Tag Questions

First, check the main clause. If it contains no negation and states a fact, the target tag needs not.

In an ordinary question tag, the negative is usually contracted: is not → isn't, do not → don't, did not → didn't. In exercises requiring the exact form, use the standard contracted tag.

An affirmative main clause with an affirmative tag can also occur in English, but it conveys a different intention, such as surprise or genuine checking. This is a different grammatical pattern, not necessarily an error in itself.

If the main clause already contains be, have as an auxiliary, or another auxiliary verb, use it in the tag. Change only the polarity: is → isn't, are → aren't, was → wasn't, have → haven't.

The tense in the tag must match the main clause. Do not combine was with isn't, or have finished with don't.

Do not copy the full predicate. The tag contains only the auxiliary verb and a short subject pronoun.

In an affirmative Present Simple sentence with an ordinary verb, there is no separate auxiliary. Build the tag with don't or doesn't.

Use doesn't with he, she, it, and the corresponding singular noun; use don't with I, you, we, they, and plural nouns. Do not repeat the main verb.

In an affirmative Past Simple sentence with an ordinary verb, use didn't for all persons. The form arrived or called in the main clause indicates the past tense.

With can, could, will, would, and should in this basic pattern, repeat the modal verb in its negative form. Other modal constructions may have special features, so do not apply this pattern automatically to every case.

Do not replace the modal verb with do or be. After You can join, the correct tag is can't you, and after She will call, it is won't she.

The contractions can't and won't are not formed by simply adding n’t to the spellings can or will, so their forms must be memorized.

In a standard tag, replace a noun or name from the main clause with a pronoun: Marta → she, Mr Lee → he, the phone → it, the students → they.

The pronoun must preserve person and number. Use they for two people or for plural subjects; the form for you does not change.

After I am, the standard negative tag is aren't I. This is an established exception: I'm next, aren't I?

This rule practices only an affirmative main clause with a negative tag. A negative sentence with an affirmative tag, a tag after a command, and let's + shall we belong to neighboring patterns.

Intonation can show the degree of confidence: a falling tone often sounds like expected confirmation, while a rising tone sounds like a less confident check. The text-based self-check here evaluates meaning and grammatical form, not pronunciation or speech melody.

Before producing your own sentence, take four steps: formulate a positive idea, identify its auxiliary or tense, form the negative, and replace the subject with a pronoun. Natural wording may differ from the example if these decisions and the communicative intention are preserved.

The target pattern reverses polarity: negative statement → affirmative tag. The affirmative tag has no not: don’t becomes do, isn’t becomes is, haven’t becomes have, can’t becomes can.

The negative main clause stays unchanged. The tag does not cancel the negative; it asks for confirmation of the whole statement.

If the statement already contains be, auxiliary have or a modal such as can, will or should, repeat the same type and tense in affirmative form. Do not replace is or can with do. The specific form agrees with the tag’s pronoun: Nobody is here, are they?

In negative present simple or past simple statements with a main verb, the clue is visible in doesn’t, don’t or didn’t. Remove not and retain does, do or did. After I am not, the affirmative tag is am I?.

The auxiliary is followed by a pronoun representing the subject: Sara → she, Tom → he, the phone → it, the students → they, you and I → we. Person and number must match.

Do not copy the full noun phrase into the tag. Brevity is part of the question-tag form.

Not every negative statement contains not. Never, nobody, no one, nothing and nowhere already have negative meaning, so standard question tags after them are affirmative.

At this level, recognise clear examples with never, nobody/no one and nothing. Do not add another not to the verb: Nobody called is a standard statement with negative meaning.

A question tag often shows that the speaker has an assumption and wants confirmation. You haven’t met Ana, have you? usually conveys “I think you haven’t met; confirm or correct me”.

In speech, falling intonation often conveys greater confidence, while rising intonation expresses genuine uncertainty. This text-based trainer checks form and conversational appropriateness, rather than pronunciation or intonation.

An affirmative statement with a negative tag is a neighbouring pattern: She is ready, isn’t she? Here it is used only for contrast. We also do not practise tags after commands or let’s, or fixed conversational tags such as right? and yeah?.

Affirmative tags after affirmative statements are also possible with another meaning, often surprise or checking. They are not universally wrong, but are outside this A2 rule’s target. In tasks, assess the explicitly requested pattern rather than treating other grammatical intentions as impossible.

Step 1: find the first auxiliary or modal verb in the predicate. This may be a form of be, have, can, or will. Step 2: if there is no such verb and the statement is in the Present Simple or Past Simple, choose do, does, or did. Step 3: change the polarity and put after the auxiliary the pronoun that replaces the subject.

Tense and person do not change. The Present Simple with he, she, or it requires does; other persons use do. The Past Simple requires did for all persons. Do not copy the lexical verb into the tag.

If be is the main verb or helps build a continuous form, repeat its form in the tag: is, are, was, or were. Do not add do here.

Replace a noun subject in the tag with a pronoun: the printer → it, Maya → she, the keys → they. This is a supporting skill for this rule: the correct auxiliary verb with the wrong pronoun does not make a correct tag.

In an affirmative Present Simple or Past Simple statement with an ordinary lexical verb, there is no separate auxiliary verb. The tag then adds do or does for the present and did for the past.

If the statement already contains don't, doesn't, or didn't, repeat the corresponding form without not in the affirmative tag: do, does, or did. Choose the form according to the grammar of the statement, not according to the nearest word.

In the Present Perfect, have or has is the auxiliary verb. The tag uses that same verb: have with I, you, we, and they, and has with he, she, and it. Do not replace it with do or does.

Here we practise only unambiguous Perfect examples with have/has + V3. Ordinary have meaning possession and the have got construction can have different patterns in different varieties of English, so they are not included in this lesson’s closed answer keys.

If the statement contains the modal can or will, the same modal verb forms the tag. Do not use do, does, or did with modals.

Learn the contracted negative forms as complete words: can → can't, will → won't. In this A2 lesson, we actively practise can and will, which are directly specified by the rule; the wider system of modal forms is left for later topics.

In neutral standard English, use aren't I? after an affirmative I am: I'm early, aren't I? After the negative I'm not, the ordinary affirmative tag am I? is possible. This is a separate fixed form, not a signal to replace am with are in other sentences.

Intonation can show how confident the speaker is, but the text-based exercise does not assess it. We also do not practise tags after imperatives and let's, rare modal constructions, or same-polarity tags used to express surprise. The goal is to confidently make the auxiliary verb agree in standard tags of opposite polarity.