Have you ever wondered whether to say "Do she like coffee?" or "Does she like coffee?"

It's a common English grammar mistake, but the rule is actually quite simple.

Both do and does are used in the present simple tense to ask questions and make negative sentences. Let's understand when to use each one.

1. When Do We Use "Do"?

Use do with:

• I

• You

• We

• They

• Plural nouns

Examples:

• Do you speak English?

• Do they live in London?

• Do we have enough time?

• Do your friends play cricket?

• Do I need to bring my notebook?

2. When Do We Use "Does"?

Use does with:

• He

• She

• It

• Singular nouns

Examples:

• Does she speak English?

• Does he work from home?

• Does it look good?

• Does your brother play football?

• Does your mother like tea?

3. Do vs Does in Negative Sentences

We use do not (don't) and does not (doesn't) to make negative sentences.

Do not (Don't)	Does not (Doesn't)
I don't know.	He doesn't know.
They don't agree.	She doesn't agree.
We don't eat meat.	My brother doesn't eat meat.

In everyday spoken English, people usually say don't and doesn't instead of do not and does not.

4. An Important Grammar Rule to Remember

When we use does or doesn't, the main verb stays in its base form.

For example:

• Incorrect: Does she likes coffee?

• Correct: Does she like coffee?

• Incorrect: He doesn't plays cricket.

• Correct: He doesn't play cricket.

Why? Because the third-person singular ending is already carried by does. We don't add another -s to the main verb.

5. Do vs Does in Everyday Conversations

Here are some useful questions you can practise speaking aloud:

• Do you like travelling?

• Does your family live nearby?

• Do you enjoy reading books?

• Does your best friend speak English?

• Do you watch movies in English?

• Does your city have good public transport?

Try answering these questions in complete sentences. This is also a useful way to practise giving natural answers in IELTS Speaking.

6. Quick Revision

Subject	Use
I	Do
You	Do
We	Do
They	Do
He	Does
She	Does
It	Does

Easy trick: Use do with I, you, we and they. Use does with he, she and it.

A Little IELTS Speaking Practice

Try answering these questions using complete sentences:

1. Do you enjoy learning new languages?

2. Does your hometown have many tourist attractions?

3. Do you prefer studying alone or with friends?

4. Does technology make learning easier?

Don't worry about giving very long answers. Focus on speaking clearly and using the correct grammar.

Time to Practise!

Now that you understand the difference between do and does, take the quiz below and check your grammar skills. Don't forget to comment your score