Question Tags in Professional Technical Conversations
Practice question tags used in standups, code reviews, and technical conversations to seek confirmation and soften requests.
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1 / 14
In a standup, you want to confirm that a teammate has already pushed the hotfix. Which question tag is correct?
Positive statement + negative tag: You have pushed X, haven't you? This seeks confirmation of a belief. Negative tag after a positive statement shows you expect agreement. Did you is used without have, creating a simple past structure.
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You suspect a bug was not reproduced in the test environment. Which question tag is correct?
Negative statement + positive tag: The bug wasn't reproduced, was it? The tag matches the auxiliary (wasn't → was) and inverts polarity (negative statement → positive tag).
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You want to politely suggest that a colleague takes another look at an issue. Which phrasing uses a question tag most professionally?
Modal + negative tag (could... couldn't you?) softens a request. It sounds collaborative rather than commanding. Will you with an imperative is also valid but slightly more direct.
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In a code review comment, you want to informally confirm understanding. Which tag fits the informal register?
Right? is the most common informal tag in tech conversations — equivalent to yeah? or OK? in casual speech. Doesn't it is grammatically correct but more formal. Hasn't it implies a change of state (present perfect), which changes the meaning.
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During a post-mortem, the facilitator confirms that a contributing factor has been documented. Which tag is grammatically correct and appropriate?
We have documented X, haven't we? matches: positive statement (have) + negative tag (haven't), same subject (we). The tag confirms what the facilitator believes is already done and invites confirmation from the group.
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John mentioned he's finished implementing the new authentication flow. Should he confirm if the team has received his update?
The question tag 'Has he already submitted the PR?' directly asks for confirmation of a specific action. Options A and B are incorrect because they use different phrasing and don't focus on confirming completion. Option C is too informal, while option D shifts the focus to a future review instead of immediate confirmation.
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Sarah in the Slack channel stated that the database migration script ran successfully. Which question tag would be most appropriate for her to use?
The phrase 'Did it complete without errors?' is a standard question tag used to confirm a successful outcome after an operation. It's concise and directly addresses Sarah's statement. Options B, C, and D introduce new areas of inquiry – deployment status, performance monitoring, or rollback procedures – which are not confirmed by the original message.
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John mentioned he's finished implementing the new authentication flow. Should he confirm if the team has received his update?
The question tag 'Has he already submitted the PR?' directly asks for confirmation of a specific action. Options A and B are incorrect because they use different phrasing and don't focus on confirming completion. Option C is too informal, while option D shifts the focus to a future review instead of immediate confirmation.
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Sarah in the Slack channel stated that the database migration script ran successfully. Which question tag would be most appropriate for her to use?
The phrase 'Did it complete without errors?' is a standard question tag used to confirm a successful outcome after an operation. It's concise and directly addresses Sarah's statement. Options B, C, and D introduce new areas of inquiry – deployment status, performance monitoring, or rollback procedures – which are not confirmed by the original message.
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During a sprint planning meeting, David confirmed that the team had allocated sufficient time for testing. Which question tag is most appropriate for this situation?
This scenario focuses on confirming a statement made about resource allocation. Option 2 directly reflects the question tag form needed to confirm David's statement. Options A and B present alternative viewpoints or assumptions, while option C accurately forms the question tag from 'Had they actually allocated sufficient time'. Option D is an unrelated suggestion.
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Maria responded to a PR description stating: 'The API endpoint now handles both GET and POST requests.' Which question tag would she use to politely check for understanding?
Maria's statement describes a key change in the API. Option 1 uses a question tag to directly confirm that Maria understands the implementation details. Options A and B are tangential or assume a lack of understanding. Option C is grammatically incorrect and doesn't align with the context, while option D asks for more information rather than confirmation.
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In a Slack channel discussion about performance bottlenecks, Alex stated: 'We've optimized the database queries.' Which question tag is most suitable for asking a clarifying follow-up?
Alex's statement suggests a solution. Option 0 correctly forms the question tag to solicit further details about *how* the queries were optimized. Options A and B express concern or request evidence of improvement, while option C focuses on a separate metric (benchmarking) and D asks for documentation which is not necessarily required at this stage.
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During a code review discussion, Ben commented: 'The new feature reduces latency by approximately 20%.' Which question tag is appropriate for Ben to use to confirm the team's understanding of this metric?
Ben is presenting a performance metric. Option 2 uses the question tag to confirm if the team understands the significance and validity of the reported percentage. Options A and B express concerns about data accuracy or user impact, while option C focuses on the definition of 'significant' – a subjective term – and D suggests an alternative approach.
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After receiving a response from the API server indicating a '404 Not Found' error, Chloe wants to confirm that the endpoint is correctly configured. Which question tag would she use in her message?
Chloe's response indicates a problem with an API request. Option 0 directly asks about the most likely cause of the '404 Not Found' error – the endpoint URL. Options A and B suggest potential problems related to resource access or server functionality while option C is a general statement, and D suggests checking network connectivity.
What will I practise in "Question Tags in Professional Technical Conversations"?
Practice question tags used in standups, code reviews, and technical conversations to seek confirmation and soften requests.
How many exercises are in this module?
This module has 14 multiple-choice exercises, each with instant feedback and a full explanation of the correct answer.
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What happens if I choose the wrong answer?
You'll immediately see which answer was correct, plus a full explanation covering the grammar rule and reasoning behind it — mistakes are where most of the learning happens.
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Where can I find more Grammar exercises?
Browse the full Grammar hub for related drills, or check the "Next up" link below to continue with a connected topic.
How is this different from reading an article on the same topic?
Articles explain grammar rules in prose; this exercise tests and reinforces those rules through active recall with immediate feedback — the two work best together.
Who writes these exercises?
Every exercise is written by the CoderSlingo team, drawing on real workplace English used in IT roles, then reviewed for accuracy and clarity.