Lesson Three

Do (present tense) and Did (past tense)
as Helping Verbs
to Make Negative Sentences

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Present Tense Negative

do + not + main verb

 

 Singular  Plural

I do not ___

I don’t ___

We do not ___

We don’t ___

You do not ___

You don’t ___

You do not ___

You don’t ___

He does not ___

He doesn’t ____

She does not ____

She doesn’t ____

They do not ___

They don’t ___

It does not ___

It doesn’t ____

Listen and repeat:

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Past Tense Negative

 

did + not + main verb

 Singular
 Plural

I did not ____

I didn’t _____

We did not ____

We didn’t ____

You did not ____

You didn’t ____

You did not ____

You didn’t ____

He did not ____

He didn’t _____

She did not ____

She didn’t ____

They did not ____

They didn’t ____

It did not ____

It didn’t ____

Listen and repeat:

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The verb “do” is a helping verb. We add it to the simple form of a verb to make questions and negatives in the present tense and the past tense.

Examples:

I don’t work on the weekend. (present tense negative).

I didn’t work last weekend. (past tense negative)

He doesn’t like to go to the store. (present tense negative)

He didn’t like to go to the store when he was younger. (past tense negative).

They don’t have any money. (present tense negative)

They didn’t have any money last week. (past tense negative.)

Note: “Do” is also used as a main verb for activities, such as housework, cleaning, studying, research, business, and shopping.

Examples:

I don’t do the dishes every night. I didn’t do the dishes last night.

She doesn’t do her grocery shopping at Cub. She didn’t do her grocery shopping yesterday.

They do not do their homework at the library. They didn’t do their homework last night.

Their company doesn’t do business in Minnesota. They never did business here.

The past tense form of “do” is “did.”  Did + not = didn’t

Examples:

I didn’t go to work yesterday.

She didn’t take the bus to work.

Separating the contraction creates emphasis.

Examples:

I did not want to do the dishes last night. I do not want to do them now!

He does not have his license! He never did get it!

Please, do not put that hot pan on the counter!

Never put “did” + ____ing together.

He did going  to work last night. (incorrect)

He went to work last night. ( correct )

Avoid bad American grammar!

She don’t go to work on Sunday. (She doesn’t go to work on Sunday.)

It don’t matter to me. (It doesn’t matter to me.)

He don’t know. (He doesn’t know.)

Click here to take a quiz on the present tense

Click here to take a quiz on the past tense

Next: Lesson Four
commands in English