Tag questions

Tag questions are indirect questions that we often use to check something that we think is true.

Example:

Tag question: Your name is Mike, isn’t it?

Direct question: Is your name Mike?

How to form a tag question

1. Add a comma (,) after the information you want to confirm or make emphasis
2. Use the correct auxiliary verb or modal verb.

Auxiliary verbs	Positive	Negative
be	am, is, are was, were	am not, isn’t, aren’t wasn’t, weren’t
do	do, does did	don’t, doesn’t didn’t
have	have, has had	haven’t, hasn’t hadn’t

Common modal verbs used in tag questions

can—can’t could—couldn’t will—won’t would—wouldn’t should—shouldn’t

Note: Use a negative auxiliary/modal verb if the sentence is affirmative and an affirmative auxiliary/ modal verb if the sentence is negative.

3. Add a pronoun

Examples: you, he, she, it, we, they

4. Add a question mark (?)

MORE INFORMATION

Grammar Practice

Match the phrases

Speaking Practice

Student A: Complete with a tag question.

Student B: Answer the question.

Student C: React to B’s Answer (same/ different answer)

Switch roles