Chapter 4 · English Grammar

Question Tags

Advanced ⏱ 35–45 minutes 🎓 Grade 10

What you will be able to do

  • Add the correct question tag to any statement
  • Apply the positive-negative rule
  • Match the tag's auxiliary and pronoun to the statement
  • Handle special cases (I am, Let's, imperatives)
  • Tag sentences with 'nobody', 'nothing', 'never', etc.

1 Quick Introduction

English

A question tag is the short question added at the end of a statement to confirm it: "You're coming, aren't you?" The rules are mechanical and reliable once learned: a positive statement takes a negative tag and vice versa, and the tag copies the statement's helping verb and subject pronoun.

हिन्दी

प्रश्न-पुच्छ (question tag) कथन के अंत में जोड़ा गया छोटा प्रश्न है जो उसकी पुष्टि करता है: "You're coming, aren't you?" नियम सीख लेने पर यांत्रिक और भरोसेमंद हैं: सकारात्मक कथन नकारात्मक tag लेता है और इसके उलट, तथा tag कथन की helping verb और subject pronoun की नकल करता है।

2 A Real-Life Situation

Imagine this

Everyday confirmations:

You: It's a lovely day, isn't it? You finished the project, didn't you? Let's go out, shall we?

Why this form? Each tag flips the polarity and copies the right helper: 'is' → 'isn't', 'finished' → 'didn't', and the special 'Let's' → 'shall we'. We use tags constantly in speech — and the board tests them precisely.

3 The Grammar Rule

Rule & Formula
StatementTag
Positivenegative
Negativepositive
I am…aren't I?
Let's…shall we?
Imperativewill you? / won't you?
Positive ↔ negative · copy the auxiliary + subject pronoun
She can swim, can't she? They don't know, do they?

4 The Basic Rule

Three steps build any tag:

  1. Polarity: a positive statement takes a negative tag; a negative statement takes a positive tag.
  2. Auxiliary: the tag uses the statement's helping verb. If there is no auxiliary, use do/does/did.
    She sings well, doesn't she? They played, didn't they?
  3. Pronoun: the tag's subject is a pronoun matching the statement's subject (Ravi → he, the boys → they, this → it).

The tag is contracted in the negative: is not → isn't, will not → won't, cannot → can't.

Visual — The Basic Rule
She can swim,can't she?positive statement → negative tag (same auxiliary)
1
Worked Example
Add a tag: You are coming, ___?
Solution

aren't you? — positive statement, negative tag, same auxiliary 'are'.

2
Worked Example
Add a tag: He doesn't like tea, ___?
Solution

does he? — negative statement → positive tag.

Key Points

  • Positive statement → negative tag; negative → positive
  • Copy the auxiliary (or use do/does/did if none)
  • Use a pronoun matching the subject

5 Special Cases

Some sentences have fixed or tricky tags:

StatementTag
I am late,aren't I?
Let's go,shall we?
Open the door, (command)will you? / won't you?
Don't go,will you?
Everyone is here,aren't they?
Nobody came,did they?
Nothing happened,did it?
This is yours,isn't it?

Watch the hidden negatives: words like never, hardly, scarcely, seldom, nobody, nothing, no one make a statement negative, so they take a positive tag — He never calls, does he?

1
Worked Example
Add a tag: Let's start, ___?
Solution

shall we? — fixed tag for 'Let's'.

2
Worked Example
Add a tag: He hardly ever smiles, ___?
Solution

does he? — 'hardly' makes it negative, so the tag is positive.

Key Points

  • I am → aren't I; Let's → shall we; imperative → will you/won't you
  • nobody/everyone → tag with 'they'; nothing → 'it'
  • never/hardly/seldom make the statement negative → positive tag

6 Vocabulary Builder

WordMeaningहिन्दी
Question taga short confirming questionप्रश्न-पुच्छ
Polaritypositive or negativeध्रुवता
Auxiliarya helping verbसहायक क्रिया
Imperativea command sentenceआज्ञावाचक
Hidden negativenegative meaning without 'not'गुप्त नकार
✎ Vocabulary Quick Test0 / 1
Q.A positive statement takes a:
Explanation: A positive statement is followed by a negative question tag.

7 Common Mistakes to Avoid

✗ IncorrectYou are coming, are you?
✓ CorrectYou are coming, aren't you?
Positive statement → negative tag.
✗ IncorrectI am right, amn't I?
✓ CorrectI am right, aren't I?
The fixed tag for 'I am' is 'aren't I'.
✗ IncorrectLet's go, will we?
✓ CorrectLet's go, shall we?
'Let's' takes 'shall we'.
✗ IncorrectHe never lies, doesn't he?
✓ CorrectHe never lies, does he?
'never' makes it negative → positive tag.

8 Practice Exercises

Fill in the BlanksLevel 1
Add the correct question tag.
  1. She is a teacher, ______?
  2. They play football, ______?
  3. He has finished, ______?
  4. You can swim, ______?
  5. We didn't win, ______?
Answer Key
  1. isn't she?
  2. don't they?
  3. hasn't he?
  4. can't you?
  5. did we?
Fill in the BlanksLevel 2
Add the correct tag (special cases).
  1. I am late, ______?
  2. Let's begin, ______?
  3. Open the window, ______?
  4. Nobody phoned, ______?
  5. He hardly eats, ______?
Answer Key
  1. aren't I?
  2. shall we?
  3. will you? / won't you?
  4. did they?
  5. does he?
Error Detection
  1. You are ready, are you?
  2. I am next, amn't I?
  3. Let's leave, will we?
  4. She never calls, doesn't she?
Answer Key
  1. You are ready, aren't you? (error: are you)
  2. I am next, aren't I? (error: amn't I)
  3. Let's leave, shall we? (error: will we)
  4. She never calls, does she? (error: doesn't she)
Sentence Correction
  1. He can't come, can't he?
  2. They have left, have they?
  3. Don't shout, do you?
Answer Key
  1. He can't come, can he?
  2. They have left, haven't they?
  3. Don't shout, will you?
Rearrange the Words
  1. isn't / she / a / nurse / she / , / ?
  2. we / shall / go / let's / , / ?
  3. they / nobody / did / came / , / ?
Answer Key
  1. She is a nurse, isn't she?
  2. Let's go, shall we?
  3. Nobody came, did they?
Match the Following
Column AColumn B
1. I am right,a. does he?
2. Let's go,b. aren't I?
3. Nobody knows,c. did they?
4. He hardly speaks,d. shall we?
Answer Key
I am right, → aren't I?Let's go, → shall we?Nobody knows, → did they?He hardly speaks, → does he?

9 Micro Quiz

✎ Quick Check — 5 questions0 / 5
Q1.'She is happy, ___?'
Explanation: Positive → negative tag, same auxiliary 'is'.
Q2.'They don't know, ___?'
Explanation: Negative → positive tag 'do they'.
Q3.'I am right, ___?'
Explanation: Fixed tag 'aren't I'.
Q4.'Let's dance, ___?'
Explanation: 'Let's' → 'shall we'.
Q5.'He never lies, ___?'
Explanation: 'never' = negative → positive tag 'does he'.

10 Reading Practice

"It's a beautiful morning, isn't it?" said Meera. "Let's go for a walk, shall we?" Her brother nodded. "You haven't seen the new park, have you? Nobody told you about it, did they? Come on — you'll love it, won't you?" And so they set out, the dog following them, didn't it?

Comprehension Questions
  1. Why is the tag for 'It's a beautiful morning' negative?
  2. Explain the tag in 'Nobody told you about it, did they?'
  3. What tag does 'Let's go for a walk' take and why?
Answer Key
  1. The statement is positive, so the tag is negative: 'isn't it?'
  2. 'Nobody' is a hidden negative, so the tag is positive ('did'), with 'they' for 'nobody'.
  3. 'shall we?' — the fixed tag for sentences beginning with 'Let's'.

11 Speaking, Writing & Daily Use

Say these aloud
  • You're coming with us, aren't you?
  • She can drive, can't she?
  • Let's start now, shall we?
  • Nobody minds, do they?
  • Close the door, will you?
Write five statements about your day, each followed by the correct question tag — include one 'I am…', one 'Let's…' and one with a hidden negative.
Example: I am early, aren't I? Let's revise, shall we? You never miss class, do you?

12 Challenge Zone

🔥 Higher-Level Questions — 30 / 3
Q1.Add the tag: 'Everyone enjoyed the trip, ___?'
Explanation: 'Everyone' takes 'they'; positive → negative tag 'didn't they?'.
Q2.Add the tag: 'Nothing was lost, ___?'
Explanation: 'Nothing' is negative → positive tag, subject 'it': 'was it?'.
Q3.Add the tag: 'You'd better leave now, ___?'
Explanation: 'had better' takes 'hadn't you?'.

13 Chapter Mind Map

Mind Map
         QUESTION TAGS
                |
   +------------+------------+
   |                         |
 BASIC RULE              SPECIAL CASES
 positive>negative       I am>aren't I
 copy auxiliary          Let's>shall we
 (do/does/did)           imperative>will you
 pronoun subject         nobody>they, did
                         never/hardly=neg

14 One-Minute Revision

Remember these

  • Positive statement → negative tag; negative → positive
  • Copy the auxiliary (or use do/does/did); subject becomes a pronoun
  • I am → aren't I; Let's → shall we; imperative → will you/won't you
  • nobody/everyone → tag with 'they'; nothing → 'it'
  • never/hardly/seldom make a statement negative → positive tag