Lesson Seven
Special Uses for the Verb “Do”
| The verb “do” is a little confusing. Not only is it a helping verb, it’s a main verb as well. For example, to ask someone about his or her job, say… “What do you do?” The first verb in that question is a helping verb, do; the second verb in that question is the main verb, do. Examples: Q: What do you do? It’s interesting to note that the answer does not require the verb do. In this case the answer uses the verb be. Q: What do you do at work? Q: What do you do everyday?
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A: I’m a cashier.
But sometimes “do” is used as the main verb.
In fact, “do” is a very popular main verb for some activities. It can be used for exercising, studying, cleaning, working, and other general behaviors.
Video and examples below:
What is he doing? He’s doing some exercises. What does he do every day? He exercises. / He does exercises. or…. He does a lot of exercising. |  |
How does she stay healthy? She does a lot of bicycling. What does she do every day? She rides her bike. or…. She does a lot of biking. |  |
What is she doing? She’s cleaning the bathroom. or…. She’s doing some cleaning. She does a lot of cleaning at home on the weekend. |  |
What is he doing? He’s vacuuming. or…. He’s doing some vacuuming. |  |
What is she doing? She’s working on her laptop. or… She’s doing some work on her laptop. (laptop=computer) |  |
What are they doing? They’re washing the dishes. or… They’re doing the dishes. |  |