Question Tags

Question Tag

A question tag is a short question added at the end of a statement to confirm or check information.

For example:
You are coming, aren’t you?
It’s cold today, isn’t it?

Form

Positive Statement, Negative Tag
If the statement is positive, the tag is negative.
Example: You are a student, aren’t you?

Negative Statement, Positive Tag
If the statement is negative, the tag is positive.
Example: You aren’t tired, are you?

The Most Common Structures:

With 'be' Verbs - am, is, are, was, were:
Example: She is a teacher, isn’t she?
Example: They were here, weren’t they?

With Auxiliary Verbs - have, will, can, must:
Example: You can swim, can’t you?
Example: He will come, won’t he?

Simple Present and Past Tense
Simple Present (do/does): You like coffee, don’t you?
Simple Past (did): She went home, didn’t she?

Common Examples:

He is happy, isn’t he?
They are playing, aren’t they?
She doesn’t like apples, does she?
We didn’t see the movie, did we?
You will help me, won’t you?
They can’t swim, can they?

There is one weird exception: the question tag after I am is aren't I.

Summary

Agreement: The question tag matches the tense and form of the statement.
Polarity: The tag is always the opposite of the statement (positive statement, negative tag and vice versa).