BEGINNER ENGLISH Lesson 16
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The Verb DO
The verb do is important to learn at the BEGINNER level.
One of the reasons the verb do is important to learn is because it works as a main verb, and as a helping (or auxiliary) verb in English.
Lesson 16 – Using the verb do as a HELPING VERB in Negative Statements – Contracted
CONTRACTIONS
The verb do + not can be contracted* or shortened.
Practice using the verb do in negative statements with contractions.
Notice how in the contracted form, a vowel is removed and an apostrophe is put in the place of the removed vowel.
HELPING VERB (DO) – NEGATIVE – CONTRACTED
Basic Structure
SUBJECT + Helping VERB+NOT (contracted) + Main VERB + OBJECT
1st person – singular
I don’t need help.
1st person – plural
We don’t need rain.
2nd person – singular or plural
You don’t need trouble.
3rd person – singular
He | She | It doesn’t need food.
3rd person – plural
They don’t need haircuts.
TEST YOURSELF
Instructions: Use the contracted form of the verb do + not to answer each question.
*PRONUNCIATION TIP
Some words can be used as verbs or nouns. Typically, the verb is stressed on the second syllable (e.g., con-TRACT) and the noun is stressed on the first syllable (e.g., CON-tract).
e.g., The verb do is con-TRACT-ed.
Contraction is a noun. When a noun ends in -tion (pronounced as shun), the stress is typically on the syllable before tion. So, contraction is pronounced con-TRAC-tion.