Tag Question

Sam An Teng 


The speakers use tag question to confirm or make sure their information is correct, or to seek agreement. A tag question is added at the end of a sentence. 

There are two forms of tag questions:

POSITIVE SENTENCE, NEGATIVE TAG? (Positive answer is expected)

• You are a student, aren’t you?  → Yes, I am.
• He likes coffee, doesn’t he? → Yes, he does.
• They have made the mistakes, haven’t they? →Yes, they have.
• You can swim, can’t you?  → Yes, I can.

NEGATIVE SENTENCE, POSITIVE TAG? (Negative answer is expected)

• He didn’t eat meat, did he?  → No, he didn’t.
• You don't know where the boss is, do you?  → No, I don’t.
• You shouldn’t go alone, should you?  → No, I shouldn’t.

Important notice:

1. The tag question for “I am” is “aren’t I” or “am I not”. 

• I am confident, aren’t I? 
• I am confident, am I not? 

2. The question for “let’s” is “shall we”. 

• Let’s go for a walk, shall we? 
• Let’s make a final decision, shall we? 

3. With an order or command, the tag question is “will you”. 

• Turn off the television, will you? 

4. We use positive tag question after a sentence containing negative words such as never, hardly, nobody...

• They have never visited Siem Reap, have they? 
• You have no confidence, do you? 

5. When the subject is “everything, something, or anything”, we use the pronoun “it” in the tag question.

•  Nothing bad happened, did it? 

6. When the subject is “everyone, someone, anyone, somebody, anybody, ”, we use the pronoun “they” in the tag question. 

• Nobody called me this morning, did they? 

7. With "used to", we use didn't in the tag. 

• You used to smoke, didn't you?