The verb do – Positive and Negative in the Present and the Past Tenses

DO is a very simple verb in English that is used all the time. In this simple grammar lesson, Ronnie explains how to use it easily and without confusion. You’ll learn when to use DO, DOES, DID, DON’T, DOESN’T, and DIDN’T.

We really use this verb a lot in English.

It’s called an auxiliary verb. Sometimes we need to put it in where you think it doesn’t go.

I’m just going to teach you the basic positive and negative of this verb. The reason why this is so confusing is we have to change it depending on the subject.

The present tense of the verb Do

Positive

So, if you are talking about yourself, you going to say:

I do

 

We use to say this in a marriage:

“Do you? I do.”

If we have the words “you” and “I” we will use “do”.

If we have “he” or “she” we must use “does”.

I do

You do

He does

She does

This is the only one that is changed. If we want to talk about a group of people we can say “they”:

They do

And if you are talking about yourself and another person we going to say:

We do

 

So you only really have to be care about when we use “he” or “she”.

But don’t worry about it .

“He” or “she” – does,  all of the other subjects – do.

Negative

Neither negative is also different with do and does.

When we use the negative with I, you, they and we, we say “don’t”.

Don’t is actually construction of do not. But in normal everyday speaking English it’s very rare who say do not. We usually say don’t.

So, if we use I, you, they and we, we going to say don’t.

I don’t have the cat.

You don’t like me.

We don’t go there.

If it’s the word “does” in the negative it’s going to change to “doesn’t”.

So, for example:

He doesn’t like cat.

She doesn’t like him.

So, if we change the subject in the negative, it’s always the same:

He, She – does

He, She – doesn’t

When we use “don’t”, we use I, You, They and We.

The past tense of the verb Do

The last thing about this lovely verb is the Past.

The past, thank goodness, stays the same.

It does not change.

We can use:

I, He, She, They and We “did”.

The negative of this is “didn’t”

This is easier.

I didn’t like him.

He didn’t like a cat.

	Pronoun	Positive (+)	Negative (-)
Present tense	I You We They	Do	Don’t
	He She It	Does	Doesn’t
Past tense	I You We They He She It	Did	Didn’t