February 25, 2026

[Lindsey Lange-Abramowitz, M.A.](https://blog.duolingo.com/author/lindsey/)

# What are tag questions and how do you use them?

There’s a lot to know when it comes to English tag questions, *isn’t there?*

English tag questions are really common, but they can be tricky for learners because there are many parts of grammar to keep track of—like whether the sentence is positive or negative, what type of verb it uses, and which subject pronoun you'll need.

You're ready to learn more about tag questions, _aren’t you_? 😉 Let’s get started!

* * *

### In this post:

- [What are tag questions in English?](https://blog.duolingo.com/what-are-tag-questions/#what-are-tag-questions)
- [How do you form tag questions in English?](https://blog.duolingo.com/what-are-tag-questions/#how-to-form-tag-questions)
  - [Which pronoun to use in a tag question](https://blog.duolingo.com/what-are-tag-questions/#pronouns-in-tag-questions)
  - [Positive vs. negative tag questions](https://blog.duolingo.com/what-are-tag-questions/#tag-questions-with-positive-and-negative-clauses)
  - [Choosing the right verb for your tag question](https://blog.duolingo.com/what-are-tag-questions/#choosing-the-right-verb-for-your-tag-question)
    - [Tag questions with auxiliaries, modals, and forms of the verb _be_](https://blog.duolingo.com/what-are-tag-questions/#choosing-the-right-verb-for-your-tag-question)
    - [Tag questions with forms of _do_](https://blog.duolingo.com/what-are-tag-questions/#tag-questions-with-forms-of-the-verb-do)
- [Examples of English tag questions](https://blog.duolingo.com/what-are-tag-questions/#examples-of-tag-questions-in-english)
  - [Tag questions that use an auxiliary, a modal, or a form of _be_](https://blog.duolingo.com/what-are-tag-questions/#tag-questions-with-a-form-of-be-modals-and-auxiliaries)
  - [Tag questions that use a form of _do_](https://blog.duolingo.com/what-are-tag-questions/#tag-questions-with-a-form-of-do)

## What are tag questions?

A tag question is a statement (referred to in this post as the _main_ _clause_) followed by a short question (called a _question tag_) that asks the listener to confirm whether the statement is true or not. Unlike in many other languages, English question tags actually look almost like full questions! For example:

- He can swim, can’t he?
- They drink coffee, don't they?
- We aren’t late, are we?

## How to form tag questions

Tag questions generally begin with the main clause, followed by a comma and a question tag made up of a verb (either negative or positive) and a pronoun. For example:

| MAIN CLAUSE (POSITIVE) | ➕ | QUESTION TAG |
| --- | --- | --- |
| VERB (NEGATIVE) | ➕ | PRONOUN |
| She wants a cookie | ➕ | doesn't | ➕ | she |
| 🟰 |
| She wants a cookie, doesn’t she? |

| MAIN CLAUSE (NEGATIVE) | ➕ | QUESTION TAG |
| --- | --- | --- |
| VERB (POSITIVE) | ➕ | PRONOUN |
| He isn't absent | ➕ | is | ➕ | he |
| 🟰 |
| He isn't absent, is he? |

It may seem simple at first, but there are several factors you’ll have to consider when forming tag questions:

1. What’s the subject of the main clause?
2. Is the main clause positive or negative?
3. Does the main clause use an auxiliary verb, a modal verb, or a form of the verb _be_?
   - If not, is the verb in the main clause in the present tense or the past tense?

Let’s take a closer look at each of these.

### Pronouns in tag questions

Tag questions almost always use [a pronoun](https://blog.duolingo.com/english-personal-pronouns/), like he, we, or they. If the main clause already has a pronoun as its subject, you can simply use the same pronoun in the question tag:

| STATEMENT |  | TAG QUESTION |
| --- | --- | --- |
| I’m right. | ➡️ | I’m right, aren't I? |
| She doesn’t know your mom. | ➡️ | She doesn’t know your mom, does she? |
| They can come to the party. | ➡️ | They can come to the party, can’t they? |

However, if the main clause _doesn’t_ use a pronoun, you’ll need to decide which pronoun can replace the subject and then use that pronoun in the question tag. For example, in the sentence _Joe doesn’t speak Mandarin_, we know that _Joe_ refers to a male person, so we use the [third person singular pronoun](https://blog.duolingo.com/first-person-second-person-third-person/) _he_ in the question tag.

| STATEMENT |  | TAG QUESTION |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Joe doesn’t speak Mandarin. | ➡️ | Joe doesn’t speak Mandarin, does he? |
| Sam and I aren’t invited. | ➡️ | Sam and I aren’t invited, are we? |
| Amy and Ben should stay. | ➡️ | Amy and Ben should stay, shouldn’t they? |

### Tag questions with positive and negative clauses

In English, if the main clause is positive, the question tag is negative, typically in the form of a [contraction](https://blog.duolingo.com/apostrophes-in-english/#apostrophes-for-english-contractions):

| STATEMENT |  | TAG QUESTION |
| --- | --- | --- |
| You are from Ecuador. | ➡️ | You are from Ecuador aren’t you? |
| Andrew should study now. | ➡️ | Andrew should study now, shouldn’t he? |
| We have checked in already. | ➡️ | We have checked in already, haven’t we? |

Meanwhile, if the main clause is negative, the question tag is positive:

| STATEMENT |  | TAG QUESTION |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The taxi didn’t save us time. | ➡️ | The taxi didn’t save us time, did it? |
| We can’t reserve a table in advance. | ➡️ | We can’t reserve a table in advance can we? |
| These boots aren’t waterproof. | ➡️ | These boots aren’t waterproof, are they? |

### Choosing the right verb for your tag question

**Tag questions with auxiliaries, modals, and forms of the verb _be_**

If the main clause contains an [auxiliary verb](https://blog.duolingo.com/types-of-verbs/#auxiliary-verbs) (like will, have, or do), you use the same auxiliary verb in the question tag. Don’t forget to check whether it should be positive or negative:

| STATEMENT |  | TAG QUESTION |
| --- | --- | --- |
| You have been to Mexico. | ➡️ | You have been to Mexico, haven’t you? |
| She will be late. | ➡️ | She will be late, won’t she? |
| They didn’t leave. | ➡️ | They didn’t leave, did they? |

Similarly, if the main clause contains a [modal verb](https://blog.duolingo.com/types-of-verbs/#modal-verbs) (like can, should, or could), then you use the same modal verb in the question tag:

| STATEMENT |  | TAG QUESTION |
| --- | --- | --- |
| I could stay another night. | ➡️ | I could stay another night, couldn’t I? |
| She can ride a bike. | ➡️ | She can ride a bike, can’t she? |
| They shouldn’t eat now. | ➡️ | They shouldn’t eat now, should they? |

Finally, if the main clause contains a form of [the verb _be_](https://blog.duolingo.com/how-to-use-the-verb-to-be-in-english/) (like is, are, or were), then the question tag also uses that form of the verb _be_:

| STATEMENT |  | TAG QUESTION |
| --- | --- | --- |
| You were happy. | ➡️ | You were happy, weren’t you? |
| It isn’t cold. | ➡️ | It isn’t cold, is it? |
| They are confused. | ➡️ | They are confused, aren’t they? |

However, if the main clause contains I am or I’m, then you typically use aren’t I in the question tag:

| STATEMENT |  | TAG QUESTION |
| --- | --- | --- |
| I am done. | ➡️ | I am done, aren’t I? |
| I’m in your group. | ➡️ | I’m in your group, aren’t I? |

**Tag questions with forms of the verb _do_**

If the main clause doesn’t contain an auxiliary verb, a modal verb, or a form of the verb _be_, the question tag uses a form of the verb _do_. Be sure to match the tense of _do_ with the tense of the main clause. This means that if the verb in the main clause is in the present tense, use doesn’t (for third person singular subjects) or don’t (for all other subjects) in the question tag:

| STATEMENT |  | TAG QUESTION |
| --- | --- | --- |
| You walk to work. | ➡️ | You walk to work, don’t you? |
| He goes home at noon. | ➡️ | He goes home at noon, doesn’t he? |
| We love each other. | ➡️ | We love each other, don’t we? |

If the verb in the main clause is in the past tense, use didn’t in the question tag:

| STATEMENT |  | TAG QUESTION |
| --- | --- | --- |
| You walked to work. | ➡️ | You walked to work, didn’t you? |
| He went home at noon. | ➡️ | He went home at noon, didn’t he? |
| We loved each other. | ➡️ | We loved each other, didn’t we? |

## Get your questions answered with tag questions!

Tag questions can seem tricky when you’re learning English, but by focusing on one sentence type at a time, you’ll be able to strengthen your skills and handle this question type with confidence.

* * *

## Examples of tag questions in English

### Tag questions with a form of _be_, modals, and auxiliaries

**_To be_**

- The directions weren’t very clear, were they?
- You are the first to arrive, aren’t you?
- The whole crowd was surprised, weren’t they?
- I’m not going to present first, am I?
- This building is being renovated, isn’t it?

**Modals**

- We should check the second suitcase, shouldn’t we?
- Our grandparents can’t meet us at the park, can they?
- The photographer could show us the pictures before Sunday, couldn’t they?
- The team wouldn’t practice in the rain, would they?

**Auxiliaries**

- The children haven’t tried gelato yet, have they?
- She has designed other bridges, hasn’t she?
- Our rates will rise in the summer, won’t they?
- You hadn’t received a confirmation email, had you?

### Tag questions with a form of _do_

- I don’t look like my passport photo, do I?
- The chairs don’t fit with the new decor, do they?
- Her work speaks for itself, doesn’t it?
- The puppy didn’t create this mess, did he?

- Note: If the puppy is female, the tag would be did she, and if the speaker is creating more distance between themself and the puppy, they could also say did it.