Are vs Do
Are and Do are two verbs used in English language that should be understood with difference. This is due to the fact that both the verbs are used in different senses, and hence their usage differs too.
Look at the two sentences,
1. Are you coming to my house today?
2. Are you leaving for London tonight?
In both the sentences, the auxiliary verb ‘are’ is used in interrogative sense. It can be said that ‘are’ is used in the formation of questions. It is primarily used in the case of second person. It is used in the case of third person plural too as in the sentences,
1. Are they joining for dinner tonight?
2. Are they coming to my house in the morning?
In both the sentences, you can see that the form ‘are’ is used again in an interrogative sense, and it is used in the case of the third person plural number. This is an important observation to make when it comes to the usage of the auxiliary verb ‘are’. Take a look at the two sentences,
1. Do you have my address with you?
2. Do you know the answer?
On the other hand, the verb ‘do’ is also used in the formation of interrogative sentences. At the same time, it is used in the case of second person. You can see from the examples given above that the verb ‘do’ is used in the case of second person.
The verb ‘do’ is also used in the case of first person as in the sentences,
1. Do I have any thing to say in this matter?
2. Do we have money needed for the journey?
In both the sentences mentioned above, the verb ‘do’ is used in the case of first person singular and plural.
Camilo says
Hello, can you help me with an issue that crossed my mind I can’t help myself, but think about it all the time?!
Why do I have to say:
“Are you coming to the wedding?”
Why isn’t it possible to say:
“Do you come to the wedding?”
Thanks in advance!