Tag Questions

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What is a tag question?

A tag question is a sentence with a small part at the end that makes it a question.

For example:

You like kittens.

This is a statement, not a question.

Now we add a small part at the end of it:

You like kittens, don't you?

Now this sentence is a question. We call it a tag question.

The little part at the end (after the comma) is called a question tag.(A tag is a word or phrase that is added to a sentence.)

Why do we need these question tags?

We use questions tags (such as "don't you?", "isn't it?") to turn statements into questions, or to check that a statement is correct.

It's like saying "Am I right?" or "Is that correct?"

Using question tags can help you sound more natural in English.

Positive Statements

Negative StatementsTag question

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Tag Question Rules

Positive Statements

In most cases, the helping verb (or BE verb) from the positive statement is repeated in the tag and changed to negative.

Example sentences:

Statement: Brenda is sad.

Question tag: isn't she?

Tag question: Brenda is sad, isn't she?