The English language, like any language, has multiple registers that adapt to different contexts and audiences. The distinction between formal and informal language is fundamental to effective communication, whether in a professional or social setting. These two variants of the language differ mainly in tone, vocabulary and grammatical structure, making each suitable for specific situations. Today with FunTalk, we tell you the key differences between the two styles and when it is appropriate to use each.
To ask a question in English we normally use Do or Does. But do you really know when we use one or the other? When we talk about actions, we use the words do, does and did. Do and does represent the present simple forms of the verb ‘do’, while did is its past simple form. They are mainly used to form negative and interrogative sentences. Do is used with the personal pronouns I, we, you and they, while does is used with the personal pronouns he, she and it, which generates the frequent query: do or does? Throughout this article, you will learn when to use do and does so that you can apply it correctly in each grammatical context.
In the following article we tell you all the secrets so that this is no longer a problem and you can easily figure out when to use do and does in the present simple.
When to use do
Do refers to perform or undertake an action, either by oneself or in response to another person’s wish. It is an auxiliary verb, used with the main verb, to form various types of English sentences. Below, we show you in which situations to use “do” in your sentences:
To form interrogative sentences:
Do you know him? – Do you know it?
In English, questions like these are common and help us to better understand do in the present simple tense when we want to know something or confirm a piece of information.
To form negative sentences:
I don’t think she is going to come for the party. – I don’t think I’ll be coming to the party.
This use of do in the present simple to express negation is key to conveying the correct intention in sentences that deny an action or event.
In positive sentences
To emphasize something, that is, to provide additional information about the main verb:
You do look sad today. – Today you are sad.
This usage is particularly relevant when we want the speaker to notice our intention in the sentence.
In imperative sentences
That is, positive or negative orders:
Don’t open the door. – Do not open the door.
Both affirmative and negative commands use do to give clarity of instruction. However, remember that does is not used in imperative sentences.
Etiquette questions
I met Shahrukh Khan at the concert, don’t you? – I met Shahrukh Khan at the concert, didn’t you?
Tag questions like this are useful to confirm or emphasize a comment. Do and does are adapted here according to the subject.
To avoid repetition of a verb or verb phrase:
May I help you? Please do. – May I help you? Please.
When to use does
Does is nothing more than a conjugation of the verb ‘do’, which also means to perform, act or undertake any task or activity, but it is used with the third person singular. This verb is useful in various types of sentences and solves many of the main student queries about when to apply does and do depending on the grammatical context.
To create interrogative sentences:
Does she go out for a walk? – Do you go for a walk?
Here we see how does in the present simple helps to structure questions correctly for the third person singular.
To form negative sentences:
He doesn’t care much about what people think. – He doesn’t care much about what people think.
This use of does is fundamental when we want to express negation in a statement related to someone in the third person.
In affirmative sentences
To give extra force to the main verb:
She does work hard. – She does work hard.
Tagged questions
She writes well, doesn’t she? – He writes well, doesn’t he?
Etiquette questions are essential to confirm, and do and does are key to this structure in English.
Main differences between do and does
The differences between does and does are described in the following points:
Do is a transitive verb, which has both subject and object. It is an action verb meaning to perform, act or carry out any task or activity. On the other hand, does is just a conjugation of the verb ‘do’ used with the third person singular present.
While we use ‘do’ with plural nouns, such as teachers, parents or judges, we use does with singular nouns, such as my teacher or the judge.
Do is used with the personal pronouns I, we, you, they. In contrast, does is used with he, she, it and the demonstratives this and that.
Finally, do is essential for creating imperative sentences, commands that can be both positive and negative, while does is not used for this purpose.
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Many people have trouble identifying when to use there is versus there are.
This is a situation that occurs even at higher levels and at Funtalk we are aware of it. Do you want to know when to use each one?
We recommend you read on.
When to use there is and there are in English?
First of all, we use there is and there are to express the existence of something, that is to say, its use is very similar to the use we make of the verb haber in Spanish.
Here are a couple of examples: There’s somebody at the door.
They are also used to ask about the existence of something, as in: Are there any questions? ([Hay] any questions?). In these situations we cannot use the verb “to have” as the equivalent of “hay” in Spanish.
The other difference we can find is that in English there are two forms “there is” and “there are”, depending on whether the direct complement, i.e. the object, is in the singular or, on the contrary, in the plural.
What rules to take into account?
Present
We have to keep in mind that, independently of whether the sentences are affirmative, negative or interrogative, the use of “is” or “are” depends on whether the object is in singular or plural: There’s an error in your homework (Tienes un error en los ejercicios). There are two errors in your homework (Tienes dos errores en los ejercicios).
Past
When we talk about events that take place in the past, as you can imagine, sentences are constructed with the corresponding form of the verb “to be”, singular or plural SingularTherewas a snake in my room.
There was a snake in my room. PluralTherewere three people eating.
There were three people eating.
Future and speculative forms
As in the past, we can speak in the future or through speculative forms using “will be”, “be going to” or “might be”.
In many occasions “will” and “going to” are interchangeable, so we must take this into account in order not to make mistakes.
Are there exceptions and variants?
Of course, we can find a number of variations and exceptions such as short forms.
That is, when we contract the form of “there is not”.
For example, with the expression: No hay problema We can say There isn’t a problem and we could also say There’s not a problem Both forms are correct and equivalent.
Besides, it is a quite common expression to use.
However, we can also say: There’s no problem and we would not be committing any kind of mistake.
On the other hand, in plural, with the sentence: No hay peces en este río We can say There aren’t any fish in this river and we can also say There are no fish in this river.
Again, both expressions are equivalent and correct.
We hope you liked this post and now you have a little clearer when you should use there is versus there are in English.
Thank you very much for reading. See you next time!
Do you have to write a review in English?
Want to learn how to do it?
Well, here at Funtalk we make it easy for you.
In this post we are going to teach you all the tricks you need to know to write a good review or critique. Keep reading and don’t miss any detail!
What is a review?
Let’s start the house from the foundations and not from the roof, that is, let’s define correctly what a review is.
Nowadays we can find reviews of almost everything, from restaurants to movies or video games, but in any of these the purpose is exactly the same: help the reader decide whether or not to go to a restaurant, watch a movie, play a video game, etc.There may be a number of circumstances where we need to write a review or it may simply be part of a First or Advanced level English exam. write a review or it may simply be part of a First or Advanced level English exam. In any case, which parts should it include?
We tell you in the following section
What should a review include?
Regardless of what your review or critique is about, your text should include what readers want to know, i.e., what they want to know:
Category
If we are writing a review about a book, an album, a movie or a video game, the category cannot be missing.
The first thing to do is to classify in the corresponding category or categories the object of our review or critique.
Author
People who are reading your review are likely to have an already formed opinion about the author or group of authors you are reviewing, so this information should not be missing in your review.
If you are reviewing a restaurant, the author becomes the name of the restaurant.
Starting point
One of the points where most people fail when it comes to writing a review about a story, whether it is a book, a movie or a video game, is the starting point.
A good review has to explain what the story is about. but without revealing important plot twists and plots.
Di NO a los spoilers.
Positive and negative aspects
It is important to explain and record both negative and positive aspects.
Although you may have either nothing positive to say or nothing negative.
That’s okay, as long as you back up your opinion properly.
Own recommendations
You are making a critique or review of something, which, however objective and comparative it may be, is subject to the subjectivity of the person making it.
This implies that, ultimately, you must say to whom you would and would not recommend a restaurant, a movie, a video game, etc..
Es importante no caer en terminologías como “todo el mundo” ya que no dejas claro al público si eso es para él o no.
We hope you liked this article of our blog and that you are clear about how you can make a review in English and what this review should include.
Thank you very much for your time and see you in the next article!
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First of all, we use there is and there are to express the existence of something, that is to say, its use is very similar to the use we make of the verb haber in Spanish.
