Grammar Puzzles Solved (6): What is the tag question of this sentence “They were”?

Understanding tag questions

A tag question is a short question added to
the end of a statement to confirm information, seek agreement, or encourage a
response. It consists of two parts:

1. A main
   statement (affirmative or negative).
2. A tag (a
   short question that matches the auxiliary or modal verb of the statement).

The general rule for forming tag questions is:

• If the
  statement is positive, the tag must be negative.
• If the
  statement is negative, the tag must be positive.

Examples of Tag Questions

1. With
   the verb “be” in the present tense:
• She is happy, isn’t
  she?
• They are playing
  football, aren’t they?
2. With
   the verb “be” in the past tense:
• He was late, wasn’t
  he?
• We were at
  the party, weren’t we?
3. With
   auxiliary verbs:
• They have finished, haven’t
  they?
• She can swim, can’t
  she?
4. With
   negative statements:
• He isn’t ready, is
  he?
• They weren’t at
  school, were they?

Tag Question for “They were”

The sentence “They were” is
a positive statement in the past tense. Following the rule, we
must use a negative tag. The correct tag question is:

➡ “They were,
weren’t they?”

This tag question asks for confirmation and expects
agreement or correction from the listener. 

To read notes on the History of English Literature, follow
the link: https://englishlitnotes.com/

To read Notes on English for Inter Part-1, follow the link: https://englishwithnaeemullahbutt.com/