Question Tags

Question tags are short questions added at the end of a statement to check, confirm, or invite agreement.

Examples:

• You are ready, aren't you?
• She didn't call, did she?
• Let's begin, shall we?

For bank and government exams, question tags are mostly tested through:

• error spotting
• sentence improvement
• fill in the blank
• grammar-based comprehension

The One Rule You Should Remember First

A question tag normally uses opposite polarity, the same auxiliary, and the right pronoun.

• Positive statement -> negative tag
• Negative statement -> positive tag
• Keep the same tense or helping verb
• Match the subject with the correct pronoun

Quick Formula

statement, auxiliary + pronoun?

Examples:

• She is selected, isn't she?
• They were absent, weren't they?
• He can drive, can't he?
• Rita works hard, doesn't she?

Step 1: Check Whether the Statement Is Positive or Negative

Positive statement -> negative tag

Statement	Tag
He is an officer	isn't he?
They have applied	haven't they?
She can solve it	can't she?
Rita works hard	doesn't she?

Negative statement -> positive tag

Statement	Tag
He is not an officer	is he?
They haven't applied	have they?
She can't solve it	can she?
Rita doesn't work here	does she?

Step 2: Keep the Same Auxiliary or Tense

If the sentence already has a helping verb or modal, reuse it in the tag.

Sentence type	Example	Tag
be verb	She is ready	isn't she?
modal	They will come	won't they?
perfect	He has finished	hasn't he?
continuous	She was studying	wasn't she?

If there is no helping verb, use:

• do/does for simple present
• did for simple past

Statement	Why	Tag
She works hard	simple present	doesn't she?
They play daily	simple present	don't they?
He cleared the exam	simple past	didn't he?
We submitted the form	simple past	didn't we?

Step 3: Match the Subject with the Correct Pronoun

Subject in statement	Pronoun in tag
Riya	she
Mohan	he
the students	they
the book	it
you	you

Examples:

• The manager is busy, isn't he/she?
• The students are ready, aren't they?
• The file is complete, isn't it?

The Most Common Exam Rules

1. I am -> aren't I?

This is the standard fixed form in modern English.

• I am late, aren't I?
• I am eligible, aren't I?

But when the statement is negative:

• I am not late, am I?

2. Negative-meaning words take a positive tag

Some sentences look positive, but their meaning is negative because of words like:

• never
• rarely
• seldom
• hardly
• scarcely
• barely
• nothing
• nobody
• few
• little

Examples:

• He rarely visits the branch, does he?
• Nobody objected, did they?
• Nothing was missing, was it?
• She has little time, does she?

But remember:

• a few and a little are positive in meaning

Examples:

• You have a few doubts, don't you?
• I have a little time, don't I?

3. Indefinite pronouns for people usually take they

Subject	Tag pronoun
everyone	they
someone	they
nobody	they
everybody	they
no one	they

Examples:

• Everyone cleared the cut-off, didn't they?
• Nobody called, did they?

4. Things like everything, nothing, something take it

• Everything is ready, isn't it?
• Nothing was changed, was it?
• Something went wrong, didn't it?

5. This/that usually take it; these/those take they

• This is your hall ticket, isn't it?
• That was the final list, wasn't it?
• These are valid documents, aren't they?
• Those were the selected candidates, weren't they?

If this/that points to a person, match the person:

• This officer is strict, isn't she/he?

6. There is/are keeps there in the tag

• There is a vacancy, isn't there?
• There are many applicants, aren't there?
• There wasn't any mistake, was there?

7. Imperatives have special tags

For commands and requests, will you? is the safest exam rule.

• Close the door, will you?
• Please check the form, will you?
• Don't waste time, will you?

For suggestions with let's, use shall we?

• Let's revise now, shall we?

For let him/her/them, exams commonly use will you?

• Let him speak first, will you?

8. Have to/has to takes do/does in the tag

have to here works like a main verb idea of obligation, so the tag usually uses do/does.

• She has to report today, doesn't she?
• They have to submit the form, don't they?

9. Used to usually takes did

• He used to study here, didn't he?
• She didn't use to live here, did she?

Fast Decision Table

If the statement has...	Use this idea in the tag	Example
is/are/was/were	repeat it	He was absent, wasn't he?
has/have/had as auxiliary	repeat it	She has left, hasn't she?
modal (can, will, should)	repeat it	They can read, can't they?
simple present main verb	use do/does	She teaches, doesn't she?
simple past main verb	use did	He arrived late, didn't he?
negative-meaning word	use positive tag	Nobody agreed, did they?
let's	shall we?	Let's go, shall we?
there is/are	keep there	There is a problem, isn't there?

High-Yield Exam Traps

Wrong pattern	Correct pattern
I am ready, amn't I?	I am ready, aren't I?
She works hard, isn't she?	She works hard, doesn't she?
Nobody came, didn't they?	Nobody came, did they?
Let's start, will we?	Let's start, shall we?
She has to go, hasn't she?	She has to go, doesn't she?
There are two seats, aren't they?	There are two seats, aren't there?

Solved Examples

1. He isn't attending today, is he? Reason: negative statement -> positive tag.

2. The Ganga flows into the Bay of Bengal, doesn't it? Reason: simple present main verb -> use does.

3. Few students understood the rule, did they? Reason: few has negative meaning.

4. Everything is in place, isn't it? Reason: thing pronoun -> it.

5. Let's complete the mock test, shall we? Reason: let's suggestion -> shall we?

Practice Questions

Exam Revision Cheat Sheet

• Positive sentence -> negative tag
• Negative sentence -> positive tag
• Keep the same auxiliary or modal
• No auxiliary visible -> use do/does/did
• I am -> aren't I?
• I am not -> am I?
• nobody / nothing / rarely / few / little -> positive tag
• everyone / someone / nobody -> usually they
• everything / nothing / something -> it
• there is/are -> keep there
• let's -> shall we?
• imperative command/request -> usually will you?
• has to / have to -> doesn't / don't

Sources

These references were used to tighten the rules and keep the special cases accurate:

• Cambridge Dictionary Grammar: Tags
• British Council LearnEnglish: Question tags
• Cambridge Dictionary: question tag