Form of Question Tags: Affirmative — Negative
Question tags are short questions added at the end of statements to confirm or seek agreement. When the main statement is affirmative, the question tag is negative. Here’s how they are formed:
Examples of Affirmative Statements with Negative Question Tags
✧ I’m late, aren’t I?
✧ They’re waiting, aren’t they?
✧ We were late, weren’t we?
✧ I’ve finished, haven’t I?
✧ He’s left, hasn’t he?
✧ You like it, don’t you?
✧ It works, doesn’t it?
✧ You painted it, didn’t you?
✧ I can see him, can’t I?
Form of Question Tags: Negative — Affirmative
When the main statement is negative, the question tag is affirmative. Here’s how they are formed:
Examples of Negative Statements with Affirmative Question Tags
✧ I’m not late, am I?
✧ He isn’t leaving, is he?
✧ I wasn’t ill, was I?
✧ I haven’t finished, have I?
✧ He hasn’t left, has he?
✧ You don’t like it, do you?
✧ It doesn’t work, does it?
✧ You didn’t paint it, did you?
✧ I can’t see him, can I?
Summary of Question Tag Forms
Below is a comprehensive table summarizing the forms of question tags for different verbs and modals:
| Verb/Modal | Negative Tag | Verb/Modal | Negative Tag |
|---|---|---|---|
| present form / do | don’t | can | can’t |
| (present form + s/es) / does | doesn’t | could | couldn’t |
| past form / did | didn’t | shall | shan’t |
| am | aren’t | should | shouldn’t |
| is | isn’t | will | won’t |
| are | aren’t | would | wouldn’t |
| was | wasn’t | may | mightn’t |
| were | weren’t | might | mightn’t |
| have | haven’t | ought | oughtn’t |
| has | hasn’t | must | mustn’t |
| had | hadn’t | dare | daren’t |
| **** | **** | need | needn’t |
Key Notes:
- Question tags are formed using the auxiliary verb or modal from the main statement.
- If the main statement is affirmative, the question tag is negative, and vice versa.
- Pronouns in the question tag must match the subject of the main statement.
