Choose the correct question tag to complete the sentence:
Arjun could solve the long sum in his head, ________?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → couldn’t he
Question tag after “could”:
When the sentence has a helping verb like can or could, the tag repeats the same word. The sentence is positive, so the tag is negative. “Arjun” becomes “he”. So the tag is “couldn’t he”.
Complete sentence: Arjun could solve the long sum in his head, couldn’t he?
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: could he — Incorrect. This is a positive tag. It goes with a negative sentence. Example: Arjun couldn’t find his bat, could he?
Option 3: didn’t he — Incorrect. “Didn’t” goes with a simple past verb that has no helping verb. Example: He solved the puzzle quickly, didn’t he?
Option 4: can’t he — Incorrect. “Can’t” goes with a sentence that has “can”. Example: Dev can climb that wall, can’t he?