About tag questions
Tag questions turn a statement into a question. They are often used to check the information that we think is correct. Tag questions are mostly used in spoken English.
Characteristics of tag questions:
- Use an auxiliary verb – be or have
- A subject pronoun – I, you, she
- Contracted negative question tags – It’s cold today, isn’t it (not ‘is it not’)
- If the main clause is positive, then the question tags are negative – It’s cold today (positive), isn’t it (negative)?
- If the main clause is negative, then the question tags are positive – It’s not cold today (negative), is it (positive)?
- If the main clause has an auxiliary verb, use the same verb in the tag question. If there is no auxiliary verb, in the present simple and the past simple then use; do/does/did
- The exception – the question tag after I am is aren’t I
Positive sentences, with negative tags
Negative sentences, with positive tags
Grammar Quiz – Tag questions (present and past)
Complete these sixteen sentences to score your knowledge of tag questions
Conclusion
Tag questions can be very confusing for EFL students. They contain a statement and then a question. The question would seem to contradict the statement, because it is opposite from the question, if the question is positive, the tag question is negative and vice-versa.
Suggested Reference books on Grammar
Understanding and Using English Grammar by Betty Azar | ![]() |
English Grammar in Use by Raymond Murphy | ![]() |
Summary

Article Name
Tag questions (Present)
Description
Grammar quiz-tag questions-present.
Author
Aaron Skudder
Publisher Name
English for foreigners online
Publisher Logo

Loved your quiz I found it very interesting. I managed to get 12 out of 16 correct. I was a little disappointed in that I being not a foriegner would get them all correct. LOL However I was amazed that I remembered some from school as I was reading this I could almost hear my English teacher drilling it into our heads. Great job.
Thanks for your comments, Cathy.
I will be publishing some ‘English teaching games’ soon.
regards
Aaron
Hi Aaron
I like tag questions. For me, they are a beautiful way of speaking. It is something that we don’t usually use in French. I know that they can be tricky and I did not ace them in my TOEFL test. But I came to understand them later, I do not know if it is the rule but I understood that when the sentence was positive, the tag question should be in negative, right? and vice-versa.
That is what I applied to score a perfect score at your test.
Thanks
Hi
Thanks for your comments. Yes, you are correct about the negative/positive rule.
regards
Aaron
WOW. I did the test in the game lol and got score 13. Which means you explained very well. I am not an English speaker. This result encourages me to learn. Your web site is excellent for me. Thanks to him I hope to improve my knowledge of English. Thanks