Page 179 - Practical English Usage 3ed - Michael Swan, Oxford

do (3): general-purpose verb; do and make 160
2 negatives
We use do to make negative clauses with ordinary verbs (including the ordinary verb do), but not with other auxiliary verbs (see 367).
I don't like football. (NOT .' like notjfJotbtlEl.)
Don't go. I don't do much in the evenings.
BUT I can't play football. (NOT : ti8n't ean "lay JYJ6tbtlU.)
3 emphasis
We can use do in an affirmative clause for emphasis (see 184).
Do sit down. You do look nice today!
She thinks I don't love her, but I do love her.
I don't do much sport now, but I did play football when I was younger.
4 inversion
Do is used in some inversion (verb before subject) structures (see 302). At no time did he lose his self-control.
S ellipsis
In cases where an auxiliary is used instead of a whole verb phrase (see 181), do is common in affirmative clauses as well as questions and negatives.
She doesn't like dancing, but I do. (= .•. but I like dancing.) You saw Alan, didn't you?
That meat smells funny. - Yes, it does, doesn't it?
Ann thinks there's something wrong with Bill, and so do 1.
For do with be, see 90.
For weak pronunciations of do and does. see 616. For do in short answers. see 517.
160 do (3): general-purpose verb; do and make
The general-purpose verb do has several uses. and can sometimes be confused
with make.
1 do for indefinite activities
We use do when we do not say exactly what activity we are talking about - for example with words like thing, something, nothing, anything, what.
Then he did a very strange thing. (NOT Then he "Ul-tie a fJefY stFange thiltg.) Do something!
I like doing nothing. (NOT • • • ma1cillg nothing.)
What shall we do?
2 do for work
We use do when we talk about work and jobs.
I'm not going to do any work today. Could you do the shopping for me? It's time to do the accounts. I wouldn't like to do your job.
I did (= studied) French and German at school.
Has Ben done his homework?
Could you do the ironingfirst, and then do the windows ifyou've got time?
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