How to form a question tag

Use the auxiliary from the statement. If there is be, have, a modal or another auxiliary, repeat it: "He's working, isn't he?" "You'll come, won't you?"

If there is no auxiliary, use do, does or did. "She lives here, doesn't she?" "They won, didn't they?"

Use a pronoun for the subject. "Your brother is a doctor, isn't he?" not "isn't your brother?"

Statement	Tag
You are tired,	aren't you?
He wasn't there,	was he?
They have finished,	haven't they?
She plays the piano,	doesn't she?
We should leave,	shouldn't we?
It didn't rain,	did it?

Special cases

A few tags don't follow the basic pattern.

Case	Example
I am takes aren't I	I'm late, aren't I?
Let's takes shall we	Let's start, shall we?
Requests and orders take will you, would you or can you	Close the door, will you?
There is or are keeps there	There's a problem, isn't there?
Never, hardly, nobody and nothing make the statement negative	She never complains, does she?
Everyone, someone and nobody take they	Nobody called, did they?
This and that take it; these and those take they	That's yours, isn't it?

Intonation and answering

With a falling tone, you expect the listener to agree: "Lovely day, isn't it?" With a rising tone, you are really asking because you aren't sure: "You've paid, haven't you?"

Answer according to the facts, not the tag. "You aren't vegetarian, are you?" "No, I'm not" (I eat meat) or "Yes, I am" (I'm vegetarian).

In South Asian English, "isn't it?" is often used as a fixed tag for every sentence, and many speakers use "na" or "no" the same way. In standard English, the tag must match the statement.

Common mistakes

Wrong: You are coming tomorrow, isn't it?
Right: You are coming tomorrow, aren't you?
The tag repeats the verb (are) and the subject (you).
Wrong: She likes cricket, isn't she?
Right: She likes cricket, doesn't she?
Likes has no auxiliary, so the tag uses does.
Wrong: I'm right, amn't I?
Right: I'm right, aren't I?
Standard English uses aren't I as the tag for I am.
Wrong: He never helps, doesn't he?
Right: He never helps, does he?
Never makes the statement negative, so the tag is positive.

Using this in IELTS and PTE

Question tags are a feature of conversation, so they matter most in IELTS Speaking, mainly when you check something with the examiner or react naturally. You don't need to force them in. Avoid them in IELTS and PTE essays, where they read as too conversational. Replacing a fixed "isn't it?" with the correct tag is a quick way to remove a noticeable spoken error.

5 questions

Exercise

Try each one, then open it to check your answer.

1. Add the tag: "They live in Chennai, ___?"
don't they?
There is no auxiliary in the present simple, so use do.
2. Add the tag: "You haven't seen my keys, ___?"
have you?
A negative statement takes a positive tag.
3. Add the tag: "Let's go for a walk, ___?"
shall we?
Let's always takes shall we.
4. Add the tag: "Nothing happened, ___?"
did it?
Nothing makes the statement negative, and nothing takes it.
5. Add the tag: "Your sister can swim, ___?"
can't she?
Repeat the modal and use a pronoun.

Frequently asked questions

What is a question tag?+

A short question added to the end of a statement to check information or invite agreement, such as "isn't it?", "don't you?" or "won't they?"

Is "isn't it" always correct?+

Only when the statement uses is and it: "It's expensive, isn't it?" Using isn't it after every statement is common in Indian English but is not standard.

What is the question tag for I am?+

Aren't I: "I'm in the next group, aren't I?" In a negative statement, it is am I: "I'm not late, am I?"

What is the question tag for let's?+

Shall we: "Let's take a break, shall we?"

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