Репетитор английского языка

Тонкости в употреблении английского глагола do

Verb To Do

Common fixed expressions

do good, harm, business, one’s best, a favour, sport, exercise, one’s hair, one’s teeth, one’s duty, 50 mph

make a journey, an offer, arrangements, a suggestion, a decision, an attempt, an effort, an excuse, an exception, a mistake, a noise, a phone call, money, a profit, a fortune, love, peace, war, a bed, a fire, progress

Note that we say make a bed, but we often talk about doing the bed(s) as part of housework. Compare:

Example	He’s old enough to make his own bed now.
	I’ll start on the vegetables as soon as I’ve done the beds.

We use take, not make in take a photo, and have, not make, in have an (interesting) experience.

Auxiliary verb + do

In British English (but not American), do can be used alone as a substitute verb after an auxiliary verb.

Example	‘Come and stay with us.’ ‘I may (do), if I have the time.’ (US ‘I may, if…’)
	‘He’s supposed to have locked the safe.’ ‘He has (done).’ (US ‘He has.’)
	I found myself thinking of her as I had never done before.
	He didn’t pass his exam, but he could have (done) if he’d tried harder.
	He smokes more than he used to (do).

Progressive forms are possible, but not very common.

Example

‘You should be getting dressed.’ ‘I am (doing).’

Note that the auxiliary verb is stressed in this structure.

Example

‘Close the door.’ ‘I HAVE done.’ (NOT…‘I have DONE.’)

do so / it / that

do so

The expression do so can sometimes be used to avoid repeating a verb and its object or complement. It is usually rather formal.

Example	‘Put the car away, please.’ ‘I’ve already done so’.
	Eventually she divorced Stephen. It was a pity she sad not done so earlier.
	He told me to get out, and I did so as quietly as possible.

do so and do it / that

Do it and do that can be used instead of do so.

Example	I promised to get the tickets, and I will do so / it as soon as possible.
	She rode a camel: she had never done so / that before.

We use do so mainly to refer to the same action, with the same subject, that was mentioned before. In other cases we prefer do it / that or do alone.

Example	I haven’t got time to get the tickets. Who’s going to do it? (NOT…~~Who’s going to do so.?~~)
	‘I rode a camel in Morocco.’ I’d love to do that.’ (NOT… to do so.)
	I always eat peas with honey. My wife never does. (NOT…~~My wife never does so.~~)

do so / it / that: deliberate actions

Do so / it / that are mainly used to refer to deliberate dynamic actions.

We do not usually use these expressions to replace verbs like fall, lose, like, remember, think, own, which refer to involuntary actions or states.

Example	I like the saxophone, and I always have (done). (NOT…and I have always done so / it / that.)
	She lost her money. I wasn’t surprised that she did. (NOT…~~that she did so / it / that.)~~
	They think Jake’s wrong, and I do too. (NOT…and I do so / it / that too.)

Other verbs

Note that so, it and that are not normally used in this way after auxiliary verbs.
It is not possible in standard English to say I can so, She was it or I have that.

<<Назад на Главную