Do, Does, Did

The Verb to do: do, does and did

The words do, does and did often cause confusion in the English language.
They are all forms of the verb to do.
The verb to do can be used as an action verb and also as an auxiliary verb.

to do as an Action Verb
In some cases, to do is used as a verb that expresses an action (just like the verb to walk).
Subject/Verb Agreement Using to do as an Action Verb
Forms of to do in each Tense
Rest of
Sentence

Subject
Present

Past

Perfect
Form

Continuous
Form

I / You / We /
They

do

did

have/had +
done

am/are/were +
doing

a good job

He / She / It

does

did

has/had +
done

is/was + doing

homework

Spelling Tip
In Present Simple 3rd person (he, she, it), add an es to a verb that ends in o:
do > does / go> goes
Examples
1. Pete always does his taxes on time.
2. Volunteers do a lot of work around the town.

3. Gil did a great job on his history report for school.

4. You have done nothing all morning!
5. I am doing the best I can!

The verb to do as an auxiliary verb

It is also common to use do, does and did as auxiliary verbs (or helping verbs) together with
another verb in its base form. This is used to create negative sentences, questions, or for
adding emphasis.
Negative sentences with do not, does not and did not
When creating negative sentences, we usually use shortened
forms: dont, doesnt and didnttogether with the base form of the verb.
Note: Save the long forms (do not, does not and did not) for when you want to create
emphasis. When speaking, you would put an accent on the not.

Subject

Auxillery Verb to do
Present or Past

Verb in Base
Form

Rest of
Sentence

I / You / We /
They

dont (do not)

didnt (did
not)

sleep

late

He / She / It

doesnt (does
not)

didnt (did
not)

sit

out in the sun

Spelling Tip
When shortening the 3rd person (he, she, it) negative, just remove the o in not and add an
apostrophe ()
does not > doesnt
Examples
1. Your client doesnt understand the contract.
2. You dont need to worry about me.

3. Your friends didnt get the e-mail.

Yes/No Questions with Do, Does and Did

To create a question that will be answered with a yes or no, start the question with Do, Does or
Did, (Doesnt, Dont, Didnt) for a negative question) then add a subject (the person or thing
that does the action) followed by the base form of the verb and only then add the rest of the
sentence.
Auxiliary Verb To Do
subject

verb in base form

rest of sentence

Present

Past

Do

Did

I / you / we / they

drink

enough water

Does

Did

he / she / it

eat

meat

Dont

Didnt

I / you / we / they

write

to them

Punctuation Tip
Always begin a sentence, question and wh-question with a capital letter:
He always does good work.
Do you like me?
What did they bring you?
Examples:
1. Do you want to go to the party?
2. Does your dog live outside or in the house?
3. Does your sister always talk so much on the phone?
4. Did you catch the bus this morning?
5. Dont you ever visit your parents?

6. Didnt Mr. Albertson call you?

Note: Time Expressions:
1. You may add a one-word time expression, such as always, usually, or often between the
subject and the verb.
2. You may use a negative question with a time expression such as ever.

Wh-questions with do, does and did

Wh- questions are questions that require more information in their answers. Typical wh- words
are what, where, when, why, who, how, how many, how much.
To create a wh-question, start with the wh-word, then add do, does or did, then the subject (a
person or thing that does the action), followed by the base form of the verb and only then add
the rest of the sentence.
Auxiliary Verb To
Do
WhWord

Subject

Verb in Base
Form

Rest of
Sentence

Present

Past

Where

Do

Did

I / you / we /
they

get

the maps

Why

Does

Did

he / she / it

sit

out in the sun

Examples
1. Where do you want to send the package?
2. Why does she always scream like that?
3. How much do these earrings cost?
4. Why dont you ever clean up your mess?
5. When did they arrive home?

Exercises for the Verb To Do

Fill in the correct form of the verbs as in the examples:
1. Mark and Dylan do volunteer work at the homeless shelter twice a week. (do)
2. Sheila didnt do the dishes last night. (not do)
3. Does Gillian usually meet clients so late at night? (meet)
1. ________ John often _____ together with his friends on the weekends? (get)
2. Sivan ____________the post every day. (not collect)
3. _______ the computer ____________ again yesterday? (break down)
4. ____________ work __________ he _______ every month? (how much/do/do)
5. _________ you ________ your laundry now? (do)
6. In general, the dogs ____________ on the beds in his house. (not sleep) They _____ last
night though. (do)
7. How many copies of the document_______ you _________? (need)
8. I ________ ever___________ the street on a red light! (not cross)
9. ________ Adam always _________ the lights off when he leaves the office? (turn)
10. _________ she ________ her homework yet? (do) Its due tomorrow.
Answers:
1. Does/get
2. doesnt collect
3. Did/break down
4. How much/does/do
5. Are/doing
6. dont sleep/did
7. do/need
8. dont/cross
9. Does/turn
10. Hasnt/done

Examples do, does, did

Positive

1. Pete always does his taxes on time.

2. Volunteers do a lot of work around the town.
3. Gil did a great job on his History report for school.
4. You have done nothing all morning!
5. I am doing the best I can!
Negatives
1. Your client doesnt understand the contract.
2. You dont need to worry about me.
3. Your friends didnt get the e-mail.
4. I do not want to go with you!
Yes/No Questions
1. Do you want to go to the party?
2. Does your dog live outside or in the house?
3. Does your sister always talk so much on the phone?
4. Did you catch the bus this morning?
5. Dont you ever visit your parents?
6. Didnt Mr. Albertson call you?
Wh-Questions
1. Where do you want to send the package?
2. Why does she always scream like that?
3. How much do these earrings cost?
4. Why dont you ever clean up your mess?
5. When did they arrive home?