Tag Questions (Question Tags) — Grammar, Examples, and Exercises — English 4th Year Middle School — Algerian Curriculum

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Tag Questions (Question Tags) — Grammar, Examples, and Exercises — English 4th Year Middle School — Algerian Curriculum

Subject: English (Grammar) | Level: 4^th Year Middle School (4AM / BEM) | Duration: 2 sessions

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Learning Objectives

✅ Understand what tag questions are and when we use them

✅ Learn the two main rules: positive + negative tag / negative + positive tag

✅ Master special cases: I am, Let’s, Imperatives, There is/are

✅ Use tag questions correctly in BEM exam exercises

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Introduction

Tag questions are short questions that we add at the end of a sentence. We use them to check information, ask for agreement, or confirm something. For example: “You are Algerian, aren’t you?” — “She speaks English, doesn’t she?” Tag questions are very common in English and they often appear in the BEM exam.

أسئلة الذيل (Tag Questions) هي أسئلة قصيرة نضيفها في نهاية الجملة. نستخدمها للتأكد من معلومة أو طلب موافقة. مثلاً: “You are a student, aren’t you?” (أنت تلميذ، أليس كذلك؟). هذا الدرس مهم جداً لامتحان BEM.

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Rule 1 — The Basic Pattern (القاعدة الأساسية)

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Statement Type	Tag Type	Example	Arabic
Positive statement (+) جملة مثبتة	Negative tag (−) سؤال ذيل منفي	You are tired, aren’t you?	أنت متعب، أليس كذلك؟
Negative statement (−) جملة منفية	Positive tag (+) سؤال ذيل مثبت	You aren’t tired, are you?	أنت لست متعباً، أليس كذلك؟

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Key Rule: The verb in the tag must match the verb in the main sentence. If the main verb is “is”, the tag uses “isn’t”. If the main verb is “don’t”, the tag uses “do”.

⚠️ Important: If the main sentence has no auxiliary verb (do, be, have), we add “do / does / did” in the tag.

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Rule 2 — Using Auxiliary Verbs (الأفعال المساعدة)

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Tense / Verb	Sentence	Tag	Translation
To be (present)	She is a doctor,	isn’t she?	هي طبيبة، أليس كذلك؟
To be (past)	They were happy,	weren’t they?	كانوا سعداء، أليس كذلك؟
Present Simple (do)	You like football,	don’t you?	تحب كرة القدم، أليس كذلك؟
Present Simple (3rd person)	He plays tennis,	doesn’t he?	هو يلعب التنس، أليس كذلك؟
Past Simple	She visited Paris,	didn’t she?	زارت باريس، أليس كذلك؟
Can	You can swim,	can’t you?	تستطيع السباحة، أليس كذلك؟
Will	They will come,	won’t they?	سيأتون، أليس كذلك؟
Have / Has	You have a car,	haven’t you?	لديك سيارة، أليس كذلك؟

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Rule 3 — Special Cases (حالات خاصة جداً)

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Case	Rule	Example
I am	Use aren’t I? (NOT “amn’t I”)	I am your friend, aren’t I?
Let’s (suggestion)	Use shall we?	Let’s go to the park, shall we?
Imperative (command)	Use will you? or won’t you?	Open the door, will you?
Negative imperative	Use will you?	Don’t be late, will you?
There is / There are	Repeat “there” in the tag	There is a book, isn’t there?
This / That	Use it in the tag	This is your pen, isn’t it?
Everybody / Nobody / Someone	Use they in the tag	Everybody is here, aren’t they?
Nothing / Everything	Use it in the tag	Everything is okay, isn’t it?

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Rule 4 — Intonation (نبرة الصوت)

Falling intonation ⬇️ (when you are sure and just confirming): “You are Algerian, aren’t you? ⬇️” (you know the answer)

Rising intonation ⬆️ (when you are not sure and asking a real question): “You like ice cream, don’t you? ⬆️” (you don’t know)

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BEM Exam Tips (نصائح لامتحان BEM)

? In the BEM exam, tag questions usually appear in grammar exercises where you fill in the missing tag

? Always check if the main verb is positive or negative first — then choose the opposite tag

? Pay attention to the tense: present → do/does, past → did, will → won’t

? Common BEM mistake: students write “isn’t it?” for every sentence. Check the subject carefully!

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Practice Exercises (تمارين تطبيقية)

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Exercise 1: Complete the tag questions (أكمل أسئلة الذيل)

You are a student, _______________?

She likes reading, _______________?

They aren’t from Algeria, _______________?

He can speak French, _______________?

We went to the beach, _______________?

It isn’t raining, _______________?

You have finished your homework, _______________?

I am early, _______________?

Let’s watch a film, _______________?

There are two cats in the garden, _______________?

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Exercise 2: Choose the correct tag (اختر الإجابة الصحيحة)

You don’t like coffee, ___ ☐ a) do you? ☐ b) don’t you?

She was happy, ___ ☐ a) wasn’t she? ☐ b) was she?

They will arrive soon, ___ ☐ a) will they? ☐ b) won’t they?

He didn’t come to school, ___ ☐ a) didn’t he? ☐ b) did he?

We are friends, ___ ☐ a) aren’t we? ☐ b) are we?

Close the window, ___ ☐ a) will you? ☐ b) don’t you?

Everybody enjoyed the party, ___ ☐ a) didn’t they? ☐ b) didn’t it?

This is your book, ___ ☐ a) isn’t this? ☐ b) isn’t it?

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Exercise 3: Correct the mistakes (صحح الأخطاء)

You are from Algiers, isn’t it? → _________________________________

She can swim, doesn’t she? → _________________________________

They went to the cinema, doesn’t they? → _________________________________

I am a good student, am not I? → _________________________________

Let’s play football, don’t we? → _________________________________

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Exercise 4: Rewrite the sentences — add tag questions (أضف سؤال الذيل)

You like pizza. → _________________________________

He isn’t tired. → _________________________________

They will help us. → _________________________________

She studied for the exam. → _________________________________

We can’t swim. → _________________________________

There is a school near here. → _________________________________

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Answer Key (الإجابات النموذجية)

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Exercise 1:

aren’t you?

doesn’t she?

are they?

can’t he?

didn’t we?

is it?

haven’t you?

aren’t I?

shall we?

aren’t there?

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Exercise 2:

a) do you?

a) wasn’t she?

b) won’t they?

b) did he?

a) aren’t we?

a) will you?

a) didn’t they?

b) isn’t it?

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Exercise 3:

You are from Algiers, aren’t you?

She can swim, can’t she?

They went to the cinema, didn’t they?

I am a good student, aren’t I?

Let’s play football, shall we?

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Exercise 4:

You like pizza, don’t you?

He isn’t tired, is he?

They will help us, won’t they?

She studied for the exam, didn’t she?

We can’t swim, can we?

There is a school near here, isn’t there?

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Summary (ملخص)

In this lesson, you learned:

✅ Positive sentence → negative tag (She is nice, isn’t she?)

✅ Negative sentence → positive tag (She isn’t nice, is she?)

✅ Special cases: I am → aren’t I? / Let’s → shall we? / Imperative → will you?

✅ Tag questions with different tenses (do/does/did/will/can)

✅ How to avoid common BEM mistakes

Homework: Write 8 tag questions about your daily life. For example: “You wake up at 7 am, don’t you?” Practice with a friend!

Tag Questions (Question Tags) — Grammar, Examples, and Exercises — English 4th Year Middle School — Algerian Curriculum