he do or does his homework

Do vs Does: How To Use Them Correctly in English

If you are new to English or a long-time speaker and wondering about how to use “ do ” and “ does “ the right way in writing and speaking, then you have come to the right place . Once you finish reading this, you will have mastered the verb and be ready to use it confidently.

“ Do ” is a verb in English that means “to carry out an action” and is used with the pronouns -I, -you, -we, -they, -these and -thos e. “ Does “ is the same verb but used only with third-person singular subject pronouns -he, -she, -it, -this, -that or -John. “ Do ” and “ does ” are also used as auxiliary verbs for questions .

In its present tense, we use “ do ” and “ does ” by themselves to answer a question, “Yes, I do ” / “Yes, she does “, and when talking about an action that is being carried out, “I do my homework every night” / “He does his homework every night”.

How to use Do and Does in a Sentence

Here are some uses of “ do ” and “ does ” in sentence form for you to read and say as practice:

How to use do in a sentence

How to use does in a sentence, using “ do ” and “ does ” in negative form.

“ Do not ” and “ does not ” can be shortened to “ don’t ” and “ doesn’t ” by removing the space and “o” in “not”, making it faster and easier to say. “ Do not ” and “ does not “ stay with the same pronouns as “ do ” and “ does “.

Do as an Auxiliary Verb

“‘Do’ is one of the three primary auxiliary verbs in English , alongside ‘ be ‘ and ‘ have ,’ playing a crucial role in forming questions, negatives, and adding emphasis to statements. For the pronouns ‘I,’ ‘you,’ ‘we,’ and ‘they,’ use ‘do,’ while ‘does’ pairs with ‘he,’ ‘she,’ ‘it.’ To construct questions or negatives, position ‘do’ or ‘does’ before the main verb. For instance, ‘Do you work here?’ illustrates a question, while ‘I do not know’ exemplifies a negative statement. Additionally, the auxiliary ‘do’ can emphasize a verb, as in, ‘I did see you at the concert,’ underscoring the action.”

Using “ Do ” as an Auxiliary Verb to Make Questions

In the first question below, “speak” is the main verb and “ do ” is the present tense auxiliary verb. (Note: if the question started with “ did “, the question would be past tense. “ Do “ makes the question the present tense).

Imperatives

Similarities of the verbs “ do ” and “ does “.

Since “ does “ is just another form of “ do ” (they mean the same but are used with different pronouns), what “ do “ they have in common?

⦁ They are both verbs/action words: What do you do after school? / What does that sign say? ⦁ They are both used with pronouns right before, and after: Do I know you? Yes, you do. / She does her homework at night / What does he do on Mondays? ⦁ They are both present tense: We do like football. / He does hate tennis. ⦁ They are both in the same position for questions and answers: Do you like golf? Yes, I do . / Does she like swimming? Yes, she does . ⦁ They can both be substitutes to the main verb to avoid repetition or when the action is obvious: How do they swim so fast in the sea? / How do they do that?

The Differences Between “ Do ” and “ Does ” Grammar

2. “ Does ” will be used when talking about singular subjects such as -she, -he, -it, -this, -that or -Jane. Example: He does swimming lessons at 6 pm. / Michael does not like dogs.

Using “ Do ” as a Substitute Verb

Substitute:.

Here is an example:

“ Do ” has replaced the verb “score” and “that” has replaced the subject “amazing goals”.

“How do we travel to every country in Europe?” you should say, “how do we do that?”. “

Using “ Do “ and “ Does ” for Emphasis

Here are some examples for you to read (the first sentence is the normal expression, and the second is using “ do “ and “ does “ for emphasis:

Tom: I go swimming every day. John: No, you don’t . Tom: I do go swimming every day!

Slang Terms for “ Do “ & “ Does ” Verbs

“do” vs “ does ” grammar: dictionary definitions.

Here is a list of some links to the most popular dictionary websites with more information on “ do “ and “ does ” verbs:

Using “do” and “does” in American English and British English

How to teach do vs does to kids, use of do or does grammar & do and does rules – recap.

Do and does verbs are used in close-ended questions to get a “yes” or “no” answer. Do and does are used as auxiliary verbs in questions. Do and does use the negative with “not” or “n’t”. Does and do use the imperative sentence for commands, orders, instructions and requests. Does uses third-person singular pronouns Do and does uses in slang terms often have very different meanings in the verb form. Does and do used for emphasis will only apply when you want to assert your sentence or question.

Exercises for you to practice: Do or Does Grammar Worksheet for Beginners

Let us know how you did in the Do or Does Grammar Worksheet!

Answers to the Do or Does Grammar Worksheet for Beginners

If you found this article helpful, please share it with others. We would really appreciate it! Once Upon A TEFL

Ryan Cantrell

How do you answer a question with can, can you start a question with can, is can an auxiliary verb, is can a modal verb, what is the negative of can, visit our blog, 2 thoughts on “do vs does: how to use them correctly in english”.

“Do” vs. “Does”: How Do You Tell The Difference?

Do Vs. Does
Similar Verbs

Both do and does are present tense forms of the verb do . Which is the correct form to use depends on the subject of your sentence.

In this article, we’ll explain the difference between do and does , cover when and how to use each form, and provide examples of how they’re used in sentences.

⚡ Quick summary

Do is an irregular verb, which means that it has different forms depending on tense and the subject it’s being used with. Both do and does are used for the present tense. The form does is only used with third person singular subjects, such as the pronouns he , she , and it , as in She does yoga . The form do is used for all other subjects, including for first person ( I and we ) and second person pronouns ( you ) and the third person pronoun they (regardless of whether it’s singular or plural), as in I do yoga, but they do not . The past tense form of do is did , and the past participle form is done .

do vs. does

The verb do is considered an irregular verb because its past tense and past participle are not formed by adding -ed or -d to the end of the base form as is the case in most verbs. In fact, do has a particularly unusual conjugation pattern compared to other verbs.

Here are the different forms of do :

do: Base/infinitive; used for present tense except with third person singular subjects (other than the singular they , which uses do regardless of whether it’s singular or plural). Example: I do my homework as soon as I get home.
does : Used for third person singular present tense (other than singular they ). Example: She does her homework as soon as she gets home.
did : past tense Example: She did her homework as soon as she got home.
done : past participle Example: She had done homework for three hours after she got home.
doing : present participle and gerund Example: She is doing her homework.

Make Your Writing Shine!

By clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com Terms & Conditions and Privacy policies.
Name This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

The forms do , does , and did are also used in the negative contractions don’t ( do not ), doesn’t ( does not ), and didn’t ( did not ).

For example:

Don’t open the window.
Luke doesn’t know how to cook.
Fortunately, the flowers didn’t wither.

Verbs similar to do

The irregular verb do has a unique conjugation pattern. Some other irregular verbs that have an unusual conjugation pattern somewhat similar to do are go , be , and have .

To learn more about the forms of the verb be , check our guides to is vs. are , been vs. being , and has been vs. have been .

Examples of do , does , did , and done used in a sentence

The only thing left to do is look at how we typically use the forms do , did , and does in sentences.

I’ve never done yoga, and I’m not sure if they do, but I’m sure that he does.
I remember what I did last time, but I’m not sure if I should do it again.
She did everything she could to make sure it was done by the deadline.
I can’t do even a fraction of the amazing things that my brother does on a regular basis.
We did the vacuuming yesterday, the morning crew does the laundry on Fridays, and the night crew will do the floor waxing next month.