Question Tags
Question tags are the short tags English adds at the end of statements to check for agreement or invite confirmation. She’s joining us tomorrow, isn’t she? They’ve already confirmed, haven’t they? You haven’t seen the report, have you? Three rules govern the system: positive statement → negative tag, negative statement → positive tag; the auxiliary in the tag matches the auxiliary in the main verb (or do/does/did if there isn’t one); and the subject pronoun in the tag must agree with the subject of the statement (He works here, doesn’t he? — never doesn’t it). Intonation matters too: falling tone for expected agreement, rising tone for genuine uncertainty.
This worksheet builds B1 control of question tags through tag-completion, intonation, and error-correction tasks.
Worksheet preview
What’s inside:
- Grammar Box with the polarity rule, the auxiliary-matching rule, and the am → aren’t I exception
- Tag-completion drill: 12 statements covering present, past, perfect, modal, and am auxiliary forms
- Intonation marking: identify falling (expecting agreement) vs rising (genuinely asking) for ten tagged sentences
- Error correction: subject mismatches (doesn’t it instead of doesn’t he) and missing tag inversion
- Full Answer Key plus Teacher Notes on the aren’t I fixed expression and intonation pairs
Common mistakes addressed: subject mismatch (She works here, doesn’t it?), missing inversion in negative tags (She’s joining us, is she? when isn’t she? is meant), and amn’t I (should be aren’t I).
For: Adult and teenage learners (14+) at CEFR B1, in intermediate classes, 1:1 lessons, or self-study. Question tags are a B1 fluency marker tested in Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET) Speaking and in casual-register Writing. Part of the Question Forms collection — the natural next step is Indirect Questions, which extends the question system into polite professional register.
