English – Grammar: Question Tags (Formation and Rules) – 1st Year Middle School – Algeria

Question Tags: Formation and Rules

Question tags are short questions added at the end of a sentence. They are used to confirm information or ask for agreement.

Formation of Question Tags

A question tag consists of an auxiliary verb and a pronoun. The basic rule is:

• Positive statement → Negative tag
• Negative statement → Positive tag

Examples

Statement	Question Tag
You are a student,	aren’t you?
He can speak English,	can’t he?
She likes reading,	doesn’t she?
They went to school,	didn’t they?
It is raining,	isn’t it?
You don’t like coffee,	do you?
He hasn’t finished,	has he?

Special Cases

• I am → aren’t I? (not amn’t I): I am right, aren’t I?
• Let’s → shall we?: Let’s go, shall we?
• Imperatives → will you?: Open the door, will you?

Intonation

• When you are sure and expect agreement, use falling intonation.
• When you are not sure, use rising intonation.

Exercises

1. Complete the question tags:
   • You are a teacher, ____?
   • She doesn’t like sports, ____?
   • They have arrived, ____?
   • Let’s play football, ____?
2. Write 5 sentences with question tags about your daily life.

Check also Wh-Questions and Modal Verbs: Can, Must, Should.