Learn English Do and Does

The verbs do and does are forms of the verb to do, which is used in various ways in English grammar. Here are the primary uses, along with examples:

1. To Form Questions

Do and does are used as auxiliary verbs to form questions in the simple present tense.

Do: Used with I, you, we, they, and plural nouns.
Examples:
- Do you like coffee?
- Do they play soccer every weekend?
- Do I need to bring anything?
Does: Used with he, she, it, and singular nouns.
Examples:
- Does he go to school every day?
- Does the dog bark at strangers?
- Does she live nearby?

2. To Form Negative Sentences

Do not (don’t) and does not (doesn’t) are used to make negative sentences in the simple present tense.

Do not / Don’t: Used with I, you, we, they, and plural nouns.
Examples:
- I do not understand the question. (I don’t understand.)
- They do not like spicy food. (They don’t like it.)
Does not / Doesn’t: Used with he, she, it, and singular nouns.
Examples:
- He does not play the guitar. (He doesn’t play.)
- The car does not start in cold weather. (The car doesn’t start.)

3. For Emphasis

Do and does are used to add emphasis to affirmative sentences.

Do:
Examples:
- I do want to help you!
- We do care about your concerns.
- They do know how to fix the problem.
Does:
Examples:
- She does love chocolate!
- The movie does have great reviews.
- He does understand your point.

4. To Express Actions

Do and does are used as main verbs to indicate actions or tasks.

Do:
Examples:
- I do my homework every evening.
- They do the dishes after dinner.
- What do you do for a living?
Does:
Examples:
- She does yoga every morning.
- He does his best in every situation.
- The machine does all the hard work.

5. In Short Answers

Do and does are used to avoid repeating the main verb in short answers.

Examples:

Do they know the way? Yes, they do.
Does he play the piano? Yes, he does.
Do you want more coffee? No, I don’t.

6. In Tag Questions

Do and does appear in tag questions to confirm or clarify information.

Examples:

You like pizza, don’t you?
She speaks Spanish, doesn’t she?
They don’t go there often, do they?

7. To Replace a Previously Mentioned Verb

Do and does can stand in for a verb mentioned earlier to avoid repetition.

Examples:

I will clean the house, and you can do the dishes.
She sings beautifully, and he does, too.
They study hard, and we do the same.

Summary of Usage:

Subject	Use "Do"	Use "Does"
I	✅	❌
You	✅	❌
We	✅	❌
They	✅	❌
He / She / It	❌	✅
Singular nouns	❌	✅
Plural nouns	✅	❌

Examples of All Uses in One Context:

Questions:
- Do you like reading?
- Does she visit often?
Negative Sentences:
- I don’t understand the story.
- He doesn’t play games.
Emphasis:
- I do want to improve my skills.
- She does look happy.
Actions:
- I do my chores every day.
- He does his homework after school.
Short Answers:
- Do you know her? Yes, I do.
- Does he work here? Yes, he does.
Tag Questions:
- You enjoy traveling, don’t you?
- She doesn’t eat meat, does she?
Replacing Verbs:
- He runs fast, and she does, too.
- I’ll clean the kitchen if you do the living room.

Would you like practice exercises or a story to illustrate these uses further?

Here is a story which shows all the uses of do and does

The Day Mia Solved a Mystery

Mia is a curious young girl who loves solving puzzles. Every morning, she wakes up early and does her morning exercises. Her brother, Tim, often asks her, “Why does your routine always include exercise? I don’t do that!” Mia laughs and replies, “It does wonders for my energy. You should try it too.”

One day, Mia noticed something strange in her backyard. Someone had scattered breadcrumbs near the fence. “Who does this?” Mia wondered aloud. “It doesn’t make any sense.” She decided to investigate. She quickly grabbed her notebook, as she always does when solving mysteries, and started looking for clues.

First, Mia observed the breadcrumbs closely. “This does look like someone is trying to attract birds,” she thought. “But who?” She asked her brother, “Tim, do you know anything about these breadcrumbs?” Tim replied, “No, I do not. Why does it matter so much?”

Mia’s curiosity grew stronger. She asked her neighbors, “Do you know who has been scattering breadcrumbs in my backyard?” One of them replied, “I do feed the birds, but I never throw breadcrumbs in your yard.”

Mia didn’t give up. She kept looking for answers. As she investigated, she noticed small footprints near the breadcrumbs. “Hmm, these do look like animal prints,” Mia said. “Maybe it’s not a person after all!”

Later that evening, Mia set up her camera to record what happens at night. In the morning, she watched the footage. To her surprise, she saw a raccoon sneaking into the yard. “It does make sense now!” Mia exclaimed. “The raccoon does this every night!”

Mia shared her findings with Tim, who laughed and said, “That raccoon really does love your yard! What do you plan to do about it?” Mia replied, “I’ll make a small bird feeder for the raccoon so it doesn’t scatter breadcrumbs everywhere. That does sound like a good idea, right?”

How the Story Uses "Do" and "Does":

For Questions:
- "Why does your routine always include exercise?"
- "Who does this?"
- "Do you know who has been scattering breadcrumbs?"
For Negative Sentences:
- "I do not do that!"
- "It does not make any sense."
For Emphasis:
- "It does wonders for my energy."
- "These do look like animal prints."
For Routine Actions:
- "She always does her morning exercises."
- "She quickly grabbed her notebook, as she always does."
For Statements About Others:
- "The raccoon does this every night!"
- "It does make sense now!"