Positive statement → negative tag; negative statement → positive tag. Use the same auxiliary and a pronoun: He is a doctor, isn't he? She can't swim, can she?
No auxiliary (simple present/past) → do/does/did: You like tea, don't you? They went, didn't they?
I am … → aren't I? I am not … → am I?
Let's … → shall we? Let him/me … → will you?
Imperative → will you? / won't you? Negative imperative → will you?
Negative words (never, hardly, seldom, scarcely, nobody, nothing, few, little) make the statement negative → positive tag: He hardly works, does he?
Pronoun in the tag: everyone/nobody → they; nothing/this/that → it; these/those → they; there is → isn't there?
used to → didn't …? had better → hadn't …?
2. Framing a question for the underlined part
Underlined part
Question word
place
Where
time
When
thing
What
person (subject)
Who (+ verb, no did)
person (object)
Whom (+ did + base verb)
owner
Whose
choice from a set
Which
reason
Why
manner/means
How
age / price / number / frequency / distance / duration
How old / How much / How many / How often / How far / How long
3. Word order
Wh-word + auxiliary + subject + main verb: Where do you live? What did he say? (did + base verb)
Subject questions need no do/did: Who broke the glass?
Indirect/embedded questions use statement order and no question mark inside: Can you tell me where he lives? I don't know what his name is.
Sourced from the Odisha Public Service Commission where applicable.
opsc.gov.in.
EduSaint is not affiliated with OPSC.