English Grammar topic Question Tags with the exercises. This notes is useful for everyone who wants to be perfect in this topic. This notes contain the detailed explanation of the topic in a simple language.

1. QUESTION TAGS

2. Tag question is a special construction in English. It is a
statement followed by a mini-question. The whole sentence is a
“tag question”, and the mini-question at the end is called a
‘Question tag”.
We use question tags at the end of the statements to ask
for confirmation.
Examples:
It is a great day, isn’t it?
Positive statement always takes a negative question tag.
You don’t know her, do you?
Negative statement always takes a positive question tag.

3. Positive statement Examples:
She is cooking, isn’t she?
You like ice-cream, don’t you?
They will stay home, won’t they?
He can play chess, can’t he?
We should go home, shouldn't we?
Jenny was busy, wasn’t she?
You are French, aren’t you?
They have finished, haven’t they?

4. Negative statement Examples:
It isn’t snowing, is it?
You have never been there, have you?
She doesn’t like fish, does she?
They didn’t practice today, did they?
He can’t come, can he?
We shouldn’t drink much, should we?
Jane wasn’t sick, was he?

5. First identify the helping verbs in given statement. We are having
24 helping verbs. They are
“is, am, are, has, have, was, were, had, will, can, may, must, do,
did, does, should, would, could, might, ought, used, need, dare,
shall.”
To create the question tags just add “not” to helping verbs.
is + not = isn’t
am + not = aren’t
are + not = aren’t
has + not = hasn’t
have + not = haven’t

6. was + not = wasn’t
were + not = weren’t
had + not = hadn’t
will + not = won’t
shall + not = shan’t
do + not = don’t
does + not = doesn’t
did + not = didn’t
can + not = can’t

7. should + not = shouldn’t
would + not = wouldn’t
could + not = couldn’t
may + not = mayn’t
might + not = mightn’t
ought + not = oughtn’t
must + not = mustn’t
used + not = usedn’t
need + not = needn’t
dare + not = daren’t

8. Rules:
In the subject if we get names of a person, place or things we
should write as “he, she, it.”
Ramu, Vinod, Hari, Raju………. He.
Lakshmi, Mani, Rani………. She.
The book, The table………… It.
Examples:
Ramu is a good boy, isn’t he?
I am innocent, aren’t I?
She is ugly, isn’t she?

9. If the main verbs are in present tense form we should use “do”
in question tags.
Examples:
she drink wine, don’t she?
He play cricket, don’t he?
They work in the farm, don’t they?
If the verb ends with “s” we use “does” in question tags.
Examples:
He writes a letter, doesn’t he?
she plays guitar, doesn’t she?
Shreya doesn’t play guitar, does she?
If the main verb is in past tense we use “did” in question tags.
Examples:
He spoke the truth, didn’t he?
Someone stolen my watch, didn’t they?
We went to the theatre festival last week, didn’t we?

10. The word which starts with “don’t” always the question tag be “will you”.
Examples:
Don’t make noise, will you?
Don’t switch off the light, will you?
Don’t be late tomorrow, will you?
In some sentences when pronouns are used as subject like “everybody,
somebody, anybody, nobody, everyone, someone, anyone, no one” we use
“they” in question tags.
Examples:
Everyone studied well, didn’t they?
Everybody was present, weren’t they?
“Everything, something, nothing, anything” if these words come in
sentences as subject we use “it” in question tags.
Examples:
Everything looks beautiful, doesn’t it?
Nothing is new, isn’t it?

11. “All of us, some of us, neither of us, none of us, one of us, anyone
of us, most of us, either of us, everyone of us” if these words come
in sentences as subject we use “we” in question tags.
Examples:
All of us can do this sum, can’t we?
Most of us are honest, aren’t’ we?
“All of you, some of you, neither of you, none of you, one of you,
anyone of you, most o you, either of you, everyone of you” if these
words come in sentences as subject we use “you” in question tags.
Examples:
Everyone of you has bike, haven’t you?
Anyone of you can read the newspaper, can’t you?
Some of you have been selected for the job, haven’t you?

12. “All of them, some of them, neither of them, none of them, one
of them, anyone of them, most of them, either of them, everyone
of them” if these words come in sentences as subject we use
“they” in question tags.
Examples:
Everyone of them has bike, haven’t they?
Most of them are playing, aren’t they?
The words like “no, not, never, nothing” come in the sentences
we should use positive question tag, because ‘no, not, never,
nothing’ gives negative meaning.
Examples:
We have no friends, have we?
you are not laborious, are you?
They have nothing, have they?

13. Imperative sentences like requests, advice, orders, commands
and so on.. We use “won’t you or will you” question tag.
Examples:
Please give me money, will you?
Kindly post this letter, will you?
Remember to shut the door, won’t you?
Be careful while solving the sums, won’t you?
Open the door, will you?
When we get the word like “use your” in sentences, we should
write “cant’ you” in question tag.
Examples:
Use your own book, can’t you?
Use your own mind, can’t you?

14. If we get the words like “Let us or let’s” we should use “shall we”
in question tag.
Examples:
Let us help her, shall we?
Let’s go to the movie, shall we?
If we get the words like “Let me, Let her, Let him, Let them……”
we should use “will you” in question tag.
Examples:
Let me do this work, will you?
Let Veena watch TV, will you?
Let me handle this, will you?
Note: After let if we get name we should write “will you” in
question tag.

15. Sentences with “scarcely, hardly, rarely, barely, seldom, no body,
none, no one, neither…nor etc” are negative in meaning, so they take
a positive tag.
Examples:
Navya hardly reveals the secret, does she?
Barking dogs seldom bite, do they?
The positive sentence with “am” always ends with a question tag,
“aren’t I?”
Examples:
I am a citizen of India, aren’t I?
I am a student, aren’t I?
The negative sentence with “am” always ends with a question tag,
“am I?”
Examples:
I am not a musician, am I?
I am not clever, am I?