We use tag questions as true questions to ask about information, and also to confirm information that we believe to be true or comment on situations. We use them especially frequently when we expect that the information is correct, but we want to check that it is definitely true. The tag asks about or confirms the information in the statement portion of the sentence structure.
If the main part of the sentence is positive, the question tag is negative, and if the main part of the sentence is negative, the question tag is positive.
The question tag uses the same verb as the main part of the sentence. If the main clause includes an auxiliary verb (a form of “be” or “have”), the question tag uses this auxiliary verb. If the main part of the sentence does not have an auxiliary verb, the question tag uses a “do” form. If there is a modal verb in the main part of the sentence, the question tag uses the same modal verb.
To refer to the noun in the subject position in the statement, always use subject pronouns in the tag, not object or relative ones. Be careful to use the same verb tense in the question tag as is used in the statement portion. Also, be careful about tag questions with “I am” in the subject position. In these cases, the tag will be “aren’t I.”
| Incorrect | Correct |
| You have shopped there already, didn’t you? | You have shopped there already, haven’t you? |
| They would like to go there again, don’t they? | They would like to go there again, wouldn’t they? |
