LEARN ENGLISH - QUESTION TAGS

  QUESTION TAGS

A Question tag is the shortest form of on question using the „verb‟ and „pronoun‟. (i) A positive statement uses a „Negative Tag‟ 

(ii) A negative statement uses a „Positive Tag‟ 

1. Statement with Auxiliaries:

Am am not are n‟t / ain‟t Is is not is n‟t 

Are are not are n‟t 

Was was not wasn‟t 

Were were not weren‟t 

Will will not won‟t 

Would would not would n‟t 

Shall shall not shan‟t 

Should should not shouldn‟t Can cannot couldn‟t Could could not couldn‟t May may not mayn‟t Might might not might n‟t Must must not must n‟t Ought ought not oughtn‟t Need need not need n‟t

2. STATEMENTS WITHOUT AUXILIARIES: Do - do not – don‟t 

Does – does not – doesn‟t Did – did not - did n‟t Present tense (Singular ) – use „ do‟ Present tense (Plural ) – use „does‟ Past tense ( singu & plur ) – use „did‟ Example: 1. Rats dig burrows , don‟t they? 2. The cuckoo sings beautifully , doesn‟t it? 3. Tenzing conquered the Everest, didn‟t he? 

4. Sachin broke the window , didn‟t he? 3.STATEMENT USING „HAVE / HAS/ HAD‟ AS AUXILIARIES: 

Have – have not – haven‟t 

Has – has not – hasn‟t 

Had – had not – hadn‟t 

Examples: 1.The flowers have drooped , haven‟t they? 

2.The bell has rung , has n‟t it? 3.The school bus had started on time , hadn‟t it? 4.STATEMENT USING „HAVE / HAS/ HAD‟ AS Main verb: Have – do – don‟t Has – does – doesn‟t Had – did – did n‟t

Examples: 1.Indians have great respect, don‟t they? 

2. A tiger has sharp claws, doesn‟t it? 3.Little Rosy had fever, didn‟t she? 5. ‘LET” USE “SHALL WE”: Let-Shall we Examples: 1.Let‟s go for walk , shall we? 

2.Let‟s get together for a party, shall we? 6. “SIMPLE REQUESTS USE WILL YOU?”: 1.Pass me the book, will you? 2.Come with me, will you? 3.Get me a ticket, will you?

7. “URGENT REQUESTS USE WONT YOU?”:-

1.Send the e-mail immediately, won‟t you? 

2.Catch this quick , won‟t you?

3.Pass on the message soon, won‟t you?

8. “COMMANDS USE CANT‟ YOU?”: Order – can‟t you Examples:

1.Keep quiet , can‟t you? 2.Listen to me , can‟t you? 

3.Be attentive, can‟t you? 9.Statements – “Negative words” use “Positive tag”

No,not,none,never,neither-nor,little,few,scarcely,hardly,rarely,seldom,barely

Examples: 1.Sheela is not going to come today , is she? 2.The cuckoo has no care for eggs , does it? 3.None of the boys failed, did they? 4.Nobody is late , are they? 5.He never fails in his duty, does he? 

6.Babu speaks neither Tamil nor Urdu, does he? 

7.Muni shows little care in his studies, does he? 8.Few planets can be seen , can they? 

9.Santhosh scarcely listens in class , does he? 10.They rarely lose their points , do they? 

10.Statemets – “Positive words” use “Negative tag”:

A little 

  

A few

 “Something have”

Examples: 

1.A little sugar is added to taste , isn‟t it? 

2.I have a few chocolates to share, haven‟t I? 3.They had bought a few kerchief, hadn‟t they? 

11. “Only” – For Both “ Positive and Negative tags” Examples: 1. Only children are allowed to play , are / aren‟t they? 2.He did only one mistake , did / didn‟t he? 

12.Statements – For Plural Noun – “ They”: Each , Every, Someone , Somebody, Anyone, Anybody, None, Nobody Examples: 1.Everybody cheered, didn‟t they? 

2.Nobody was injured , were they? 3.Someone can do it , can‟t they? 

4.Everybody is happy , aren‟t they? 5.None of them is willing to come , are they? Exercises: 

1.There is a pub in the corner,____? ( isn‟t it / isn‟t there / hasn‟t it) 

2.He‟s really good looking , _____? ( isn‟t he / isn‟t it / doesn‟t he) 3.It‟s the last one ,____?

(aren‟t it / isn‟t one / isn‟t it)

4.We should do it now, _____? (should we / should n‟t we / were we) 5.He must have seen it,_______? ( must he / must n‟t he / have n‟t he) 6.He can do it, ______? 

( did he / can‟t he / can he)

7.It‟s easy , ____? ( is it / is n‟t it / was it) 

8.He was angry , _____? ( was he / wasn‟t he / didn‟t he) 9.They were late, ____? 

(weren‟t they / were they / are they) 10.Let‟s pray to God , ___? (will you / shall we / do we) 

11.She works in sales, _____? ( does she / doesn‟t she / did she) 12.It looks perfect, ____? 

(does he / does it / does n‟t it)

13. I am elder to you ,____?

(am I / aren‟t I / amn‟t I ) 

14.It can‟t be them , ____? 

( can be / can it / can‟t it) 15.You haven‟t come , ____? ( have you / haven‟t you / did you)

16. She is n‟t very old,____? (is n‟t it / is n‟t she / is she) 17.It isn‟t very difficult , ___? ( is n‟t it / is it / does it) 18.Delhi is not far off , ______? 

( is n‟t it / is it / does it)

19.He doesn‟t write well, ____? ( doesn‟t / did he / does he ) 

20.I need n‟t read it , ____? ( need I / need n‟t I / do I ) 21.It does n‟t work , _____? 

( does it / doesn‟t it / did it ) 22.I don‟t know , ____? ( don‟t I / do I / did I ) 

23.He did n‟t say that , _____? (did he / did n‟t he / doesn‟t he) 24.Vinoth is not rich , ____? 

(is n‟t he / is n‟t it / is he )

25.Mala should n‟t do that , ____?

(Should n‟t it / should she / should her) 

26.She won‟t come, _____? 

(will she / won‟t / she / did she ) 27.They don‟t like it , _____? (do they / don‟t they / do it )

28.There is not enough, _____? ( is n‟t he / is n‟t there / is there) 29.The bell has not rung , ____? ( is it / has n‟t it / has it ) 30.Let us start working , ______? 

( will we / must we / shall we)

31.Students of std. x have no time to waste,______? ( haven‟t they/ have they / are they) 

32.The sun sets in the west, _______? ( does it / is n‟t it / doesn‟t it) 33.There is no water in the tank,_____? 

( is n‟t it / is they / is there) 34.People ought to keep the streets clean,____? ( are they / ought n‟t they / ought they) 

35.I shall carry the bags for you ,______? ( shan‟t I / shall I / don‟t I ) 36.Our team will won the match , ____? 

( won‟t it / will it / is n‟t it)

37.Plants give out oxygen during the day,_____?

(do they / don‟t they / won‟t he ) 

38.He never fails in his duty,_______? 

( doesn‟t he / does he / won‟t he ) 39.Let‟s go for a movie,______? (shall we / can we / will we)

40.I‟m not late , _____? (are n‟t I / am I / are I ) 41.Shreya draws well, ______? (didn‟t she / does n‟t she / don‟t she) 42.It‟s very sultry , ______? 

( is it / is n‟t it / is n‟t he )

43.None of the boys , failed , _____? (are they / did n‟t they / did they) 

44.There is no place like home , ____? ( isn‟t it / is there / is it ) 45.Nobody is late , _____? 

(are they/ aren‟t they / is n‟t they) 46.Everyone likes it , _____? (is n‟t he / don‟t they / do they) 

47.We get interrupted power supply , _____? ( do they / don‟t they /don‟t we) 48. I‟m not late , _____? 

( are I / am I / am n‟t I )

49.There are enough mangoes for us , ____?

( are there / aren‟t there / are it ) 

50. You know this story,____? 

( don‟t you / do you / did n‟t you)

KEY ANSWERS:

1. isn‟t there? 2.isn‟t he? 3.isn‟t it? 4.should n‟t we? 5.must n‟t he? 6.can he? 7.is n‟t it? 8.wasn‟t he? 9.weren‟t they? 10.shall we? 11.doesn‟t she? 12.doesn‟t it? 13.are n‟t I ? 14.can it? 15.have you? 16.is she? 17.is it? 18.is it? 19.does he? 20.need I?

21.does it ? 22.do I ? 23.did he? 24.is he? 25.should she?

26.will she? 27.do they? 28.is there? 29.has it ? 30.shall we? 31.have they? 32.doesn‟t it? 33.is there? 34.oughtn‟t they? 35.shan‟t I ? 36.won‟t it? 37.don‟t they? 38.does he? 39.shall we? 40.am I ? 41.doesn‟t she? 42.isn‟t it? 43.did they? 44.is there? 45.are they? TEST YOURSELF: 

46.don‟t they ? 47.don‟t they? 48.am I? 49.aren‟t there? 50.don‟t you?PREPARED BY S.VASANTHI B.T.ASSISTANT(ENGLISH) TIRUPATTUR DISTRICT 

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