I. AUXILIARY VERB USES
(~es, ~ing, did, ~ne)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
Note: 'Do' is used as an auxiliary with the simple present tense. 'Did' is used as an auxiliary with the simple past tense. In spoken English, negative forms of '~' are often shortened, for example '~ not' is shortened to '~n’t' and 'did not' is shortened to 'didn’t'.
1.
Do is used to form the negative of main verbs, by putting ‘not’ after ‘~’ and before the main verb in its infinitive form, that is the form without ‘to’.
They ~n’t want to work...
I did not know Jamie had a knife...
It ~esn’t matter if you win or lose.
AUX: AUX neg inf, AUX neg inf, AUX neg inf
2.
Do is used to form questions, by putting the subject after ‘~’ and before the main verb in its infinitive form, that is the form without ‘to’.
Do you like music?...
What did he say?...
Where ~es she live?
AUX: AUX n v, AUX n v, AUX n v
3.
Do is used in question tags.
You know about Andy, ~n’t you?...
I’m sure they had some of the same questions last year didn’t they?
AUX: cl AUX n, cl AUX n
4.
You use ~ when you are confirming or contradicting a statement containing ‘~’, or giving a negative or positive answer to a question.
‘Did he think there was anything suspicious going on?’—‘Yes, he did.’...
‘Do you have a metal detector?’—‘No, I ~n’t.’...
AUX: AUX, AUX
5.
Do is used with a negative to tell someone not to behave in a certain way.
Don’t be silly...
Don’t touch that!
AUX: only imper, AUX neg inf, AUX neg inf
6.
Do is used to give emphasis to the main verb when there is no other auxiliary.
Veronica, I ~ understand...
You did have a tape recorder with you.
AUX: AUX inf, AUX inf emphasis
7.
Do is used as a polite way of inviting or trying to persuade someone to ~ something.
Do sit ~wn...
Do help yourself to another drink.
AUX: only imper, AUX inf, AUX inf politeness
8.
Do can be used to refer back to another verb group when you are comparing or contrasting two things, or saying that they are the same.
I make more money than he ~es...
I had fantasies, as ~ all mothers, about how life would be when my girls were grown...
Girls receive less health care and less education in the developing world than ~ boys.
VERB: V, as V n, than V n
9.
You use ~ after ‘so’ and ‘nor’ to say that the same statement is true for two people or groups.
You know that’s true, and so ~ I...
We ~n’t forget that. Nor ~es he...
VERB: V n, V n
II. OTHER VERB USES
(~es, ~ing, did, ~ne)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
Note: '~' is used in a large number of expressions which are explained under other words in the dictionary. For example, the expression ‘easier said than ~ne’ is explained at ‘easy’.
1.
When you ~ something, you take some action or perform an activity or task. Do is often used instead of a more specific verb, to talk about a common action involving a particular thing. For example you can say ‘~ your teeth’ instead of ‘brush your teeth’.
I was trying to ~ some work...
After lunch Elizabeth and I did the washing up...
Dad ~es the garden...
VERB: V n, V n, V n
2.
Do can be used to stand for any verb group, or to refer back to another verb group, including one that was in a previous sentence.
What are you ~ing?...
Think twice before ~ing anything...
A lot of people got arrested for looting so they will think before they ~ it again...
I’m glad they gave me my money back, but I think they did this to shut me up...
The first thing is to get some more food. When we’ve ~ne that we ought to start again...
Brian counted to twenty and lifted his binoculars. Elena did the same...
He turned towards the open front ~or but, as he did so, she pushed past him.
VERB: V n, V pron-indef, V it , V this , V that , V the same , V so
3.
You can use ~ in a clause at the beginning of a sentence after words like ‘what’ and ‘all’, to give special emphasis to the information that comes at the end of the sentence.
All she ~es is complain...
What I should ~ is go and see her...
VERB: V n, V n emphasis
4.
If you ~ a particular thing with something, you use it in that particular way.
I was allowed to ~ whatever I wanted with my life...
The technology was good, but you couldn’t ~ much with it.
VERB: V n with n, V amount with n
5.
If you ~ something about a problem, you take action to try to solve it.
They refuse to ~ anything about the real cause of crime: poverty...
If an engine packs in, there’s not much the engineer can ~ about it until the plane is back on the ground.
VERB: V n about n, V amount about n
6.
If an action or event ~es a particular thing, such as harm or good, it has that result or effect.
A few bombs can ~ a lot of damage...
It’ll ~ you good to take a rest...
VERB: V n, V n n
7.
You can use ~ to talk about the degree to which a person, action, or event affects or improves a particular situation.
Such incidents ~ nothing for live music’s reputation...
I’d just tried to ~ what I could for Lou.
VERB: V amount for n, V n for n
8.
You can talk about what someone or something ~es to a person to mean that they have a very harmful effect on them.
I saw what the liquor was ~ing to her...
VERB: V to n
9.
If you ask someone what they ~, you want to know what their job or profession is.
What ~es your father ~?...
VERB: V n
10.
If you are ~ing something, you are busy or active in some way, or have planned an activity for some time in the future.
Are you ~ing anything tomorrow night?...
There is nothing to ~ around here.
VERB: V n, V n
11.
If you say that someone or something ~es well or badly, you are talking about how successful or unsuccessful they are.
Connie did well at school and graduated with honours...
How did I ~?
VERB: V adv, V adv
12.
If a person or organization ~es a particular service or product, they provide that service or sell that product. (mainly BRIT)
They provide design services and ~ printing and packaging...
They ~ a good range of herbal tea.
VERB: V n, V n
13.
You can use ~ when referring to the speed or rate that something or someone achieves or is able to achieve.
They were ~ing 70 miles an hour.
VERB: V amount
14.
If you ~ a subject, author, or book, you study them at school or college. (SPOKEN)
I’d like to ~ maths at university.
VERB: V n
15.
If you ~ a particular person, accent, or role, you imitate that person or accent, or act that role.
Gina ~es accents extremely well.
VERB: V n
16.
If someone ~es drugs, they take illegal drugs.
I ~n’t ~ drugs.
VERB: V n
17.
If you say that something will ~ or will ~ you, you mean that there is enough of it or that it is of good enough quality to meet your requirements or to satisfy you.
Anything to create a scene and attract attention will ~...
‘What would you like to eat?’—‘Anything’ll ~ me, Eva.’
VERB: V, V n
18.
If you say that you could ~ with something, you mean that you need it or would benefit from it.
I could ~ with a cup of tea...
The range could ~ with being extended.
PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n/-ing
19.
You can ask someone what they did with something as another way of asking them where they put it.
What did you ~ with that notebook?
PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n
20.
If you ask what someone or something is ~ing in a particular place, you are asking why they are there.
‘Dr Campbell,’ he said, clearly surprised. ‘What are you ~ing here?’
PHRASE: PHR adv/prep
21.
If you say that one thing has something to ~ with or is something to ~ with another thing, you mean that the two things are connected or that the first thing is about the second thing.
Mr Butterfield denies having anything to ~ with the episode...
That’s none of your business, it has nothing to ~ with you...
PHRASE: have/be inflects, PHR n
III. NOUN USES
(~s)
1.
A ~ is a party, dinner party, or other social event. (mainly BRIT INFORMAL)
A friend of his is having a ~ in Stoke...
N-COUNT
2.
If someone tells you the ~s and ~n’ts of a particular situation, they advise you what you should and should not ~ in that situation.
Please advise me on the most suitable colour print film and some ~s and ~n’ts.
PHRASE