The most common verbs used in English are Do, Did & Does. While learning English tenses these are the most common verbs taught to students. The most common mistakes made in English are with these English verbs. In today’s English grammar lesson clear your doubts with these verbs and speak English confidently. Your English teacher Rachna has simplified the use of these verbs and Tenses and focused on teaching you the use of these verbs in English conversation, and not the old boring text book English.
Complete Lesson Transcript –
Hi friends, I’m Rachna and I’m back with another lesson. So in today’s lesson, we are going to look at the verb, do. well, I’m sure you’ve come across many lessons in the past using the verb, do and yes a lot of people get confused with this verb, okay and they do make mistakes when they use the verb, do. So, well it’s one of my favourite verbs and I thought let me do a lesson on this today but we’ll look at how we use do in different ways. Okay, so let’s get started.
The first one is, she has a lot of homework to do. Okay, so I’ve used here in the infinitive form, she has a lot of homework to do. now, we use do, when you talk about, nouns like you know a task, homework, some work or it could be a particular job, okay. So, if I say that my friend does a lot of work in the office. That’s her task, it’s a job, right? So, I use the verb, do. She does a lot of work in the office because I’m talking about a noun and that noun is work. Okay, so when you talk about work, you talk about homework. You talk about a particular task, use the verb, do. So she has a lot of homework. Now my task here is homework. Okay, so it could be with nouns like work, task, you know, homework or any particular work. So when you have such nouns, you can use the verb, do, okay.
Now the next one says, what does your brother do? So, when you want to ask about a person’s profession or the kind of work, that he is doing, you can use, do. So, if I say, what does your brother do? The answer could be, he is a computer engineer or he is working as an engineer. Okay, so do is very often used to know about a person’s job or a profession. Okay or sometimes when you are you know, you’re in small talk with a new person, you generally want to know what the person does. So you ask, so what do you do? So when they say, or when they ask what do you do? They are asking about your occupation or your profession. Okay friends, so well do is one of the most common verbs used to know about a person’s profession or the kind of job he does or the occupation.
Now the next one is, what did you do at the University? Now, this is a little confusing because people don’t want to really know what did you do, as in what activities. It’s basically pertaining to a subject. So, in short, all they are asking is which subject did you major in? So if I say, what did you do at the university? I’m asking you, which subject did you pursue or did you major and the answer could be, I did economics, okay. So if I say, I did economics, okay, I’m replying using the verb, do, of course in the past tense, I did economics. That means I majored, okay that’s the subject I majored in. so remember, do not get confused when you want to know about a particular subject, a person studied. Okay, you use, do, okay, fine.
The next one is, I did a lot of hiking and mountain climbing. Now there are times, we participate in activities, okay and when you want to describe or you want to state the fact that I participated, did, is the easiest verb to use. Of course, I’m using did because I’m done with the activities, it’s the past, okay. Probably last week. So I say, I did a lot of hiking and mountain climbing. Okay, or if I talk about my childhood and if I want to tell you, I participated a lot in cycling, I’ll say I did a lot cycling. I did a lot of skating when I was a child. So when you want to say that I participated in certain activities, the best verb and the simplest verb to use is, do in the present. Okay, or if it’s something that you used to do in the past, you say I did. Right friends, so I’m sure, now you’re getting well acquainted with the verb, do and how it is used in different ways. Right, so remember we do use do when you want to talk about the activities you took part in or rather if you are still taking part in, use do.
Well, I like that photo, could you do me a copy? Now we use do with nouns like design, copy, painting. Okay now, this is in informal speech okay, so when I say informal speech, is when you’re just speaking casually not very formal. So I said, I like that photo, could you do me a copy? Means could you make a copy and give it to me? Easy verb, do. Okay, so could you do me a copy? Is make a copy and give it to me. You use, do. Okay, so you use do with nouns like copy, design, okay you have painting, fine. So, the easiest verb to use is do.
Now similar is the next example. Who did the design for the website? Now, I could also say, who designed the website? Or who made the design? But I said, who did the design? Okay, again I have design here. This is a noun, okay and when I want to know, who attempted this or who created this, the best shortest and the easiest verb to use is, did. Of course, I’m using it in the past tense. So who did the design for the website?
Alright, friends so this is how, do is used when you want to talk about or when you want to link it to nouns like design, painting and copy.
The last example, she went to the concert. Okay, I’m telling you what my friend did. She went to the concert. Now I want to tell you, what my other friend did and I say, he did too. Okay, now I can also say he went too. okay this is not wrong at all but what happens is, to avoid repetition, okay we generally did, in this case, did because it’s a past tense, right? I’m talking about last night. She went and he did too. So he went. So when I’m talking about the past tense, I’m using did to substitute it with the verb, went. So there is no repetition. So she went to the concert, he went to the concert. He went too. Trust me, it’s correct but to avoid repetition I replace went. I replace did. Okay with went and I replace went with did and that is how you avoid repetition. So yes, it is also used as a substitute verb. So say, for example, I tell you, hey I watched the film yesterday, it was fantastic. The plot was interesting and I really liked it and I say, watched it too. Okay or I can say, I did too. I liked the film, I liked it too. I did too. So I’m avoiding you know repeating the verb, liked and I’m using did.
Okay, friends so yes did is, whether do or did is very often used as a substitute verb. Remember let’s have a quick recap. You use it with nouns for work, tasks, homework. So you do work, you do a lot of work. You do homework which is given by your teachers, yes. There are times you want to know about what the person is doing in life or what does he or you know what is he into or about his you know means of living. So you ask, what does your brother do? Or sometimes you meet new people, you say hey so what did you do? I say, well I’m a student in the university at the moment. So they want to know what your correct occupation is.
Yes, very important and I’m sure this is new, to know what subject you majored in your university. So, what did you do at the university? Well, I did economics, for some people it could be, I did literature, right? Yes, when you participate in activities, you have, I did a lot of hiking. In my school days, I did a lot of cycling, fine, when you have nouns like copied, designed, painting, I like that photo. Could you do me a copy? It’s another way of saying, could you make me a copy? But remember this is for informal speech.
Yes, friends, next one is who did the design, again I want to know about the noun, design. So I’m gonna put the verb, did. Who did it? That means I want to know who made it, who created it? Right instead of writing, who created? Shorter is use the verb, did. Who did the design? Or I could say, hey my friend did a lovely painting, that means she made a painting, right? So she did a lovely painting. That’s how we use did with nouns like design, copy and painting. And well the most important, it adds a substitute verb, when you don’t want repetition, you liked the file, I did too. Well, this is how we use do in different ways. I’m sure you’re gonna get well acquainted with this verb now and you’re going to find it less confusing once you watch this lesson, right and this brings me to the end of this lesson, I hope you enjoyed watching it, I’m sure you’re going to use do in different ways when you speak with your friends, family, neighbours and colleagues and well continue practising. I’ll be back soon with a new lesson, till then, take care and bye.
Add comment