To do

 

Uses of to do

Grammar Monster "to do"

Be or Do?

do

1 of 6

verb

ˈdü 

did ˈdid  

dəd

 ; done ˈdən  ; doing ˈdü-iŋ  ; does ˈdəz 

transitive verb

1

: to bring to pass : CARRY OUT

do another's wishes

it is my earnest desire to know the will of Providence … and if I can learn what it is I will do it Abraham Lincoln

2

: PUT 

—used chiefly in do to death

had been hounded down and done to death as heretics Stringfellow Barr

3

a

: PERFORM, EXECUTE

do some work

did his duty

b

: COMMIT

crimes done deliberately

4

a

: BRING ABOUT, EFFECT

trying to do good

do violence

b

: to give freely : PAY

do honor to her memory

5

: to bring to an end : FINISH 

—used in the past participle

the job is finally done

6

: to put forth : EXERT

did her best to win the race

7

a

: to wear out especially by physical exertion : EXHAUST

at the end of the race they were pretty well done

b

: to attack physically : BEAT

also : KILL

8

: to bring into existence : PRODUCE

do a biography on the general

has done some beautiful landscapes

9

—used as a substitute verb especially to avoid repetition

if you must make such a racket, do it somewhere else

10

a

: to play the role or character of

He did Hamlet on Broadway.

b

: MIMIC

also : to behave like

do a Houdini and disappear

c

: to perform in or serve as producer of

do a play

11

: to treat unfairly

especially : CHEAT

did him out of his inheritance

12

: to treat or deal with in any way typically with the sense of preparation or with that of care or attention:

a(1)

: to put in order : CLEAN

was doing the kitchen

(2)

: WASH

did the dishes after supper

b

: to prepare for use or consumption

especially : COOK

like my steak done rare

c

: SET, ARRANGE

had her hair done

d

: to apply cosmetics to

wanted to do her face before the party

e

: DECORATE, FURNISH

did the living room in Early American

do over the kitchen

13

: to be engaged in the study or practice of

do science

especially : to work at as a vocation

what to do after college

14

a

: to pass over : TRAVERSE

did 20 miles yesterday

b

: to travel at a speed of

doing 55 on the turnpike

15

: TOUR

doing 12 countries in 30 days

16

a

: to spend (time) in prison

has been doing time in a federal penitentiary

b

: to serve out (a period of imprisonment)

did ten years for armed robbery

17

: to serve the needs of : SUIT, SUFFICE

worms will do us for bait

18

: to approve especially by custom, opinion, or propriety

you oughtn't to say a thing like that … it's not done Dorothy Sayers

19

: to treat with respect to physical comforts

did themselves well

20

: USE sense 4

doesn't do drugs

21

: to have sexual intercourse with

I'd do him.

22

: to partake of

Let's do lunch.

intransitive verb

1

: ACT, BEHAVE

do as I say

2

a

: GET ALONG, FARE

do well in school

b

: to carry on business or affairs : MANAGE

we can do without your help

3

: to take place : HAPPEN

what's doing across the street

4

: to come to or make an end : FINISH 

—used in the past participle

he had done with speech for that evening and gave us no reply Arnold Bennett

5

: to be active or busy

let us then be up and doing H. W. Longfellow

6

: to be adequate or sufficient : SERVE

half of that will do

7

: to be fitting : conform to custom or propriety

won't do to be late

8

—used as a substitute verb to avoid repetition

wanted to run and play as children do

—used especially in British English following a modal auxiliary or perfective have

a great many people had died, or would do Bruce Chatwin

9

—used in the imperative after an imperative to add emphasis

be quiet do

auxiliary verb

1

a

—used with the infinitive without to to form present and past tenses in legal and parliamentary language

do hereby bequeath

and in poetry

give what she did crave Shakespeare

b

—used with the infinitive without to to form present and past tenses in declarative sentences with inverted word order

fervently do we pray Abraham Lincoln

, in interrogative sentences

did you hear that?

, and in negative sentences

we don't knowdon't go

2

—used with the infinitive without to to form present and past tenses expressing emphasis

I do saydo be careful