A question tag is a short question added to the end of a statement. It turns the statement into a yes/no question, usually to confirm something or invite agreement.
The tag mirrors the verb from the statement but flips its polarity: a positive statement gets a negative tag, and a negative statement gets a positive one.
The core rule
Positive statement — negative tag.
Negative statement — positive tag.
The subject in the tag is always a pronoun that matches the subject of the statement. Sarah works here becomes Sarah works here, doesn't she? — not doesn't Sarah?
How to form a tag
The tag takes the auxiliary verb (or be, or a modal) from the statement, flips it between positive and negative, and adds the subject pronoun.
| STATEMENT | AUXILIARY | TAG |
|---|---|---|
| She is coming | is | isn't she? |
| They have left | have | haven't they? |
| He can drive | can | can't he? |
| We should wait | should | shouldn't we? |
When the statement is negative, the tag drops the not.
Tags with do, does, did
Many English sentences have no visible auxiliary — especially in present simple and past simple. In these cases, the tag uses do, does, or did, exactly as when forming a regular question.
The main verb itself never appears in the tag. It is always replaced by the appropriate form of do.
Special cases
I am — aren't I?
The expected tag for I am would be amn't I?, but this form does not exist in standard English. The accepted tag is aren't I?
When the statement is negative, the tag follows the normal pattern: I'm not late, am I?
Let's — shall we?
Suggestions with let's take the tag shall we?
Imperatives — will you? / won't you?
Imperatives are not statements in the usual sense, but they can still carry a tag. The most common tag verb is will.
Won't you? sounds softer and more like a polite invitation. Will you? after a negative imperative (Don't forget, will you?) is the only natural option — won't you? would not work there.
There is / there are
When the subject of the statement is there, the tag keeps there as its subject instead of a personal pronoun.
Negative words: nobody, nothing, never
Words like nobody, nothing, no one, never, hardly, and rarely already make the statement negative, even though the verb looks positive. The tag is therefore positive.
Notice the pronoun choice: nobody and no one are followed by they in the tag; nothing is followed by it.
Intonation
Question tags can sound very different depending on how you say them.
Falling intonation means you expect the other person to agree. You are not really asking — you are confirming.
Rising intonation means you genuinely want an answer. You are less certain and the tag works as a real question.
In writing, the difference disappears — the reader infers it from context. But in spoken English, the intonation changes the entire meaning of the tag.
Common mistakes
Flipping the polarity the wrong way
Using the wrong auxiliary
I am — wrong tag form
Negative words treated as positive
Wrong pronoun in the tag