Question tags – aren’t you? don’t you?

Exercises

Explanation

A question tag has two parts:

1. A main sentence (positive or negative)

2. A short question at the end

We use an auxiliary or modal verb (do, does, did, is, are, was, were, have, will, can, should, etc.) and a pronoun that matches the subject.

Rule 1: Positive Sentence - Negative Tag

If the main sentence is positive, the tag is negative.

You’re a teacher, aren’t you?
She can swim, can’t she?
They have finished, haven’t they?
We should go now, shouldn’t we?
He’s coming to the meeting, isn’t he?

Rule 2: Negative Sentence → Positive Tag

If the main sentence is negative, the tag is positive.

You don’t eat meat, do you?
Sarah isn’t tired, is she?
They won’t be late, will they?
We didn’t see the film, did we?
He can’t drive, can he?

Tip: The Verb in the Tag Matches the Main Verb

Use the same auxiliary or modal verb from the sentence in the tag.

She was at home, wasn’t she?
They will come, won’t they?
You don’t like coffee, do you?
He can dance, can’t he?

Pronouns in Tags

Always use pronouns in the question tag, not names or nouns.

Your brother is nice, isn’t he?
Your brother is nice, isn’t your brother?

When Do We Use Question Tags?

• To confirm information:
  You live in London, don’t you?

• To make conversation friendly:
  It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?

• To check something:
  You haven’t met my friend yet, have you?

Special Notes

• After Let’s, use shall we? → Let’s go for a walk, shall we?

• After I’m, use aren’t I? → I’m late, aren’t I?

• After nothing, nobody, no one, use a positive tag → Nobody called, did they?

Summary Table

Using question tags helps you sound more natural, polite, and conversational in English. It’s easy to learn, isn’t it?