Question Tags
Complete List for SSC, OSSC,OSSSC

Rule – 1

Positive sentence = Negative tag, Negative sentence = Positive tag.

Examples

  1. He is honest, isn’t he?
  2. They are not playing, are they?
  3. You like tea, don’t you?
  4. She doesn’t like tea, does she?

Rule – 2

Tag verb is always same auxiliary as main sentence. If no auxiliary, use do/does/did.

Examples

  1. He plays well, doesn’t he?
  2. They played well, didn’t they?
  3. Ram has a car, doesn’t he?
  4. He has gone, hasn’t he?

Rule – 3

Never, No, Nobody, Nothing, Few, Little, Seldom, Hardly, Rarely are negative words. So use positive tag.

Examples

  1. He never comes, does he?
  2. Nobody called you, did they?
  3. Nothing is ready, is it?
  4. She seldom comes, does she?

Rule – 4

With Everyone, Everybody, Someone, Somebody, No one, Anyone – use ‘they’ in tag.

Examples

  1. Everyone is present, aren’t they?
  2. Someone has stolen, haven’t they?
  3. Nobody is perfect, are they?
  4. Anyone can do it, can’t they?

Rule – 5

With Everything, Something, Nothing – use ‘it’ in tag.

Examples

  1. Everything is ready, isn’t it?
  2. Something is wrong, isn’t it?
  3. Nothing was done, was it?
  4. Everything has changed, hasn’t it?

Rule – 6

Imperative sentence – Let’s = shall we, Others = will you / won’t you / can you.

Examples

  1. Let’s play, shall we?
  2. Open the door, will you?
  3. Don’t go there, will you?
  4. Have some tea, won’t you?

Rule – 7

This / That = it, These / Those = they in tag.

Examples

  1. This is your book, isn’t it?
  2. That was amazing, wasn’t it?
  3. These are costly, aren’t they?
  4. Those were his friends, weren’t they?

Rule – 8

I am… but tag is aren’t I? (amn’t I is wrong in exam).

Examples

  1. I am honest, aren’t I?
  2. I am not late, am I?
  3. I am your friend, aren’t I?
  4. I am not a fool, am I?

Rule – 9

Collective nouns – tag pronoun is ‘it’ if singular sense, ‘they’ if plural sense.

Examples

  1. The team is winning, isn’t it?
  2. The team are fighting, aren’t they?
  3. The jury has decided, hasn’t it?
  4. The family is happy, isn’t it?

Rule – 10

Main clause is considered, not subordinate clause for making tag.

Examples

  1. He says that he is busy, doesn’t he?
  2. She thinks that they will come, doesn’t she?
  3. I know that he is honest, don’t I?
  4. They believe that it is true, don’t they?

Rule – 11

With ‘There’ – use ‘there’ itself in tag. There is / There are.

Examples

  1. There is a book, isn’t there?
  2. There are many boys, aren’t there?
  3. There was a party, wasn’t there?
  4. There won’t be any problem, will there?

Rule – 12

With ‘One’ as subject – use ‘one’ in formal, but ‘you’ in informal spoken. Exam prefers ‘one’.

Examples

  1. One should do one’s duty, shouldn’t one?
  2. One can’t be too careful, can one?
  3. One must help others, mustn’t one?

Rule – 13

With ‘used to’ – tag is didn’t / usedn’t? Exam uses didn’t.

Examples

  1. He used to play, didn’t he?
  2. They used to come late, didn’t they?
  3. You used to live here, didn’t you?

Rule – 14

With ‘ought to’ – tag is oughtn’t to? But exam uses shouldn’t.

Examples

  1. We ought to help him, oughtn’t we? / shouldn’t we?
  2. He ought not to go, ought he?

Rule – 15

Same sentence + same tag with rising tone = asking confirmation. Exclamatory sentence = positive tag.

Examples

  1. What a beautiful day, isn’t it?
  2. How nice he is, isn’t he?
  3. You have got a prize, haven’t you?
  4. So you think he is honest, do you?
OSSSC / OSSC – Question Tag
35 Important Practice Questions
1. You know where he lives, _______ ? PEO 2023

A) don’t you
B) do you
C) doesn’t you
D) didn’t you
👆 View Answer
Correct Answer: A) don’t you
2. Let’s go to Puri, _______ ?

A) will we
B) shall we
C) don’t we
D) should we
👆 View Answer
Correct Answer: B) shall we [Let’s = shall we]
3. Nobody phoned while I was out, _______ ? CGL 2022

A) did they
B) didn’t they
C) did he
D) was it
👆 View Answer
Correct Answer: A) did they
4. Everything is ready, _______ ?

A) isn’t they
B) isn’t it
C) are they
D) is it
👆 View Answer
Correct Answer: B) isn’t it
5. I am your best friend, _______ ?

A) amn’t I
B) aren’t I
C) am I
D) isn’t I
👆 View Answer
Correct Answer: B) aren’t I
6. She never comes in time, _______ ?

A) does she
B) doesn’t she
C) didn’t she
D) won’t she
👆 View Answer
Correct Answer: A) does she
7. There is no water in the pot, _______ ?

A) is there
B) isn’t there
C) is it
D) isn’t it
👆 View Answer
Correct Answer: A) is there
8. Don’t open the door, _______ ?

A) will you
B) won’t you
C) do you
D) shall you
👆 View Answer
Correct Answer: A) will you
9. He has a new car, _______ ?

A) hasn’t he
B) doesn’t he
C) has he
D) does he
👆 View Answer
Correct Answer: B) doesn’t he [has = main verb]
10. He has bought a new car, _______ ?

A) doesn’t he
B) hasn’t he
C) has he
D) is he
👆 View Answer
Correct Answer: B) hasn’t he [has = auxiliary]
11. Few students knew the answer, _______ ?

A) did they
B) didn’t they
C) does they
D) do they
👆 View Answer
Correct Answer: A) did they [Few = negative]
12. Everyone can do this work, _______ ?

A) can’t they
B) can they
C) can’t he
D) can he
👆 View Answer
Correct Answer: A) can’t they
13. This is not your book, _______ ?

A) isn’t this
B) is this
C) is it
D) isn’t it
👆 View Answer
Correct Answer: C) is it [This = it]
14. They used to live in Cuttack, _______ ?

A) used they
B) didn’t they
C) did they
D) hadn’t they
👆 View Answer
Correct Answer: B) didn’t they
15. He says he is busy, _______ ?

A) is he
B) doesn’t he
C) does he
D) isn’t he
👆 View Answer
Correct Answer: B) doesn’t he [Tag from main clause]
16. Open the window, _______ ?

A) will you
B) won’t you
C) do you
D) A & B both
👆 View Answer
Correct Answer: D) will you / won’t you
17. Something is wrong with you, _______ ?

A) isn’t it
B) aren’t they
C) is it
D) is not it
👆 View Answer
Correct Answer: A) isn’t it
18. She seldom visits temple, _______ ?

A) does she
B) doesn’t she
C) did she
D) is she
👆 View Answer
Correct Answer: A) does she
19. You have not completed homework, _______ ?

A) have you
B) haven’t you
C) do you
D) don’t you
👆 View Answer
Correct Answer: A) have you
20. We ought to respect our elders, _______ ?

A) oughtn’t we
B) shouldn’t we
C) Both A & B
D) don’t we
👆 View Answer
Correct Answer: C) Both A & B
21. I am not late, _______ ?

👆 View Answer
Ans: am I?
22. There were many people, _______ ?

👆 View Answer
Ans: weren’t there?
23. Nothing was done, _______ ?

👆 View Answer
Ans: was it?
24. These mangoes are sweet, _______ ?

👆 View Answer
Ans: aren’t they?
25. The jury has given its verdict, _______ ?

👆 View Answer
Ans: hasn’t it?
26. The rich are not always happy, _______ ?

👆 View Answer
Ans: are they?
27. You’d better go now, _______ ?

👆 View Answer
Ans: hadn’t you?
28. He hardly comes here, _______ ?

👆 View Answer
Ans: does he?
29. Work hard, _______ ?

👆 View Answer
Ans: will you?
30. Let’s not go outside, _______ ?

👆 View Answer
Ans: shall we?
31. One should do one’s duty, _______ ?

👆 View Answer
Ans: shouldn’t one?
32. What a beautiful scene, _______ ?

👆 View Answer
Ans: isn’t it?
33. You need to work hard, _______ ?

👆 View Answer
Ans: don’t you?
34. She has to go, _______ ?

👆 View Answer
Ans: doesn’t she?
35. Everybody was present, _______ ?

👆 View Answer
Ans: weren’t they?