Add a Question Tag | English Grammar | Om Tutorials

Question tags are short questions at the end of statements.

They are mainly used in speech when we want to:

• confirm something is true or not, or
• to encourage a reply from the person we are speaking to.

Watch this video to understand what is a Question tag, how to add a question tag in detail.

Questions Tag of Assertive Sentences :

• Write the complete sentence again and put up a comma.
• Use HV of the sentence.
• Use a short form of Not n’t if the sentence is affirmative.
• Add ? at the end of the sentence.

Examples : 

• I play cricket.
  Ans : I play cricket, don’t I?
  
  
• He is writing a letter.
  Ans : He is writing a letter, isn’t he?
  
  
• We were discussing this unusual birthday party.
  Ans : We were discussing this unusual birthday party, weren’t we?
  
  
• Anil kept worrying about his next cheque.
  Ans : Anil kept worrying about his next cheque, didn’t he?
  
  
• They both want to go with her.
  Ans : They both want to go with her, don’t they?
  
  
• I am starting a company.
  Ans : I am starting a company, aren’t I?
  
  
• We can do it.
  Ans : We can do it, can’t we?
  
  
• They had shared the same values in life.
  Ans : They had shared the same values in life, hadn’t they?
  
  
• The short informative book became an account of cosmology.
  Ans : The short informative book became an account of cosmology, didn’t It?
  
  
• The Grand Design was Hawking’s first major publication in almost a decade.
  Ans : The Grand Design was Hawking’s first major publication in almost a decade, wasn’t it?
  

Questions Tag of Imperative Sentences :

Positive imperative – will / won’t you?

Negative imperative – will you?

Example : 

Open the door.
Ans: Open the door, will you?

Shut the door.
Ans : Shut the door, won’t you?

Don’t go there.
Ans : Don;t go there, will you?

Sentence Starting with Let’s : 

we use ‘shall we?’ as a question tag for the sentence starting with Let’s.

Eg: 

Let’s go to the beach.
Ans: Let’s go to the beach, shall we?

Let’s play cricket.
Ans: Let’s play cricket, shall we?

Special Points : 

• Some verbs/expressions have different question tags.
  
  For example:
  
  I am – I am playing cricket, aren’t I? amn’t I?
  
  I shall go to school, shan’t I? shalln’t I?
  
  Your father will take you, won’t he? willn’t he?
  
•  Although the negative word is not in the sentence, the sentence can be negative. Then we use the positive question tag.
  
  He never goes out with his dog, does he?