10 Notable Differences Between Do and Does Common Similarities

Difference Between Do and Does: The word “do” is a verb that means “to carry out, to bring about, to perform, or to execute.” It is used to refer to something which a person acts on in response to another person’s wish or his own. It is a transitive verb that needs a direct subject and an object.

An Insight to the Words “DO” And “Does”

‘Do’ is a substitute or auxiliary verb which gives more information about the main verb such as its voice, aspect, emphasis, or modality. For example: “I do want to go there myself.” In this sentence “do” is used to emphasize the person’s will to go somewhere.

The word “do” is also used as a helping verb to avoid repetition. Examples are: “The exercises allow them to run and play as children do. If you have to shout your heart out, do it outside.”

It is also used to form present and past tenses that express emphasis such as this example: “Please do be careful.” It is also used in legal language such as this example: “I do hereby declare that what I said is true.”

In sentences that ask questions, “do” is also used together with personal pronouns in forming questions in the present simple tense. An example is this: “Do I go to the beach too?”

When the question is with a third-person singular pronoun, the word “does” is used. Like these examples: “Does he go to the beach too? Does it have to be so difficult?” Here the word “does” is used instead of “do.”

“Does” is the third person singular present tense of the verb “do.” It is used when referring to a person or a thing in the third person. An example is this sentence: “She does the job more effectively than he does.”

While the verb “do” is used when referring to more than one person or thing, the word “does” is used in sentences that refer to a single person or thing. For example: “It does look nice on you. They do look nice together.”

The word “do” comes from the Middle English word “don” which in turn comes from the Old English word which is similar to the Old High German word “tuon” meaning “to do.”

They are derived from the Latin words “dere” meaning “to put” and “facere” meaning “to make.” Its first known use in the English language was before the 12th century.

Notable Differences

1. “Do” is a word that is used as a transitive as well as an auxiliary verb in a sentence while the word “does” is one of its conjugated forms.

2. “Do” is used when referring to two or more persons or things while “does” is used when referring to a single person or thing.

3. The words “do” and “does” mean the same, that is, “to carry out or to perform an action.” “Do” is used in the first and second persons; “does” is used in the third person.

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CSN Team.