โDoโ and its conjugation โDoesโ play a significant role in the English dialect. It is the second most crucial verb after BE.
The proper knowledge about the verb forms of โDoโ and โDoesโ is beneficial for a student to use them correctly while creating sentences. Do is primarily used as an auxiliary verb, and its primary function is the formulation of questions as well as negative corrections.
Key Takeaways
- โDoโ and โdoesโ are auxiliary verbs used to form questions, negations, and other grammatical structures in English.
- โDoโ is used with the pronouns โI,โ โyou,โ โwe,โ and โthey,โ as well as plural nouns, while โdoโ is used with the pronouns โhe,โ โshe,โ and โit,โ as well as singular nouns.
- Both auxiliary verbs are essential for proper grammar in English, and their correct usage depends on the sentenceโs subject and the desired meaning.
Do vs Does
Do is one of three auxiliary verbs in English that has different forms depending on the tense and subject it is being used with. It is used in present tense. Does is also used in present tense, it is only used with third person singular subjects, such as the pronouns he, she, and it.

In a sentence, do is used with first-person singular, first-person plural, second-person singular and second-person plural, and third-person plural nouns. Does it only use third-person singular nouns?
The usage of do as a main verb in a sentence in the simple present tense is significantly less. Its primary function is to show what or who performs a task or a habitual action.
The word โdoโ can be used as an auxiliary verb for making a contradiction in specific affirmative sentences.
Comparison Table
Parameter of Comparison | Do | Does |
---|---|---|
Meaning | Do is an action verb mainly used to formulate interrogative and negative sentences. | Does is the third person singular form of the verb โdoโ in the simple present tense. |
Usage with nouns | โDoโ can use with plural nouns | โDoesโ can use only with singular nouns |
Usage with pronouns | โDoโ can use along with I, we, you, they, those, etc., | โDoesโ can use with he, she, it, this, that, etc. |
Imperative sentences | โDoโ is used to form imperative sentences | โDoesโ is not used to create imperative sentences. |
Example | Do you go to the shop every day? | Meera does run daily. |
When to Use Do?
Do is one of the prominent transitive verbs in English used extensively to convey the meanings โto performโ, โto carry outโ, โto executeโ, etc. The transitive verb โdoโ is used when one needs to refer to something to indicate the action of an individual as a response to another individualโs demand or by his/her initiative.
When included in a sentence, the transitive verb โdoโ requires a direct subject and an object. In the example, โcan you do this job?โ, โyouโ is the subject, and โjobโ is the direct object that clarifies what is to be done.
Do is also used to avoid repetition in specific contexts as a helping verb. โThe assignment gives them the freedom to run and play as kids doโ.
Do is widely used in law-related statements and documents, as given in the example: โI do at this moment declare that my statement is trueโ.

When to Use Does?
Doesโ can be defined as the conjugation of the verb โdoโ. The verb โdoesโ means to act, undertake or perform any activity or task, either by the will of another person or by her/his own will.
Does can be used to form interrogative sentences to make the sentence appear correct and meaningful.
Examples:
- Does he go to school?
- Does the machine work well?
Does can be used in the formation of negative sentences to give a little more emphasis on the negative factor of the sentence.
Examples:
- Marie doesnโt want to go to Manali on her vacation.
- She doesnโt care much about the food she eats.
Does can provide some extra force on the main verb used in a sentence.
Examples:
- She does study hard.
- She goes go to the temple every day.
Does is used in the formation of tag questions to provide a little more emphasis to the verb.
Examples:
- She dances well, doesnโt she?
- He paints beautifully, doesnโt he?
Main Differences Between Do and Does
- The main difference between Do and Does is โdoโ is one of the essential transitive verbs with a subject and an object. It is also an action verb meaning to act, perform, or fulfil an action.
- When we use โdoโ with plural nouns like parents, teachers, friends, doctors, dogs, horses, elephants, etc., we use โdoesโ with my dad, teacher, friend, dog, horse, and horse elephant, etc.
- When โdoโ is used with first-person singular and plural nouns, second-person singular and plural nouns, and third-person plural nouns, โdoesโ is only used with third-person singular nouns.
- โDoโ can be used with demonstrative pronounsโ this, and those can only be used with demonstrative pronounsโ this and that.
- โDoโ is used in the formation of imperative sentences but โdoesโ cannot be used to form imperative sentences.


Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.