The Verb “To Do”
The verb to do is another common verb in English. It can be used as an auxiliary and a main verb. It is often used in questions.
| Affirmative | Negative | Interrogative | Short answers | Short answers |
| I do | I don’t .. | Do I .. ? | Yes, I do. | No, I don’t. |
| You do | You don’t .. | Do you ..? | Yes, you do. | No, you don’t. |
| He does | He doesn’t .. | Does he .. ? | Yes, he does. | No, he doesn’t. |
| She does | She doesn’t .. | Does she .. ? | Yes, she does. | No, she doesn’t. |
| It does | It doesn’t .. | Does it .. ? | Yes, it does. | No, it doesn’t. |
| We do | We don’t .. | Do we .. ? | Yes, we do. | No, we don’t. |
| You do | You don’t .. | Do you .. ? | Yes, you do. | No, you don’t. |
| They do | They don’t .. | Do they .. ? | Yes, they do. | No, they don’t. |
The verb “do” is a very important verb. We use it to make the present tense, the present tense negative, and for asking questions.
Examples:
- I do many things on the weekend. (present tense, “do” is the main verb)
- He doesn’t like to study. (present tense negative, “like” is the main verb)
- Do you want a coffee? (present tense question, “want” is the main verb)
“Do” is often used as a main verb, but only for particular activities, such as housework, cleaning, studying, research, and shopping.
Examples:
- I do the dishes every night. (do = wash)
- She does her grocery shopping at the corner store.
- They do their homework at home.
The past tense form of “do” is “did.”
Examples:
- I did the dishes last night.
- She did her grocery shopping at Cub.
“Do” is also used for creating emphasis:
Example:
- John said, “You don’t like this very much.”
Mary answered, “No. I do like it!”