Do: does, did, done
The verb do is one of the most important and versatile verbs in English. It can be a main verb meaning "to perform an action," but it is also commonly used as an auxiliary verb to form questions, negatives, and emphatic statements. Here, we explain the forms do, does, did, and done, along with their usage rules and examples.
Forms and Usage
The verb "do" has irregular forms in the past tense and past participle:
- Base form: do
- Third person singular present: does
- Past tense: did
- Past participle: done
Do and Does (Present Tense)
- Do is used with I, you, we, they.
- Does is used with he, she, it.
These forms can be main verbs or auxiliaries.
Examples:
| Subject | Example (Main Verb) | Example (Auxiliary) |
|---|---|---|
| I | I do my homework. | Do you like pizza? |
| She | She does her job. | Does she work here? |
| They | They do the dishes. | Do they know the answer? |
Did (Past Tense)
- Did is used for all subjects in the simple past tense.
- It can be a main verb or an auxiliary.
Examples:
| Subject | Example (Main Verb) | Example (Auxiliary) |
|---|---|---|
| I | I did my homework. | Did you go to the store? |
| He | He did the cleaning. | Did he call you? |
| We | We did our best. | Did they arrive on time? |
Done (Past Participle)
- Done is used with have, has, or had to form perfect tenses (present perfect, past perfect, etc.).
- It always needs a helping verb.
Examples:
| Tense | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| Present Perfect | I have done my work. |
| Past Perfect | She had done the dishes. |
| Present Perfect | They have done their homework. |
Summary
- Use do and does for present tense (do = I/you/we/they, does = he/she/it).
- Use did for simple past (all subjects).
- Use done with have/has/had for perfect tenses.
- "Do," "does," and "did" can be main verbs or auxiliaries.
- "Done" is only a past participle and cannot stand alone.
With these rules and examples, you can confidently use do, does, did, and done in a variety of contexts.
What is the correct present tense form for the subject "it"?
does
"It" is third person singular, so the correct present tense form is 'does.' For example, 'It does not work.' 'Do' is for other subjects; 'did' is past; 'done' is past participle.
Fill in the blank: He ____ the cleaning last weekend.
did
'Did' is the past tense form of 'do', so the sentence is 'He did the cleaning last weekend.' Other forms are incorrect for past tense.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
