A1 · Grammar
Present simple: questions and negatives
After this page you can ask questions with do and does, give short answers (Yes, I do.) and make negatives with don't and doesn't in the present simple.
Rules
1.
Negatives: don't and doesn't
- I don't eat meat.
- We don't have a car.
- Anna doesn't like coffee.
- The lift doesn't work today.
For a negative, put don't or doesn't before the verb. Use doesn't with he, she and it.
Negative
- I, you, we, they don't (do not) + verb
- he, she, it doesn't (does not) + verb
In speaking and in friendly emails, people usually say the short form: don't, doesn't. The long form (do not, does not) is more formal. Both are correct.
don't = do not · doesn't = does not
Not: I not like or I no like. Say: I don't like.
2.
he, she, it: the -s moves to does
- Tom lives in Leeds. → Tom doesn't live in York.
- Your son watches cartoons. → Does he watch the news?
- Priya has a bike. → She doesn't have a car.
With he, she and it, only does or doesn't has the -s. The verb after it has no -s, no -es and no has.
he, she, it
- she works → she doesn't work
- he studies → does he study?
- it has → it doesn't have
does / doesn't + verb with no -s: Does he work? He doesn't work.
Not: She doesn't works. · Not: Does she has …?
3.
Yes/no questions and short answers
- Do you speak Spanish? – Yes, I do.
- Does Ahmed drive to work? – No, he doesn't.
- Do your parents live near you? – Yes, they do.
A question: Do or Does + subject + verb. In a short answer, repeat do, does, don't or doesn't. Do not repeat the main verb.
Short answers
- I, you, we, they: Yes, I do. · No, I don't.
- he, she, it: Yes, she does. · No, she doesn't.
Only Yes or No sounds short and a bit cold. The short answer is more polite.
Do you …? – Yes, I do. / No, I don't.
Does he …? – Yes, he does. / No, he doesn't.
4.
Questions with where, what, when …
- Where do you work?
- What time does the film start?
- When do your children have lunch?
- How does Lucy get to work?
The question word goes first. Then do or does, then the subject, then the verb.
Word order
- question word + do / does + subject + verb …?
- Where + does + Priya + live?
What do you do? asks about your job: I'm a nurse. You learn more question words in another lesson.
Where do you live? · What does she do?
Not: Where you live? The question needs do or does.
5.
to be: no do
- Are you tired? – Yes, I am.
- Marek isn't at home.
- Is the shop open? – No, it isn't.
The verb to be (am, is, are) never takes do. For a question, put am, is or are first. For a negative, add not.
Compare
- to be: Is she a teacher? She isn't a teacher.
- other verbs: Does she teach? She doesn't teach.
Not: Do you are tired? Say: Are you tired?
Not: He doesn't be at home. Say: He isn't at home.
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