grammar reference since most of these references have their own defects ?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Yehia

      I don’t think such a thing exists!

      English grammar is constantly evolving and changing, and as a result different people have different interpretations of grammar rules, and place more or less importance on different aspects of the language.

      These different perspectives depend not only on the fact that grammar is changing, but also on why a particular grammar reference is written and for whom, the background of the author, and many other factors.

      Hope that helps.

      Reply
    • Is there any rules to be applied for imperative sentences like negative imperative followed by will you……

      Reply
      • Avatar photo

        Hi Rejilkumar

        With negative imperative sentences, we use “will” in the tag:

        Don’t wait too long, will you?

        Hope that helps.

        Reply
  16. Every young girl and boy wants to be happy, doesn’t he?
    Every young girl and boy wants to be happy, don’t they?
    Which is correct ?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Leyla

      “Every young girl and boy wants to be happy, don’t they?”

      This is correct. “Every young girl and boy” is similar to saying “Everyone”. if you have a look at number 6 in the article above, you will see that with “everyone” we use “they” in the tag question.

      Reply
  17. I am going to stay a hotel which i stayed last year.
    How it would be in tag

    Reply
    • I am going to stay at a hotel
      which I stayed last year, aren’t I?

      Reply
  18. Can you tell me:

    “Nobody but you noticed my existence,……………?”

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Nobody but you noticed my existence, did they?

      Reply
      • A person has locked the door , haven’t they ?
        is it correct ?

        Reply
      • Could you please give explanation…

        Reply
        • Avatar photo

          This is correct when we don’t know if the person is male or female.

          We can’t say “hasn’t he?” or “hasn’t she?” so we use “they” instead.

          Reply
      • Your sister bought a new car… Can I get help?

        Reply
        • Avatar photo

          The tag for this is: “didn’t she?”

          Reply
    • Nobody but you noticed my existence, did they?

      Reply
  19. There is little we can do for him —–?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      There is little we can do for him, is there?

      Reply
      • if the word “little” comes then it’s a negative sentence so the answer will be – is there ?

        Reply
        • Avatar photo

          You’re absolutely right, I’ve edited my comment above.

          Reply
      • I need your help “stop giving me advice”

        Reply
        • Avatar photo

          Stop giving me advice, will you?
          OR
          Stop giving me advice, won’t you?

          Reply
          • Noone cares me in need,…?
            One should speak the truth,…?
            All is well,…?
            Someone is coming,…?

          • Avatar photo

            Hi Zinam

            Noone cares for me in need, do they?
            One should speak the truth, shouldn’t they?
            All is well, isn’t it?
            Someone is coming, aren’t they?

      • Here little has a negative connotation. Can we, instead, say – There is little we can do for him, can we?
        or, There is little we can do for him, is there?

        Reply
        • Avatar photo

          Hi Vinod

          “There is little we can do for him, is there?” is correct.

          Reply
  20. Please its urgent.

    Answer this question.

    Every adult has the right to marry,______?

    which is the best question tag here?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Every adult has the right to marry, don’t they?

      Reply
      • Thanks ESLbase. I wrote the same in an exam and they say haven’t they is the answer for this question.

        Can you give me one source/book which explains the usage of don’t they in this case?

        I need to file a complaint against them. I need a source to produce.

        Reply
        • Avatar photo

          Hi Rahul

          The usage of “don’t they” in this example follows the rule for all question tags: We take the auxiliary verb from the main clause and use it in the tag. In the absence of an auxiliary verb in the main clause, we use “do” in the tag (or does, or did).

          So, in your example, there is no auxiliary verb in the main clause – “has” is the main verb here. As a result we use “do” in the tag.

          Now, in spoken English we hear many instances where these “rules” are broken, and that’s because English grammar rules are not set in stone. That’s how the language evolves, as different ways of saying things become common and accepted and therefore a part of the language. Using “haven’t they” in your example is an example of this. BUT – you certainly shouldn’t have been penalised for using “don’t they” as this is perfectly correct.

          I don’t have a specific source which quotes this example exactly, but, for example “Practical English Usage” by Michael Swan, a respected grammar reference, states the rule I have explained above.

          Reply
      • Every adult has the right to marry, haven’t they?

        Reply
        • I think both of them are ok. In Bristish English you say you have got a car, but in American English you have a car.
          “have” here means possess so you can say you have a car, don’t you or haven’t you?
          However, You often have dinner with her, don’t you? Not haven’t you?

          Reply
  21. come on time, ______ ?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Can you give the full sentence before the tag?

      Reply
      • I have some questions:

        Rahim wasn’t speaking to you, …?
        The apartment is quite big, …?
        We have met earlier, …?
        You can’t look into the features, …?

        Reply
        • Avatar photo

          Rahim wasn’t speaking to you, was he?

          The apartment is quite big, isn’t it?

          We have met earlier, …? Present perfect doesn’t work with a time reference like “earlier”. So you could say:
          – We have met, haven’t we? OR
          – We met earlier, didn’t we?

          You can’t look into the features, can you?

          Reply
  22. I saw the helicopter will be changed into
    “did I saw the helicopter ”

    is it correct??

    Reply
  23. Either John or his sister rebuked us,………..?
    what’s the correct tag of this sentence?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      …didn’t they?

      Reply
      • Could you please explain the answer ?

        Reply
  24. Hi, ESLbase..
    I just saw that the term “someone” is the same as “everyone, nobody, etc”

    So “Someone called me last night, didn’t they?”
    Is that correct?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Riken – yes, that’s correct to say that.

      Reply
  25. They think they are wiser than others. Dont they?.. is this tag right? Or it will be.. are they?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      “They think they are wiser than others, don’t they?” is correct.

      Reply
  26. It is right because the first verb is a main verb, so we need the auxiliary “do” while building the question tag.

    Reply
  27. I don’t think he has won the match, ?

    could you tell me how to change into tag question?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      I don’t think he has won the match, has he?

      Reply
      • Is “Do I?” correct?

        Reply
        • Avatar photo

          Yes, this is also correct, but it changes the meaning of your sentence.

          “I don’t think he has won the match, has he?” makes the tag about him winning the match

          “I don’t think he has won the match, do I?” makes the tag, and the focus of the sentence, about what you think. Winning the match is less important in this sentence.

          Reply
      • Add a guestion tag:
        Greet your wife for me.

        Reply
        • Avatar photo

          Greet your wife for me, will you?
          or:
          Greet your wife for me, won’t you?

          Reply
  28. “They think they are wiser than others, don’t they?” is correct.
    “I don’t think he has won the match, has he?” is correct.

    Please help me if I said in first sentence (aren’t they)
    And in second (do I)

    Would it be wrong?
    Explain?

    And how to find the main verb?

    Reply
  29. Mr. Rahim and not his colleagues helped him,………?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Mr. Rahim and not his colleagues helped him, didn’t he?

      Reply
  30. what is tag of (thank you.)

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Thank you isn’t a clause (it doesn’t contain a subject and a verb). So we can’t make a question tag from it.

      Hope that helps.

      Reply
  31. Here is a man,………….? What would be the question tag?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      I think the question tag would be “isn’t it”. But this is a strange clause to use a question tag with. It would be more common to say “This is a man, isn’t it?”

      Reply
  32. Thank you in advance

    Let us prepare the breakfast , will you ? as a request not as a suggestion
    is my sentence true?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      I think it would be difficult to use “Let us” or “Let’s” as a request.

      The correct question tag to use is “shall we?”

      Reply
  33. what should be the tag of the sentence

    Dogs are loyal.?

    should it be ‘aren’t they or isn’t it?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      “Dogs” is plural, so the pronoun to use is “they”, and we need the third person plural form of the verb “be”:

      Dogs are loyal, aren’t they?

      Reply
  34. Someone is writing an essay.what is the question tag of this sentence?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      “Someone is writing an essay, aren’t they?”

      Reply
  35. What will be the tag question of “what a beautiful bird it is……………….?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      What a beautiful bird it is, isn’t it?

      Reply
  36. One can do this,……..? What is the question tag of this sentence? Please reply.

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      We would say: “One can do this, can’t one?” – although this sounds very formal.

      Reply
      • Is it also possible alternatively to say: “…, can’t they?”
        may be correct? Thank you.

        Reply
  37. What will be the tag question for Their gifts, were no doubts wise ones, ____?could u tell me whether this statement is positive or negative

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      The tag question would be “weren’t they?”.
      So the whole sentence would be: “Their gifts were no doubt wise ones, weren’t they?”

      Reply
  38. She has a pen
    Ans:hasn’t she
    Is it correct?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      In your sentence, “has” is the main verb in the sentence, not an auxiliary verb. If “has” is the main verb, we use “do” as the auxiliary verb in the tag:

      “She has a pen, doesn’t she?”

      However, “She has a pen, hasn’t she?” is often heard in spoken English, and any grammar that is commonly used can be considered correct!

      Reply
  39. Please give me the solution of the tag question – ” Many men many minds,…….?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Arif

      It’s not possible to add a tag question to your example, because it is not a clause with a subject and a verb. We need a clause with a subject and a verb to add a tag question.

      Hope that helps.

      Reply
      • Ahmed is told, …?
        What is the tag question

        Reply
        • Avatar photo

          Hi Ahmed
          The tag question would be: “Ahmed is told, isn’t he?”
          However, if you use “told”, it normally needs a direct object. For example: “Ahmed was told the news, wasn’t he?”

          Reply
  40. The bag is too heavy to lift ,is it ?

    The bag is too heavy to lift ,isn’t it ?
    Which is correct ,please .
    thanks .

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Ramzy

      Both of these are correct.

      Normally, we would use “The bag is too heavy to lift, isn’t it?”

      But we can use an affirmative tag with an affirmative sentence to express a reaction like surprise or interest:

      “The bag is too heavy to lift, is it?”

      (see point 9 in the post above).

      Reply
      • Thank you Eslbase I really appreciate.

        Reply
  41. I am never seen a girl like you,…………..?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      “I have never seen a girl like you, have I?”

      Reply
  42. what will you use for the tag question of this sentence?
    – He ought to go,…..?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      He ought to go, oughtn’t he?

      Reply
  43. Hi, please what is correct tag for this sentence: there was a phonecall for me yesterday, ……..?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      “wasn’t there?”

      Reply
  44. what is the question tag of this sentence; “one of the girls gave up her seat”, help please!

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      The tag is “didn’t she?”

      Reply
  45. Can I write the tag question in the long form like this

    He is my friend, is not he?
    Or it must be abbreviated “isn’t he?

    Reply
  46. Avatar photo

    No, you must write the contracted form “isn’t he?”

    Reply
    • I am all right, … (question tag)

      Reply
      • Avatar photo

        I am all right, aren’t I?

        Reply
  47. Please help me

    Your uncle said that he would do his best to help you, … ?
    a. wouldn’t he
    b. didn’t he

    Does the tag refer to “your uncle SAID” or ” he WOULD do”

    Thankyou

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      The tag is “didn’t he?” – it refers to “Your uncle said”.

      Reply
  48. I have been searching for “you will, _______ ?”
    Please help me to solve this. Also email me if possible because I rarely use internet.

    Thanks
    Deepak Bisht

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      “You will, won’t you?”

      Reply
  49. I have been searching for
    1. No body takes the reduction of warheads in serious terms (add tag question)
    2. Not enough effort has been made in the last fifty years to foster that memory (add tag question) plzzz help me to solve this.

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      1. Nobody takes the reduction of warheads in serious terms, do they?
      2. Not enough effort has been made in the last fifty years to foster that memory, has it?

      Reply
      • I beg to differ with you. Not enough effort has been made in the last fifty years to foster…., has it? Can we use ‘have they”‘ as question tag, because subject implied here is ‘people’ who did not make enough effort. Please help.

        Reply
        • Avatar photo

          Hi Vinod

          The sentence is passive, and “Not enough effort” has moved to the subject position in this passive sentence. So the correct tag is “has it?”

          Hope that helps.

          Reply
    • you have taken that bag,______?
      a.have you
      b.haven’t they
      c.don’t you
      d.none
      Which one is the correct answer and why?
      Could you explain a little bit?

      Reply
  50. How to teach a tag question? Please help me.
    And how to give him motivation so that they are not bored in class.
    Please help me.
    Thank you so much.

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Please have a look at some of the comments in this section – some teachers have added some good teaching ideas for tag questions.

      Reply
    • Answer with explanation
      She speaks German well, …?

      Reply
      • Avatar photo

        She speaks German well, doesn’t she?
        Please see Point 1 under “Form” in the post above for an explanation.

        Reply
  51. Why do we use are instead of am only in positive to negative sentences?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      This is because in tag questions, we normally contract “am not” to “aren’t”.

      So we can say: “I am here, aren’t I?”

      We could also say: “I am here, am I not?” …but this is more formal.

      Reply
      • But you should be more precise in the course text, in the additional points #1. Because “aren’t I?” is only used in negative tag questions. But we won’t say “are I?” in affirmative form. For example “I’m not dead, am I?”.

        Reply
        • Avatar photo

          Hi Eddy, thanks for pointing this out – I’ve made the change in the article.

          Reply
  52. What will be the tag question – “One but all the members looked for him, ———-?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      This sentence doesn’t quite make sense. Could it be: “Not one but all the members looked for him” ?

      In this case, the tag question is “…didn’t they?”

      Reply
  53. I understood that everything has a name (add a tail tag)

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      There are two possibilities:

      I understood that everything has a name, didn’t I? (I understood… didn’t I?
      I understood that everything has a name, doesn’t it? (everything has a name… doesn’t it?)

      Reply
  54. I am Happy.
    What is the tag question of this?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      I am happy, aren’t I?

      Reply
  55. Please help me by checking if the tags are correct:
    I know that he is honest, isn’t he?
    We know that he is honest, isn’t he?
    He knew Runa will come, won’t she?
    Hope you will come, won’t you?
    I know she is guilty, isn’t she?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      I know that he is honest, isn’t he?
      We know that he is honest, isn’t he?
      I know she is guilty, isn’t she?
      Hope you will come, won’t you?

      These are correct. For the first three, you could also say:

      I know that he is honest, don’t I?
      We know that he is honest, don’t we?
      I know she is guilty, don’t I?

      …depending on which part of the sentence you want to make the tag about.

      He knew Runa will come, won’t she?

      Although this looks similar to the other three examples, it doesn’t work with this tag. This is correct:

      He knew Runa will come, didn’t he?

      Reply
  56. I think that he is an honest man….?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      I think that he is an honest man, don’t I?
      OR
      I think that he is an honest man, isn’t he?

      Reply
  57. He as well as his friends enjoyed the match. Which tag is suitable for this sentence?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      I think both of the following would work:
      He as well as his friends enjoyed the match, didn’t they?
      He as well as his friends enjoyed the match, didn’t he?

      Reply
  58. One can not go there. What would be the question tag?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      One can not go there, can one? (This is very formal though)

      Reply
  59. They rarely have money… (which question tag is used?)

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      They rarely have money, do they?

      Reply
  60. What will be the question tag of the statement “You may leave now”?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      It’s not possible to make a question tag for this statement. You could change it to “You can leave now” – the question tag for this would be “can’t you?”

      Reply
  61. I would be much grateful for your help (with explanation):
    You’d rather I didn’t say anything, …?
    I take it you won’t be coming then, …?

    Reply
  62. Avatar photo

    You’d rather I didn’t say anything, wouldn’t you?
    The auxiliary verb in the main clause is “would”, so we make this negative in the tag.

    I take it you won’t be coming then, will you?
    The auxiliary verb in the main clause is “won’t”, so we make this affirmative in the tag.

    Reply
  63. You think you are so smart
    The suitable question tag is : aren’t you or don’t you ???

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      You think you are so smart, don’t you?

      Reply
  64. Everyone is ready… isn’t it or aren’t they?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Everyone is ready, aren’t they?

      Reply
  65. The problems seem annoying to the people… don’t they or aren’t they?
    Thank you.

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      The problems seem annoying to the people, don’t they?

      Reply
  66. I love you………?
    I hate you……..?
    I don`t love you……..?

    Please solve them.

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Narenda

      Please see points 1, 2 and 3 under the “Form” section above, and post what you think the answers should be here. If you’re still stuck after that, I will give you some pointers.

      Reply
  67. Rahul likes to eat chocolate…? What will be the question tag for this?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Rahul likes to eat chocolate, doesn’t he?

      Reply
  68. Thanks a million for your useful explanation and effort. I have a question here concerning the following sentences:

    1- You have to study, don’t you?
    2- John has to study, doesn’t he?

    Are the above question tags correct?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Yes, both correct!

      Reply
    • Hello
      Could you tell me the tag questions of the following and a little bit explain them.
      I am a doctor, aren’t I?
      I am a doctor, am I not?

      Reply
      • Avatar photo

        Hi, both are correct.

        “am I not?” is more formal and is rarely used in spoken English. Sometimes we use it in spoken English to reinforce the point in the statement in order to show authority. For example:

        “Can you help him?”
        “Of course I can help him. I am a doctor, am I not?”

        Reply
  69. I am not very disappointed……..?
    And
    I should have been able to do it…..?
    What is tag question for both?

    Reply
    • Hi, there.
      What is the question tag for:
      There exists no air on Mars, …?

      Reply
  70. No one is satisfied, …?
    Let me do the work, …?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      No one is satisfied, are they?
      Let me do the work, won’t you / will you?

      Reply
    • Avatar photo

      I am not very disappointed, am I?
      I should have been able to do it, shouldn’t I?

      Reply
  71. Thank you very much for your explanation. i have a question. Please help me
    This is Mary, ……?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      This is Mary, isn’t it?

      Reply
  72. Please tell me the question tag for
    There comes the teacher

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Moses. This would be better:

      Here comes the teacher.

      And the question tag would be:

      …doesn’t he?

      Reply
  73. Hi,
    Please, help me.
    I am a professor,…?
    Tag Question with Reasons.

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      I am a professor, aren’t I?

      Please see Additional point number 1 in the article above for the reason.

      Reply
  74. What will be the question tag for “Him and I are best friends?”

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Elena

      It would be better to say: “He and I are best friends”.

      The question tag would be:

      …aren’t we?

      Reply
  75. Something should be done……
    Please tell me for this

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Something should be done, shouldn’t it?

      Reply
      • Something must be done for us, …?

        Options are given
        Will you?
        Won’t you?
        Which will be correct?

        Reply
  76. Something is better than nothing – What will be the tag question, please?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Something is better than nothing, isn’t it?

      Reply
  77. Hi,

    Could you help me with the following question tags:
    “You could have told me, couldn’t you? or… haven’t you? and must have/should have + past participle

    Sincerely

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      “You could have told me, couldn’t you?” is correct.

      Reply
  78. Hi
    The tag question is “Thank you very much, …?”
    Then, I imagine it as “I say that thank you very much, do I?
    Like “What a pity, …?
    “What a pity it is, isn’t it?”
    I will be right or wrong?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Royal

      “Thank you very much” – it is difficult to make a tag question for this.

      But:

      “I say thank you very much”:
      – “I say thank you very much, don’t I?”
      or
      – “I say thank you very much, do I?” (see Additional points, number 9 in the explanation at the top of this page.)

      “What a pity it is, isn’t it?” – this is correct.
      You could also say:
      “It’s such a pity, isn’t it?”

      Reply
    • Thank you very much, will you? Is it correct?

      Reply
      • Avatar photo

        Hi – please see my comment just above for this answer.

        Reply
        • You are right. Thank you very much, don’t I? It is correct.100% right

          Reply
          • Avatar photo

            Hi Najmul

            “Thank you very much, don’t I?” isn’t correct – please read my comment above for more on this.

            Hope this helps.

  79. The question tag of
    Ram said that he was there.

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Ram said that he was there, didn’t he?

      Reply
  80. What will be the question tag for:
    “No one is gonna do that” ???

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      No one is going to do that, are they?

      (“Gonna” is used more in spoken English – in written English it is “going to”)

      Reply
  81. What will be the tag for this sentence. I am not late.

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      I am not late, am I?

      Reply
  82. he’s a survival expert…?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      He’s a survival expert, isn’t he?

      Reply
  83. What could be the answer to the following questions:
    Mina had better stay home, …?
    Something is burning, …?
    We have to study English, …?
    It is a man who pollutes his environment, …?
    Rahim, as well as his friends, was present, …?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Kabo

      Mina had better stay home, hadn’t she?
      Something is burning, isn’t it?
      We have to study English, don’t we?
      It is a man who pollutes his environment, isn’t it? (“He is a man who pollutes his environment, isn’t he?” is better.)
      Rahim, as well as his friends, was present, wasn’t he?

      Reply
  84. What question tag should I use for
    You will go to attend the party today…?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Anika

      You will go to attend the party today, won’t you?

      But this would be better:

      You will go to the party today, won’t you?

      Reply
  85. She said she had met my friend, … she? – hadn’t or didn’t? please

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      She said she had met my friend, didn’t she?

      Reply
  86. I disliked the idea of making omelette (correct the sentence).
    Mother was not at home.

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Balu, the question tags for these are:

      I disliked the idea of making omelette, didn’t I?
      Mother was not at home, was she?

      Reply
  87. What is the question tag of this?

    You and my brother watched this movie.

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      You and my brother watched this movie, didn’t you.

      Reply
      • Thank you so much sir

        Reply
  88. Mr. John said, “I live in a remote village, …”?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      I live in a remote village, don’t I?

      Reply
  89. I think you are still single, don’t I? Or aren’t you? Which is correct?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      I think you are still single, don’t I?
      I think you are still single, aren’t you?

      Both are correct, depending on the context – which verb are you checking with the tag?

      Reply
  90. Please ask the boys to come in, won’t you?
    Is it correct?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Yes, that is correct. Or you can say “will you?”

      Reply
    • What is the answer of this tag question?

      I know how it works on people, …?

      Reply
      • Avatar photo

        I know how it works on people, don’t I?

        Reply
  91. Either of the girls is intelligent, …?
    Tania, not her sister, is going to see the film, …?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Either of the girls is intelligent, aren’t they?
      Tania, not her sister, is going to see the film, isn’t she?

      Reply
  92. At present, everybody likes cricket – correct tag answer

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      At present, everybody likes cricket, don’t they?

      Reply
  93. Come on time, won’t you?

    OR

    Come on time, will you?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Both are correct!

      Reply
  94. There is no meaning in going there. Question tag

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      There is no meaning in going there, is there?

      Reply
  95. 1. I think he is honest, isn’t he?
    2. I hope you are keeping well, aren’t you?
    3. I guess you are older than he, aren’t you?
    4. I think that you will do better in the exam, don’t I?
    5. I believe you are coming to the airport, aren’t you?

    Please tell me all the tags are correct

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      All these are correct, but number 4 could also be:

      “I think that you will do better in the exam, won’t you?”

      Reply
  96. Question tag for: Get out! The teacher has said, …? (plus explanation please)

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Sultan

      Both these are correct:

      “The teacher has said, hasn’t he?”
      “The teacher said, didn’t he?”

      The auxiliary verb in the question tag is in the same tense as the main verb in the statement.

      I hope this helps.

      Reply
  97. Who cares…?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Abida

      We can’t use a question tag with “Who cares?” because this is already a question. We use question tags at the ends of statements.

      I hope this helps.

      Reply
  98. Hi

    Good job you’re doing here.
    Please help with this.

    If one was to ask a question without an accompanying tag, what would the correct response be?

    “You didn’t leave the house on time.” – “No, I didn’t’ or “Yes, I didn’t”?

    Know that the person did not leave on time.

    That said, is it correct to leave the question tag out even?

    I expect a response in my mail, please.

    Thank you.

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      “You didn’t leave the house on time.” – “No, I didn’t. – This is correct.

      “You didn’t leave the house on time” is a statement, rather than a question. The expected response would depend on the context, the intonation used, etc. So it is possible to leave out the question tag, but the speaker would need to make it clear from his intonation (and from the context) that he expected some kind of response.

      Hope this helps.

      Reply
  99. You like playing basketball, and he likes running, …?
    How to tag this question? Thanks

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Lila

      It’s not possible to add a question tag for both statements at the same time, because the two subjects are different (“you” and “he”).

      So you could add a tag just for the second statement:

      “You like playing basketball, and he likes running, doesn’t he?”

      Or you could say something different, for example:

      “You like playing basketball, and he likes running, right?”

      Hope this helps.

      Reply
  100. Hey. Help me please!
    What is the tag for the following sentence:
    I said that old car isn’t reliable, …?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      I said that old car isn’t reliable, didn’t I?

      Reply
  101. 1. Ali has visited sixteen countries.
    2. I was here early morning.
    3. He doesn’t have six fingers in his left hand.

    Please convert them to tag questions

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      1. Ali has visited sixteen countries, hasn’t he?
      2. I was here early morning, wasn’t I?
      3. He doesn’t have six fingers in his left hand, does he?

      Reply
  102. 4. I have walked all the way from Muree to Islamabad.
    5. Your phone number is 0301-432-1212
    6. The balance in your account is 70,000

    Please also change this in tag questions

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      4. I have walked all the way from Muree to Islamabad, haven’t I?
      5. Your phone number is 0301-432-1212, isn’t it?
      6. The balance in your account is 70,000, isn’t it?

      Reply
  103. Someone is crying aren’t they?
    How to tag the question?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Shahzaib – Your answer is correct.

      Reply
  104. DO you believe in witchcraft, don’t you?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Freeman
      If you say “Do you believe in witchcraft?” this is a direct question, and we can’t use a tag with it. You would have to change it to:
      “You do believe in witchcraft, don’t you?”

      Reply
  105. Awesome I never had such complete information.
    Tnx.
    Would you mind telling me how to use tag questions with “will you”, “won’t you”, “can’t you”?
    Ex. “Shut up will you / won’t you / can’t you? – Which to use?
    And what about can, ex. “Help me with English, can you?”
    Where to use “would” and “could”
    How to make a tag of negative imperative ?
    Thank you

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi
      With imperatives, we normally use “won’t” if the imperative is an invitation (“Come in, won’t you?”).
      If the imperative is giving an order, we can use “can”, “can’t”, “will” or “would”. So for your example, all of these would be okay:
      Shut up, will you?
      Shut up, would you?
      Shut up, can you?
      Shut up, can’t you?

      Will and would sound the most natural in this example.

      Hope that helps.

      Reply
  106. Hi elbase,
    can you please tell me how we use question tags with sentences begining with: each, every, a number of, the number of

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi – can you give some examples of sentences?

      Reply
  107. Thank you for the lessons.
    The thing which is not yet clear for me is to know whether after an imperative sentence we can or not use the negative or affirmative tag.
    Example: “Do your homework”.
    Will the answer be “will you” or “won’t you?”

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Atsu

      Both are correct. “will you?” is probably a little less polite.

      Reply
  108. It seems that she is in a gang, …?
    I think its answer should be “isn’t she?”
    Is it correct ?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      That is correct. You could also say:
      “It seems she is in a gang, doesn’t it?” if you want the question tag to be for “it seems…”

      she is… isn’t she?
      it seems… doesn’t it?

      Reply
  109. The Headmaster will help her…?
    Can you please say the question tag used here

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      The Headmaster will help her, won’t he/she?

      Reply
  110. I think the sentence “Either of the girls is intelligent, aren’t they?” should be “Either of the girls is intelligent, are they?”, shouldn’t it?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      The verb “is” is affirmative, and so we change it to negative in the tag. I hope this helps.

      Reply
  111. we need to sleep earlier, …? add the correct tag and explain too

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      We need to sleep earlier, don’t we?

      Reply
      • Correct

        Reply
  112. What is the question tag for “He is unable to attend the school”. Is he? or Isn’t he?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      He is unable to attend the school, isn’t he.

      Reply
      • Pls tell me why it is isn’t he?

        Reply
        • Avatar photo

          Hi Sushma

          The main verb in the sentence is “is”.
          We use the main verb again in the tag. It is affirmative in the sentence, so we make it negative in the tag.

          Hope that helps.

          Reply
  113. The sentence is negative. Why it is isn’t he?

    Reply
    • That’s why they left. Give question tag.

      Reply
      • Avatar photo

        That’s why they left, isn’t it.

        Reply
  114. Could you please tell me what is the question tag for “good morning, have a nice day”

    Reply
  115. I shall tell you the other day about it…?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      With “shall” the tag is “shan’t” so in your sentence it would be:
      “I shall tell you the other day about it, shan’t I?

      Reply
  116. John keeps talking all the time. That’s disgusting ……….?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      John keeps talking all the time. That’s disgusting, isn’t it?

      Reply
  117. 1. It’s been a long day, …?
    2 There hasn’t been a phone call for me, …?
    3 Hardly anyone turned up to the meeting, …?
    4 He never takes responsibility for his actions, …?
    5 I’m going to be late, …?
    6 Give me have a hand, …?
    7 She should ask for help if she needs it, …?
    8 We had great fun at the carnival, …?
    9 Let’s meet up again next week, …?
    10 Don’t tell anybody what I said, …?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      All of these follow the rules from the beginning of this post:

      1. It’s been a long day, hasn’t it?
      2 There hasn’t been a phone call for me, has there?
      3 Hardly anyone turned up to the meeting, did they?
      4 He never takes responsibility for his actions, does he?
      5 I’m going to be late, aren’t I?
      6 Give me have a hand, will you?
      7 She should ask for help if she needs it, shouldn’t she?
      8 We had great fun at the carnival, didn’t we?
      9 Let’s meet up again next week, shall we?
      10 Don’t tell anybody what I said, will you?

      Reply
  118. What is the tag of

    He ought not to have invited him

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Mashfee

      You could say “He ought not to have invited him, ought he?”

      But “He shouldn’t have invited him, should he?” sounds better (ought to and should have the same meaning).

      Reply
  119. Everybody will appreciate your kind behavior, …?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Everybody will appreciate your kind behavior, won’t they?

      Reply
  120. Samuel and Muze are cousins, aren’t they?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      This is correct.

      Reply
  121. pass me the salt (add a question tag)

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Pass me the salt, will you?

      Reply
  122. What is the correct question tag for “You have nothing to do”

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      You have nothing to do, do you?

      Reply
  123. No need to publish it, doesn’t it? Is this correct?
    If not, what’s the correct sentence to use?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      No need to publish it, is there?

      This is because if we say the complete sentence, it will be: “There is no need to publish it, is there?”

      Reply
      • Thank you so much!

        Reply
  124. Please answer this..
    The river flooded last week, doesn’t it?
    He was one of the most talented actors of his generation, wasn’t he?
    We need stronger discipline in the school, don’t we?
    They worked hard to bring some drastic changes in their factory, didn’t they?
    That was a boring speech, wasn’t it?
    I have been answering, haven’t it?
    You don’t really help her, do you?
    I am right, aren’t I?
    Three of my friends are coming to dinner, aren’t they?
    Don’t hit it so hard, do you?
    Tuesday is her half-day, isn’t it?
    Let’s meet at 8, can we?
    You’ve been there, haven’t you?
    Don’t be absurd,

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Here are the corrected ones, all the others are correct:

      The river flooded last week, didn’t it?
      I have been answering, haven’t I?
      Don’t hit it so hard, will you?
      Let’s meet at 8, can we? (or “shall we?”)
      Don’t be absurd, will you.

      Reply
  125. He used to be your boss, did he? OR didn’t he?
    I have a doubt as English Grammar Today – Cambridge Dictionary says “did he? ”
    Please explain the correct answer. Thank you

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Yaso

      Both can be correct:
      – If we say “He used to be your boss, didn’t he?”, we are confirming or checking information.
      – If we say “He used to be your boss, did he?”, we are probably expressing surprise or interest.

      Hope that helps.

      Reply
  126. Thank you.

    Reply
  127. What is the tag for :

    A student who is lazy cannot accomplish anything,

    Please explain the answer. Thank you.

    Reply
  128. what is the tag for:

    A student who is lazy cannot accomplish anything, can they? Or can he/she?

    please explain the answer. Thank you

    Reply
  129. I have a question for you, please help me with it.
    “I don’t suppose you have seen my glasses, …?”

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      “I don’t suppose you have seen my glasses, have you?”

      Reply
  130. What is question tag of all is sold.

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      All is sold, isn’t it?

      Reply
  131. Only two days are left, isn’t it? / aren’t they?
    Which one is correct?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      “Only two days are left, aren’t they?” is correct.
      However, it sounds more natural to say:
      “There are only two days left, aren’t there?”

      Reply
  132. The Door is Locked?
    Selene broke the figures?
    walking in that part of the park is prohibited?
    The girls won the game?
    The gentleman is allowed to enter the hall?
    The doctor examines the patient?
    The dog bite the stranger?
    They know what to do?
    She is happy?
    You enjoying trekking and hiking?
    We must honor the elderly?

    Reply
  133. Please open the door, …?

    Answer plz

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Please open the door, will you?
      Or
      Please open the door, won’t you?

      Reply
  134. What question tag will come for
    – she said nothing
    – he brings books
    – he has ___ 1 rupee note
    – he knew nothing

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      She said nothing, did she?
      He brings books, doesn’t he?
      He has ___ 1 rupee note, doesn’t he?
      He knew nothing, did he?

      Reply
  135. His staying power is valued to all, ___?
    His involvement with all is rarely praised, ___?
    He forbade him to join with them, ___?
    The unfed should be fed, ___?
    All’s well that ends well, ___?

    please answer these tag questions as soon as possible

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      His staying power is valued to all, isn’t it?
      His involvement with all is rarely praised, is it?
      He forbade him to join with them, didn’t he?
      The unfed should be fed, shouldn’t they?
      All’s well that ends well, isn’t it?

      Reply
  136. Are you my teacher, …?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Nahiz, to make a tag question with this, first we need to turn it into a statement:

      “You are my teacher”

      Then we can add the tag:

      “You are my teacher, aren’t you?”

      Reply
  137. Somebody is walking
    I am confused here
    Isn’t they or aren’t they

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Somebody is walking, aren’t they?

      Reply
  138. Please help me to solve this tag: “Not all men joined the meeting that day, …?”

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Not all men joined the meeting that day, did they?

      Reply
  139. What are the question tags for:
    1) Someone has come, …
    2) Raj Kishor hardly recognized us, …
    3) There was a lot of traffic, …
    4) There are a lot of people, …

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      1) Someone has come, haven’t they?
      Or, if you know the gender of the person who has come, you can say:
      Someone has come, hasn’t he? / hasn’t she?

      2) Raj Kishor hardly recognized us, did he?
      3) There was a lot of traffic, wasn’t there?
      4) There are a lot of people, aren’t there?

      Reply
  140. When we check information the intonation goes down with __________ but with ________ goes up.
    Could fill the blanks with explanation

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Alan

      When we are just checking information, the intonation normally goes down (falling intonation) on the tag. If it’s a real question and we don’t know the answer, the intonation normally goes up (rising intonation) on the tag.

      Reply
  141. you have taken that bag,______?
    a.have you
    b.haven’t they
    c.don’t you
    d.none
    Which one is the correct answer and why?
    Could you explain a little bit,please?

    Reply
  142. Someone has heard the news, has they? Is this the correct answer?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Fardeen

      Normally it is:
      “Someone has heard the news, haven’t they?”

      But:
      “Someone has heard the news, have they?” can be correct – please see number 9 under “Additional points”.

      Reply
  143. Hi dear teacher
    Please answer my question.
    you have taken that bag,______?
    a.have you
    b.haven’t they
    c.don’t you
    d.none
    Which one is the correct answer and why?
    Could you explain a little bit,please?

    Reply
  144. This is my car.
    Those are my cars.
    These are my pens.
    What are the question tags?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      This is my car, isn’t it?
      Those are my cars, aren’t they?
      These are my pens, aren’t they?

      Reply
  145. Every religion teaches humanity, …?

    What is the tag question of this statement? Plz give me the answer. Is it – doesn’t it? Or don’t they?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      The correct tag is “don’t they?”

      Reply
  146. hello, what would be the correct tag for this question: Give me a hand with this, …? I would say – will you? but in my book the correct answer is “aren’t you?”

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Elena

      You are correct that the answer is “will you?”:

      Give me a hand with this, will you?

      If your book says that the answer is “aren’t you?”, it must be a mistake…

      Hope that helps.

      Reply
  147. They are on the way, …?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      They are on the way, aren’t they?

      Reply
  148. Please help me when we use neither of a subject so the tag question will be plural or singular and give an example please, like this one:
    Neither of your father came to meet the teacher, did he?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Lina

      Neither of your parents came to meet the teacher, did they?

      Hope this helps.

      Reply
  149. Peter still hasn’t arrived, has he? or does he?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Peter still hasn’t arrived, has he?

      Reply
  150. What will be the question tag for the following sentence?

    Let’s not go to the party today, …?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Let’s not go to the party today, shall we?

      Reply
  151. Dear ESL
    What are the tag questions for the following?
    1. Man is mortal, …?
    2. One lie begets hundreds of lies, …?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      1. Man is mortal, isn’t he?
      2. One lie begets hundreds of lies, doesn’t it?

      Reply
  152. What is the tag question for
    1. Thank you very much…?
    2. What a surprise…?
    3. Who cares…?
    4. Welcome…?
    5. How sweetly the bird sings…?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      5. How sweetly the bird sings, doesn’t it?

      For the others, unfortunately it isn’t possible to make tag questions.

      Reply
  153. Please help me with the following questions:
    One of you can go, …?
    Neither he or she has done the works, …?
    You and she can play badminton, …?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Ruhi
      One of you can go, can’t you?
      Neither he nor she has done the work, have they?
      You and she can play badminton, can’t you?

      Reply
  154. Those trees rarely give flowers in February, …?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Those trees rarely give flowers in February, do they?

      Reply
  155. 1) The honest should be respected, …?
    2) None of them supported the idea …?
    3) Idleness spoils life, …?
    4) Hard works can bring success, …?
    5) He hardly realizes it, …?

    Please solve these tag questions please please please

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      1) The honest should be respected, shouldn’t they?
      2) None of them supported the idea did they?
      3) Idleness spoils life, doesn’t it?
      4) Hard works can bring success, can’t it?
      5) He hardly realizes it, does he?

      Reply
  156. Someone hates chasing deer, …?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Someone hates chasing deer, don’t they?

      Reply
  157. The lion was the king of the forest, …?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      The lion was the king of the forest, wasn’t he?

      Reply
  158. You’d have dinner on time…?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      …wouldn’t you?

      Reply
  159. Everybody gets married…? What is the correct tag of it? Can we write don’t they?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      “Everybody gets married, don’t they” is correct.

      Reply
  160. *Few aspirants could crack that examination.
    (Add a question tag)

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Few aspirants could crack that examination, could they?

      Reply
  161. You told me that after exams you would visit me

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      You told me that after exams you would visit me, didn’t you?

      Reply
  162. Alice will come tonight, …?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Alice will come tonight, won’t she?

      Reply
  163. Hi, I’ve just discussed with my students:
    We could go swimming, …?
    I see it should be a “couldn’t we” tag. But this also sounds much like an offer/suggestion, do you think it would be grammatically acceptable to use “shall we”?
    Thank you…

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi

      “We could go swimming, shall we?” doesn’t really work as a question tag. But as two sentences, it works: “We could go swimming. Shall we?”

      Hope this helps.

      Reply
  164. 1. Fire on criminals, …?
    2. None is happy here, …?
    3. He and not Hena had written a letter, …?
    4. It is you who did it, …?
    5. Since he was ill he could not come here, …?

    Can someone help me to solve these?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      1. Fire on criminals, …? This is an imperative sentence. The tag could be “will you?” or “won’t you?”
      2. Noone is happy here, are they?
      3. He and not Hena had written a letter, hadn’t he?
      4. It is you who did it, isn’t it?
      5. Since he was ill he could not come here, could he?

      Reply
  165. Please how can I teach Question tags using ‘will’ and ‘shall’?

    Reply
  166. Joy eats everything except poison. What is the question tag for that?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      …doesn’t she?

      Reply
  167. Anyone can do it, can they/ can’t they?

    Which one is correct?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Normally, “Can’t they” is correct.
      But “can they?” is also correct – please see point 9 in the article above.

      Reply
      • What is the tag question?
        A group of people left him a tip,…………..?

        Reply
  168. I have a pen that writes clean,…? (question tag)
    (don’t I, doesn’t it)

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      “I have a pen that writes cleanly, don’t I?” is correct.
      You could also say “My pen writes cleanly, doesn’t it?”

      Reply
  169. Long live our motherland, …?

    (Please tell me the tag question of above written sentence.)

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi, this is an idiomatic expression, and there is no subject, so it isn’t possible to add a tag to this sentence.

      Hope this helps.

      Reply
  170. Please what’s the question tag for:
    They watch movies at home

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      They watch movies at home, don’t they?

      Reply
  171. Anyone is allowed, are they? Is that correct?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Shamim

      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.

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

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

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

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

        Reply
        • Avatar photo

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

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

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Mrs Patil donated generously, didn’t she?

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

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Marab

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

      Reply
  175. Help me please.

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

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

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

      Reply
  176. What is the question tag for Don’t worry?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Don’t worry, will you?

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

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

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

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

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

    Reply
  180. 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, …?

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

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

    Reply
  183. 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!

    Reply
  184. What a shame!…?

    Reply
  185. All of us can do it

    Reply
  186. How odd, …?

    Reply
  187. The buses aren’t brand new, …?

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

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

    Reply
  190. “None was said” make it tag

    Reply
  191. Avatar photo

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

    Reply
  192. Avatar photo

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

    Reply
  193. John hardly ever studies, …?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      John hardly ever studies, does he?

      Reply
  194. 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.

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      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?

      Reply
  195. God is kind to all, …?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      God is kind to all, isn’t he?

      Reply
  196. ‘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?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

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

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

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

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

      Reply
  198. 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.

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      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?

      Reply
  199. 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?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Yes, they are correct :-)

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

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      “aren’t there” is correct.

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

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

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

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

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      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?

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

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

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

      Reply
  204. 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

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Hi Francis

      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.

      Reply
  205. Hi
    Tag question for
    She has her hair styled

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      She has her hair styled, doesn’t she?

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

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

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

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

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

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

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

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

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

      Reply
  209. 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?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

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

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

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

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

      Reply

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