Let’s look at the verb “do” and how to use it in questions.

Present – I do – You do – He/ She/ It does – We do – They do

– I do my laundry every Sunday. – You do the dishes after dinner. – He does his homework on the weekends. – We do our shopping on Saturdays. – They do offer health insurance.

Past: did – I did my laundry last Sunday. – You did the dishes last night. Future: will do – We will do our laundry next Sunday. – They will do the dishes later.

Negative forms – Do not – Does not – Did not Negative forms of “do” are usually used before another verb:

I do not have much experience. She does not have any more questions. They do not speak Spanish. You did not have trouble finding the office. We did not take the bus last month to go to school.

But we usually use contractions: – Do not = Don’t – Does not = Doesn’t – Did not = Didn’t

I don’t have much experience. She doesn’t have any more questions. They don’t speak Spanish. You didn’t have trouble finding the office. We didn’t take the bus last month to go to school.

Questions with “do”: – Do you have dental insurance? – Did you study for your test? – What do you do for fun? – What did you do last weekend?

Answering questions with “do”: – Sometimes, you use the word “do” when you answer one of these questions. But sometimes, you do not need use the word “do” when you answer these questions, especially when the question starts with a “question word” like “what” or “when”:

“Do you drink coffee?” “No, I don’t”. “Does Tomas live in Charlotte?” “Yes, he does.” “Did you have a good weekend?” “Yes, I went to a party with my family.” “Do we have class on Monday?” “Yes, we do.” Or, “No, the school is closed on Friday.” “Do you work on the weekends? “Yes, sometimes.” Or, “I work on Saturday, but not Sunday.” “What does the sign say?” “It says the exit is in one mile.” “When did Tomas move to Charlotte?” “He moved in November.” “What did you make for dinner last night?” “I made bean soup.” “What did the teacher say?” “She said to watch the video and do the activity.”

In a job interview, you might be asked questions like these: – What did you do at your last job? – Do you have any experience doing this kind of work? – Do you have any questions for me?

You can answer these questions like this: – “What did you do at your last job?” “I taught ESL classes.” – “Do you have any experience doing this kind of work?” “Yes, I do. I have worked in the ESL field for ten years.” – “What did you like about your job?” “I liked to educate students, and see them progress.”

Culture note: – When they meet new people, Americans often ask, “What do you do?” – They want to know what kind of job or work you do.

You could answer like this: – “I am a saleswoman.” – “I am a carpenter.” – “I work in construction.” – “I stay home to take care of my children.” In the U.S., it is not rude to ask people about their jobs, and it is usually one of the first questions people ask each other!