English Exercises > tag questions exercises

Question Tags (Explanation and Exercise




Downloadable worksheets:
QUESTION TAGS SET / Part I -- Focus on Form: Basic Rules
Level: intermediate
Age: 12-17
Downloads: 2902

 
Question tags
Level: intermediate
Age: 14-17
Downloads: 2009

 
Question tags (BW + the key)
Level: intermediate
Age: 12-14
Downloads: 1406

 
QUESTION TAGS 2/2
Level: intermediate
Age: 10-17
Downloads: 1064

 
Question Tags for elementary students (Perfect Tenses not included)
Level: elementary
Age: 9-12
Downloads: 962

 
Let�s go for a walk, shall we? - QUESTION TAGS (B&W + KEY included)
Level: elementary
Age: 10-17
Downloads: 888

 

QWhat is a question tag?
A question tag is a short question which is added to a statement. We use it either to make others agree with us or to know something.
Look at the following examples:
 
            She is amazing, isn't she? 
          They do not have money, do they? 
 
If you look at how the question tags are formed, you will understand that they have 'helping verbs' ('is' and 'do') in them. So we always start questions with helping verbs.  

What else?
      A positive statements has a negative question tag and a negative statement has a positive question tag. In the first example above, the statement is positive and hence the question tag, negative. In the second example, the statement is negative and so the question tag, positive.
 
So, what are the helping verbs that we can use in question tags?
 
Here's the list:
 
         
 am             is are
 was were 
 do does did
 have has had
 will would 
 shall should 
 can could 
 may might 
 must need dare
 ought to used to 
 
 Now, if you have any of the above words in the given statement, we should start our question/question tag with the same word. But we should keep in mind the rule mentioned above. Positive to negative and negative to positive. But there are exceptions too. Since they are very rare, we do not discuss them here.
 
NOTE: WE ALWAYS USE 'CONTRACTIONS' IN QUESTION TAGS. THE FOLLOWING ARE THE POSSIBLE CONTRACTIONS;
 
 am +not                                             aren't  (exception)
 is + not    isn't
 are + notaren't
 was + notwasn't
 were + notweren't
 do + notdon't
 does + notdoesn't
 did + notdidn't 
 have + nothaven't 
 has + nothasn't 
 had + not hadn't 
 will + notwon't (Look at this carefully) 
 would + notwouldn't 
 shall + notshan't (Look at this carefully)
 should + notshouldn't 
 can + notcan't 
 could + notcouldn't 
 may + notmayn't 
 might + notmightn't 
 must + notmustn't 
 need + notneedn't 
 dare + notdaren't 
 ought to + notoughtn't to 
 used to + not
didn't use to (exception)
'(Usedn't' soulds odd)
Now, time for an exercise...
Fill in the blanks with the right question tags. Do not forget to use contractions with negative tags. And, finally, add a question mark (?) in the end. 
 
   1. She is collecting stamps, 
 
   2. We often watch TV in the afternoon, 
   
   3. You have spoiled the garden, 
 
   4. James does not like Science,  
 
   5. Peter played handball yesterday, 
 
   6. They are coming home from the market,
 
   7. You will enjoy at the party, 
 
   8. I'm confused, 
 
   9. Dogs eat meat, 
 
 10. It's a lovely day today, 
 
11. He sometimes reads the newspaper,
 
12. Let's go there, 
 
13. They are Indians, 
 
14. Smith didn't invite me to the party,  
 
15. The girl has answered all the questions,