Yes / No Questions with “Do” and “Does”
Beginner (A1)en
Yes/No (Do and Does) Questions
Yes / No Questions with “Do” and “Does”:
1. When Do You Use “Do” and “Does”?
You use do and does to make yes / no questions with most verbs
(like work, live, eat, like, play and many more).
(like work, live, eat, like, play and many more).
Examples:
- like → “Do you like coffee?”
- work → “Does she work here?”
You do NOT use do / does with the verb be
(am / is / are).
(am / is / are).
2. Basic Structure of Yes / No Questions
Structure:
Do / Does + subject + base verb ?
- The verb is always in its base form (no -s, no -ed).
Examples
- “You like tea.”
→ “Do you like tea?” - “She lives here.”
→ “Does she live here?”
3. When to Use “Do”
Use do with:
- I
- you
- we
- they
Examples:
- ”Do I have a jacket?”
- “Do you work on weekends?”
- “Do they live in South Africa?”
- “Do we need a ticket?”
4. When to Use “Does” (Third Person Singular)
Use does with:
- he
- she
- it
(one person or one thing)
Examples:
- “Does he like pizza?”
- “Does she speak English?”
- “Does it work?”
Important rule:
When you use does, the main verb loses the -s.
Example:
“She likes coffee.”
→ “Does she like coffee?” (Correct)
→ “Does she likes coffee?” (Incorrect)
When you use does, the main verb loses the -s.
Example:
“She likes coffee.”
→ “Does she like coffee?” (Correct)
→ “Does she likes coffee?” (Incorrect)
5. Short Answers with “Do” and “Does”
We usually answer yes / no questions with short answers.
Positive short answers
“Do you like coffee?”
“Do you like coffee?”
→ “Yes, I do.”
“Does he eat chocolate?”
“Does he eat chocolate?”
→ “Yes, he does.”
Negative short answers
“Do you watch TV every day?”
→ “No, I do not. / No, I don't.”
“Does she play football?”
→ “No, she does not. / He, she doesn't.”
“Do you watch TV every day?”
→ “No, I do not. / No, I don't.”
“Does she play football?”
→ “No, she does not. / He, she doesn't.”
Tip:
Do not repeat the main verb in short answers.
Do not repeat the main verb in short answers.
6. Common Verbs Used with “Do / Does”
You often use do / does with verbs like:
- like
- want
- work
- live
- eat
- play
- have
Examples:
- “Do you live here?”
- “Does he play football?”
- “Do they want coffee?”
7. Compare: “Be” vs “Do / Does”
You already know this, let’s connect it:
- “Are you happy?” → be
- “Is she at home?” → be
- “Do you like coffee?” → action verb
- “Does she work at home?” → action verb
Ask yourself:
Is the main verb be?
→ Use am / is / are
Is the main verb be?
→ Use am / is / are
Is it another verb?
→ Use do / does
→ Use do / does
8. Common Mistakes to Avoid
x “Do you are tired?”
✓ “Are you tired?”
✓ “Are you tired?”
x “Does she likes tea?”
✓ “Does she like tea?”
✓ “Does she like tea?”
x “Do he work here?”
✓ “Does he work here?”
✓ “Does he work here?”
9. A Helpful Way to Remember
Think of do / does as a helper.
It helps you ask the question, but the main verb stays simple.
- Helper verb = do / does
- Main verb = base form
10. Remember:
- Use do / does for yes / no questions with most verbs
- Use do with I / you / we / they
- Use does with he / she / it (third person singular)
- The main verb stays in the base form
- Use short answers
Related Vocabulary
Expand your vocabulary with words related to this grammar topic