Question Tags

The first and biggest concept: the tag always disagrees in sign with the statement. If the statement is positive, the tag is negative. If the statement is negative, the tag is positive.

✔ Pawan is going to Delhi, isn't he?
✔ Pawan is not going to Delhi, is he?
✘ Pawan is going to Delhi, is he? (a positive statement needs a negative tag)

Why? A tag is a request for confirmation. When a speaker says "Pawan is going to Delhi", the speaker expects the listener to say "yes", so the tag turns the statement upside down and invites that "yes".

The tag also repeats the tense. Nothing in the tag is new: the same tense, the helping verb, and a pronoun for the subject.

[[parse: S=Rahul | HV=will | MV=help | O=us]]
[[parse: HV=won't | S=he]]

✔ Rahul will help us, won't he?
✔ They beat him every day, don't they?
✔ They beat him last night, didn't they?
✔ Rakhi should follow my orders, shouldn't she?

Two or more people in the subject become they in the tag.

✘ Ramesh and Mahesh are absent from work again, isn't he? (use aren't they)
✔ Ramesh and Mahesh are absent from work again, aren't they?

> Keep the tag to two words: the helping verb (with n't if it is negative) and the pronoun. Only then is it a proper tag.

When the statement already shows a helping verb, the job is easy: repeat it with the opposite sign.

✔ Rahul will help us, won't he?
✔ Rakhi should follow my orders, shouldn't she?
✔ The Indian team can win, can't it?

The trouble starts with sentences in the Present Indefinite and the Past Indefinite. There the helping verb is hidden, because the tense is shown by the main verb itself (teaches, went). The tag has no main verb, so it must borrow the hidden helper:

✔ Radhika loves me very much, doesn't she? (loves = present, singular subject, so does)
✔ They beat him every day, don't they?
✔ Kavya invited all her friends, didn't she? (invited = past, so did)
✔ You did not do your homework yesterday, did you?

The main verb never enters the tag.

✘ Radhika loves me very much, doesn't she love?
✘ Radhika loves me very much, doesn't she see?
✔ Radhika loves me very much, doesn't she?

Do not change the tense either. If the statement is present, the tag is present, even if the sentence talks about a plan.

✘ Rohan is coming today, wasn't he?
✔ Rohan is coming today, isn't he?

Passive voice is just be + V3, so the helping verb is the be verb that is visible.

✔ The tree was uprooted by the storm last evening, wasn't it?

> Do / does depends on the subject: I, you, we, they and plural subjects take do; he, she, it and singular subjects take does. The past tense has only one form, did.

The verb have works in two different ways, and the tag changes with it.

1. Have as a helping verb (perfect tenses): have / has / had + V3. The helping verb is visible, so it is simply repeated.

✔ You have completed your homework, haven't you?
✔ The medicines have arrived, haven't they?
✔ She had been to Mumbai, hadn't she? (had been is the Past Perfect, so had is the helper)

2. Have as a main verb (have = own, possess): have / has / had + noun. Here have is the verb of the sentence, just like teach or eat. A main verb cannot go in the tag, so the tag borrows do / does / did.

✔ I have a marker, don't I?
✔ She has a car, doesn't she?
✔ You have my mobile number, don't you?
✔ He had a bicycle in those days, didn't he?

> For had + noun, hadn't he is also accepted by some speakers, but the safe and exam-ready answer is didn't he. For have / has + noun choose do / does.

3. Have to / has to / had to also behave as main verbs. They take do / does / did.

✔ You have to do it, don't you?
✔ One of you has to complete it, don't you?
✔ He had to leave early, didn't he?

How can the two be told apart? Remove the noun and see whether a V3 follows. Have + V3 is a perfect tense. Have + noun or have to is the main verb.

[[say:radhika| Why not hasn't she for "She has a car"? The verb is has.]]
[[say:sir| Because here has is not helping any other verb. It is the verb itself, meaning "owns". The tag has no main verb, so it takes does. In She has finished, has is helping finished, so it can come into the tag.]]

Some words are negative by themselves. If one of them sits in the main part of the sentence, the statement is negative and the tag must be positive.

Word list: not, no, never, no sooner, no longer, nothing, nobody, neither, none, few, little, hardly, scarcely, barely, rarely, seldom.

✔ I need no help from you, do I?
✔ He has hardly any money, does he?
✔ He seldom comes here on Sundays, does he?
✔ I hardly have any friends, do I?
✔ Swetha seldom waters the plants, does she?

The negative word must touch the verb, the subject or the object. If it is only inside a small phrase (with no effort, without any hope), the verb itself is still positive, and the tag is negative. (Some grammars treat with no + noun as negative, but exam keys prefer the negative tag here.)

✔ Ravi makes a lot of money with no effort, doesn't he?
✔ He is left without any hope, isn't he?
✔ He is left with no hope, isn't he?
✔ She has little money, does she? (little acts directly on the object of has)

> Do not learn this as a mechanical list. Ask one question: is the verb phrase itself negated? If yes, positive tag. If no, negative tag.

Words that look negative but are not.

• Too … to feels negative in meaning, but grammatically the sentence is affirmative, so the tag is negative.

✔ He is too weak to clear the fitness test, isn't he?

• Words with a negative prefix (un-, im-, dis-) do not make the sentence negative.

✔ He is unhappy, isn't he?

• A few and a little are positive in sense (they mean "some"), while few and little mean "almost none".

✔ He has a little money, doesn't he?
✔ He has little money, does he?

Negative subjects. Nothing, nobody, none, no one, neither make the whole statement negative, so the tag is positive.

✔ Nothing was given to him, was it?
✔ Nobody came to the party, did they?

A few structures do not follow the simple pattern, and the exam asks them again and again. Learn them as a table, then see the logic.

1. I am: aren't I. Amn't I does not exist, so the negative tag of I am is aren't I. When the statement is negative, there is no problem: am I.

✔ I am to complete the work today, aren't I?
✔ I am happy, aren't I?
✔ I am your true friend, aren't I?
✔ I am not going to forgive her, am I?
✔ I am about to forgive her, aren't I?
✘ I am your true friend, isn't I? (never isn't I)
✘ I am not going to help you, aren't I? (the statement is already negative, so use am I)

2. Is to / was to / about to. The be verb is the helper. The to and the verb after it stay out.

✔ The train was about to leave the station, wasn't it?

3. Need and dare. As helping verbs (with not) they come into the tag. As main verbs (with to) they take do / does / did.

✔ I need not get up early, need I?
✔ He dare not say it to my face, dare he?
✔ You need to rest, don't you?

4. Used to. In an exam, the tag for used to is didn't (usedn't is not accepted).

✔ I used to study, didn't I?

5. Ought to takes oughtn't.

✔ You ought to do your homework, oughtn't you?

6. Must have + V3 shows a deduction about the past, and for that sense its helper is have.

✔ You must have read Darwin's book, haven't you?

7. May / might. Mayn't is rare and formal, so in the exam may takes can't; might takes mightn't.

✔ He may come tomorrow, can't he?

8. Must. Must in a tag follows the meaning. For obligation use mustn't or needn't (depending on the sense); for deduction use the tag of the proposition being checked.

✔ He must be at home, isn't he?
✔ You must wear a helmet, mustn't you?

The tag never carries a noun. It carries the pronoun that stands for the subject of the statement.

✔ Ronit is late again today, isn't he?
✔ Radhika loves me very much, doesn't she?
✔ Your sister cooks well, doesn't she?
✘ Kavya invited all her friends, didn't it? (a girl is she)

This and that. These words cannot stand in the tag. We ask: this what? that who? and take the pronoun for the noun they point to.

✔ This is your book, isn't it? (this = book, a thing)
✔ That girl was so cute, wasn't she? (that = girl)
✔ This boy is very intelligent, isn't he?
✔ That movie was very good, wasn't it?
✔ This is your brother, isn't it? (the demonstrative as the subject; the tag uses it)
✔ That man is your brother, isn't he? (the demonstrative is a determiner for man; the tag uses he)

These and those always become they.

✔ These are my books, aren't they?
✔ Those were sweet mangoes, weren't they?
✔ Those are your new shoes, aren't they?

There is repeated as there, and it is repeated as it.

✔ There lived a king, didn't there?
✔ There is a beautiful statue at the end of the street, isn't there?
✔ It is Sunday today, isn't it?
✔ It is the most important phase in anyone's life, isn't it?

> The helping verb always agrees with the pronoun chosen. Those were ⇒ weren't they. That was ⇒ wasn't it.

Some subjects are not he, she or it at first sight. Here is the full list of how they behave.

1. The word ONE

✔ One should obey one's parents, shouldn't one?
✔ One book is enough, isn't it?
✔ One of the boys will drive the car, won't they?
✔ One of you has to complete it, don't you?

2. Words with OF. With *one of, either of, neither of, each of, some of, all of, both of, none of, any of, a few of, half of, two thirds of*, the tag takes its pronoun from the noun or pronoun after of.

✔ Half of the available water is already contaminated, isn't it? (water = a thing)
✔ Half of the students don't arrive on time, do they? (students = many)
✔ Neither of them likes to do the work, do they?

3. They for everyone. When these words are the subject, the tag uses they: everyone, everybody, no one, nobody, someone, somebody, anyone, anybody, none, all, both, some, either, neither, each. The same goes for each / either / neither / every / any + noun.

✔ Everyone is absent today, aren't they?
✔ Every worker works for eight hours here, don't they?
✔ Anyone can perform this task, can't they?
✔ Each boy did his work very well, didn't they?

4. It for everything. Everything, nothing, something, anything take it.

✔ Everything was stolen, wasn't it?
✔ Nothing was given to him, was it?

5. Collective nouns (committee, jury, team, class, family).

• If the group acts as one unit, the tag uses it.
• If the members act separately or disagree, the tag uses they.

✔ The jury was unanimous in the decision, wasn't it?
✔ The committee have different opinions, don't they?
✔ The Indian team should fare well, shouldn't it?

> The verb of the statement tells you which. A singular verb (was, is, has) means one unit, so it. A plural verb (have, are, were) means separate members, so they.

When a sentence has two clauses, the question is: which clause does the tag belong to? Four situations cover everything.

1. One main clause + one subordinate clause: the tag follows the main clause. The subordinate clause (starting with *that, as soon as, because, if*…) only gives extra information.

✔ She is so beautiful that she cannot be ignored, isn't she?
✔ I will go on a holiday as soon as the project gets finished, won't I?

2. The main clause is "I think / I suppose / I guess / I feel": the tag follows the subordinate clause. These words only show the speaker's opinion. What the speaker wants confirmed is the fact that comes after them.

✔ I think Radhika likes coffee, doesn't she?
✔ I suppose he is right, isn't he?
✔ I don't think Radhika likes coffee, does she?
✔ I don't suppose anyone will volunteer, will they?

Look at the third and fourth sentences. I don't think Radhika likes coffee really means "I think Radhika does not like coffee". So the fact that the speaker is sure about is negative, and the tag, which is always the opposite, comes out positive: does she, will they.

> This concept is for I in the main clause. With any other subject, the main clause decides.
✔ Radhika told me that she did not like the coffee, didn't she? (main clause: Radhika told me)

3. A co-ordinate clause (joined by and, but, or) + a main clause: the tag follows the clause nearest to it.

✔ He is very good at his work but he lacks punctuality, doesn't he?
✔ I like reading novels but I have no money to buy a new one, do I?

4. Two separate sentences. The tag belongs to the sentence right next to it.

✔ We've had a long day. We should rest now, shouldn't we?

An imperative sentence gives a command, a request, a suggestion or an instruction. It starts with V1 and has no subject in front, so the tag uses you (or we for let's). The usual tag is won't you, but the meaning of the sentence can change it.

✔ Go there, won't you?
✔ Don't go out at night, will you?
✔ Let us dance, won't you?
✔ Let's go, shall we?
✔ Let's not go to school, shall we?
✔ Give me a hand, will you?
✔ Have some breakfast, will you?
✔ Shut up, can't you?
✔ Help the poor, shouldn't you?
✔ We should help the poor, shouldn't we?

Let us and Let's are different. Let's is a suggestion made to a group that includes the speaker ("let us all do it together"), so the tag is shall we. Let us, in the sense "allow us", is a request to a listener, so the tag is won't you / will you. When the speaker and the listener are both going to do the thing together, as in Let us work out the details of our endeavour, the tag is shall we.

> A negative command (Don't …) always takes will you. Never use won't you after Don't.

An exclamatory sentence usually has a subject, but sometimes the subject is missing. Then we choose the pronoun ourselves, from the sense of the sentence.

Rewrite the sentence mentally first:

• How beautiful! = It (or she) is very beautiful.
• What weather! = It is nice weather.
• What a beautiful girl! = She is a beautiful girl.
• What a man! = He is a remarkable man.

Then the tag follows the rewritten sentence. The sentence is positive in sense, so the tag is negative.

✔ How beautiful, isn't it? (or isn't she?, if a girl is meant)
✔ What weather, isn't it?
✔ Nice dress, isn't it?
✔ What a beautiful girl, isn't she?
✔ What a day, isn't it?
✔ What a man, isn't he?

> Do not look for this / that here. Ask: who or what is being praised or wondered at? A person gives he / she, a thing gives it.

An Agreement Tag is a mini statement joined at the end of a statement. It shows that the second person agrees with what has been said. A question tag asks; an agreement tag agrees.

[[parse: S=Radhika | HV=is | MV=working | A=here]]
[[parse: CONJ=so | HV=is | S=Ram]]

1. The subjects are different. The statement has one subject, the tag has another. The helping verb in the tag follows the subject of the tag.

✔ Radhika is working here, so is Ram.
✔ She teaches here, so do I.

2. Noun or pronoun, both are allowed. This is different from a question tag.

✔ Radhika is working here, so is Ram.
✔ Radhika is working here, so is he.

3. The same two concepts as a question tag. Do not change the tense and do not use the main verb. Use the helping verb that the tense needs (do / does / did for simple tenses).

✘ She teaches here, so did I. (the tense has changed)
✘ She teaches here, so teach I. (main verb used)
✔ She teaches here, so do I.

4. Positive agrees with positive; negative agrees with negative.

Positive agreement tag has only one form:

So + helping verb + subject

✔ Radhika is working here, so is Ram.
✔ I have finished my work, so has she.
✔ He can swim, so can I.
✔ They went to Manali, so did we.

Negative agreement tag has three forms:

> After neither and nor the helping verb has no not, because those words already carry the negative. ✘ Neither don't I.

✔ Pawan didn't come, neither did Ravi.
✔ Pawan didn't come, nor did Ravi.
✔ Pawan didn't come, Ravi didn't either.

When someone asks a yes/no question, we often reply with a short answer: Yes, he will. No, I don't. Four points make a short answer correct.

1. Only the helping verb, not the main verb.

Que. Should I call her?
✔ Yes, you should.
✘ Yes, you should call.
✔ Yes, you should call her. (this is a full answer, so it is also correct)

2. A pronoun, not a noun.

Que. Will Ram help me?
✘ Yes, Ram will.
✔ Yes, he will.

3. Do not contract the helping verb with the subject.

Que. Have they eaten food?
✘ Yes, they've.
✔ Yes, they have.

4. In a negative answer, the contracted form is usual.

Que. Will he call you?
✔ No, he won't.
✔ No, he will not. (the full form is also correct, and more formal)

> The only exception is am not, which has no short form: No, I am not. Write it in full.

The helping verb in the answer is the one that began the question. Do you…? ⇒ Yes, I do. Has she…? ⇒ Yes, she has. Did they…? ⇒ No, they didn't.

A short worked dialogue:

Will Ram help me? — Yes, he will.
Has she finished? — No, she hasn't.
Did they come? — No, they didn't.
Are you ready? — Yes, I am. (Not Yes, I'm.)