The question tag rules (helping verb, do / does / did, pronouns), the special cases (I am, Let's, commands, never and hardly, nobody and everyone, there is, needn't), common mistakes, 6 real TNPSC PYQs with answers, and 20 practice MCQs with answers and short explanations.
Real questions: TNPSC previous year questions (Group 2/2A Prelims 2025 official answer; Group 2 2022, 2024; Group 4 2025). Practice questions: ArivArk Academy.
Question tags: the basics
A question tag is a short question added at the end of a sentence to check or confirm something ("..., isn't it?", "..., right?").
Main rule: a positive sentence takes a negative tag; a negative sentence takes a positive tag. It is hot today, isn't it? You don't like coffee, do you?
The tag always uses a pronoun, never a name or a noun: Gopi isn't our guide, is he?
The rules
| Sentence has | Tag uses | Example |
|---|
| a helping verb (is, are, was, can, have, will ...) | the same helping verb | She is a doctor, isn't she? / They can swim, can't they? |
| will | won't | You will come, won't you? |
| no helping verb, present, he / she / it | does | He lives in Europe, doesn't he? |
| no helping verb, present, I / you / we / they | do | They play cricket, don't they? |
| no helping verb, past | did | She went home, didn't she? |
| a name | he / she | Ravi is tall, isn't he? |
| this / that | it | This is the bus that I have to travel, isn't it? |
| these / those | they | These are your books, aren't they? |
Special cases
| Special case | Tag | Example |
|---|
| I am | aren't I | I am right, aren't I? |
| Let's | shall we | Let's go home, shall we? |
| Command (imperative) | will you / won't you | Close the door, will you? |
| Negative command | will you | Don't shout, will you? |
| never, hardly, seldom, nobody, nothing (negative words) | positive tag | He never lies, does he? / She hardly eats, does she? |
| everyone, somebody, nobody | they | Nobody came, did they? |
| There is / There are | isn't there / aren't there | There is a problem, isn't there? |
| needn't | need | I needn't play, need I? |
| I am (in a comparison too) | aren't I | I am older than you, aren't I? |
Common mistakes
1. Same polarity twice. Wrong: It is hot, is it? Right: It is hot, isn't it?
2. A name in the tag. Wrong: Ravi is tall, isn't Ravi? Right: Ravi is tall, isn't he?
3. A negative tag after never. Wrong: She never sings, doesn't she? Right: She never sings, does she?
TNPSC PYQs
1. Choose the correct question tag for the sentence given below. Let's all go to the beach this evening, ____ (Group 2/2A Prelims 2025, official answer)(A) do we?(B) don't we?(C) shall we?(D) aren't we?
Answer: (C) shall we. A sentence that starts with Let's always takes shall we.
2. Choose the correct question tag from the list given below. Let's go home? (Group 2, 2022)(A) Will you(B) Shall we(C) Do we(D) Shouldn't we
Answer: (B) Shall we. Let's = shall we.
3. Choose the correct question tag. Gopi isn't our guide ____? (Group 2, 2022)(A) Is he?(B) Is she?(C) Isn't he?(D) Isn't she?
Answer: (A) Is he. Negative sentence = positive tag; Gopi = he.
4. Choose the correct question tag: This is the bus that I have to travel, ____? (Group 2, 2024)(A) is this?(B) isn't this?(C) is it?(D) isn't it?
Answer: (D) isn't it. Positive sentence = negative tag; this = it.
5. Select the suitable tag. He lives in Europe, ____? (Group 2, 2024)(A) isn't he?(B) wasn't he?(C) didn't he?(D) doesn't he
Answer: (D) doesn't he. No helping verb, present tense, he = does; positive sentence = negative tag.
6. Which of the following statements has the correct question tag? (a) I needn't play, needn't I? (b) Let's play, shall we? (c) I am older than you, am I? (d) He was asleep, did he? (Group 4, 2025)(A) (a)(B) (b)(C) (c)(D) (d)
Answer: (B) (b). (a) needs need I; (c) needs aren't I; (d) needs wasn't he; only (b) is right.
Practice MCQs
1. Choose the correct question tag: She can drive, ____?(A) isn't she(B) can she(C) can't she(D) doesn't she
2. Choose the correct question tag: They didn't call, ____?(A) didn't they(B) did they(C) were they(D) do they
3. Choose the correct question tag: Open the window, ____?(A) will you(B) don't you(C) do you(D) shall we
4. Choose the correct question tag: There are many people here, ____?(A) aren't there(B) aren't they(C) isn't there(D) are there
5. Choose the correct question tag: We have met before, ____?(A) didn't we(B) don't we(C) haven't we(D) have we
6. Choose the correct question tag: He is your brother, ____?(A) is he(B) doesn't he(C) isn't he(D) wasn't he
7. Choose the correct question tag: I am late, ____?(A) am I not(B) isn't it(C) amn't I(D) aren't I
8. Choose the correct question tag: Let's start the class, ____?(A) will we(B) let's we(C) don't we(D) shall we
9. Choose the correct question tag: She never forgets, ____?(A) doesn't she(B) does she(C) did she(D) is she
10. Choose the correct question tag: Everyone was happy, ____?(A) were they(B) wasn't he(C) weren't they(D) wasn't everyone
11. Choose the correct question tag: Nobody called me, ____?(A) did he(B) didn't they(C) didn't he(D) did they
12. Choose the correct question tag: Don't shout, ____?(A) will you(B) do you(C) shall we(D) won't you
13. Choose the correct question tag: You will help me, ____?(A) won't you(B) don't you(C) shan't you(D) will you
14. Choose the correct question tag: She hardly eats, ____?(A) does she(B) is she(C) did she(D) doesn't she
15. Choose the correct question tag: This is your pen, ____?(A) wasn't it(B) is it(C) isn't this(D) isn't it
16. Choose the correct question tag: Those are your shoes, ____?(A) aren't they(B) are they(C) isn't it(D) aren't those
17. Choose the correct question tag: He went to school, ____?(A) didn't he(B) did he(C) wasn't he(D) doesn't he
18. Choose the correct question tag: You do not know him, ____?(A) did you(B) do you(C) don't you(D) are you
19. Choose the correct question tag: The children are playing, ____?(A) are they(B) isn't it(C) aren't they(D) aren't the children
20. Choose the correct question tag: Somebody has taken my book, ____?(A) hasn't he(B) haven't they(C) hasn't somebody(D) have they
Answer key: 1 C, 2 B, 3 A, 4 A, 5 C, 6 C, 7 D, 8 D, 9 B, 10 C, 11 D, 12 A, 13 A, 14 A, 15 D, 16 A, 17 A, 18 B, 19 C, 20 B
Why? Short explanations
1 (C) can = can't; positive = negative tag.
2 (B) Negative = positive tag; did.
3 (A) Command = will you.
4 (A) There are = aren't there.
9 (B) never = negative sentence = positive tag.
10 (C) everyone = they; was = weren't (with they).
11 (D) nobody = they; negative sentence = positive tag.
12 (A) Negative command = will you.
14 (A) hardly = negative = positive tag.
17 (A) Past, no helping verb = did.
18 (B) Negative = positive tag.
19 (C) The children = they.
20 (B) somebody = they; has = haven't with they.
Sources: TNPSC previous year questions (Group 2/2A Prelims 2025 official answer; Group 2 2022, 2024; Group 4 2025); practice questions by ArivArk Academy
