Question Tags

Question tags, also known as tail questions, turn declarative clauses into questions to invite a response from a conversation partner. They are formed by adding an auxiliary verb and repeating the subject of the main clause as a pronoun.

Usage

Rule 1: You can use a question tag when you expect your conversation partner to confirm or react to what you're saying.

Rule 2: You should use a contraction of negation for positive sentences.

Rule 3: You should use the positive form for negative sentences.

How to Form Question Tags?

Be or Auxiliary Verb

Rule 4: If the main verb in the sentence is a form of the verb be, you should use the same form in the question tag.

Note: In the negative question tag for I am, you should use are.

Rule 5: If there is an auxiliary or modal verb in the sentence, you should use it in the question tag.

Rule 6: You should use the verb do in the appropriate form for the question tag if there is neither the verb be nor auxiliary/modal verbs in the sentence.

Pronouns

Rule 7: You should always use pronouns in question tags. The name or noun used as a subject should be replaced by a corresponding pronoun in the question tag.

Rule 8: If there is a pronoun used for the subject in a sentence, you should use the same pronoun for the question tag.