A1 · Débutant Chapitre 6

Talking About Actions and Habits

4 Règles totales
46 exemples
5 min
Règles dans ce chapitre Pratique rapide

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the art of asking questions and saying no to navigate daily life with confidence.

  • Form negative sentences using don't and doesn't.
  • Construct questions with do and does.
  • Describe current actions using continuous questions and negatives.
Unlock the power of conversation.

Ce que tu vas apprendre

Ready to chat more about your daily life? This chapter will help you easily say 'no' to things you don't do, and confidently ask questions like 'Do you work?' Soon, you'll be having simple conversations about what's happening right now!

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Use 'don't' and 'doesn't' to accurately express daily habits.
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to: Formulate questions using 'do' and 'does' to interview a peer.
  3. 3
    By the end you will be able to: Discuss current activities in the negative and interrogative forms.

Guide du chapitre

Overview

Mastering English talking about actions and habits is a cornerstone of A1 English grammar, and this chapter is your friendly guide! Imagine being able to share what you do every day, or what you *don't* do, without hesitation. That's exactly what we'll achieve here.
You'll learn simple yet powerful ways to say no to actions and habits, like "I don't like coffee,
and to ask straightforward questions such as
What do you do? or Is he working right now?" This ability to describe ongoing actions and regular routines will unlock countless simple conversations, helping you connect with others and talk about your daily life. Get ready to build essential communication skills that make your English sound natural and confident!

How This Grammar Works

At the heart of talking about actions and habits in English are a few key helper words that make questions and negatives easy. When you want to say you don't do something regularly, or someone else doesn't do something, you use do or does plus not (contracted to don't or doesn't), followed by the base form of the verb. For example, "I don't speak French, or She doesn't live here.
For questions about habits, do or does comes first:
Do you work? or Does he like pizza?"
When you use the verb have, which is super common, it follows the same pattern for questions and negatives. You always need do or does as the helper verb. So, it's
Do you have a car?
not
Have you a car?
and "I don't have a pet, not I haven't a pet."
Finally, for actions happening at this very moment – what you are doing right now – we use the Present Continuous. This involves a form of the verb be (am, is, are) and the -ing form of the main verb. To make it negative, you add not after be:
I am not working
or "He isn't reading.
To ask a question, you simply move the be verb to the front:
Are you listening? or Is she eating?" These structures work together to help you describe your world accurately, whether it's an everyday routine or something happening as we speak.

Common Mistakes

Learning new grammar can sometimes lead to small mix-ups, but that's part of the journey! Here are some common errors and how to fix them:
  1. 1✗ Wrong:
    He no like coffee.
    /
    You have a car?
✓ Correct: "He doesn't like coffee.« / »Do you have a car?"
*Explanation:* Always use don't or doesn't for negatives, and do or does for questions about habits and with the verb have.
  1. 1✗ Wrong:
    I am not work now.
    / Are you study?
✓ Correct:
I am not working now.
/
Are you studying?
*Explanation:* For actions happening right now (Present Continuous), you need both the be verb and the -ing form of the main verb.
  1. 1✗ Wrong: "She don't live here."
✓ Correct: "She doesn't live here."
*Explanation:* Remember the 's' for third-person singular (he, she, it) with does and doesn't.

Real Conversations

Let's see these grammar points in action!

A

A

Hi Sarah! Do you work on Saturdays?
B

B

No, I don't work on Saturdays. I relax! Do you have any plans today?
A

A

Hey, what are you doing?
B

B

I am watching a movie. Are you busy?
A

A

No, I am not working right now. I don't have any meetings.
A

A

Does he live near here?
B

B

No, he doesn't live near here. He lives far away.
A

A

Oh. Does he have a car?
B

B

Yes, he does. He drives to work every day.

Quick FAQ

Q

When do I use don't versus doesn't?

You use don't for I, you, we, they (e.g., "I don't like that"). You use doesn't for he, she, it (e.g., "He doesn't like that"). It depends on who is doing the action.

Q

Can I use do for questions about actions happening 'right now'?

No, for actions happening 'right now', you use a form of be and the -ing verb. For example,

Are you reading?
not
Do you read?
(unless you mean 'Do you read generally?').

Q

Why do we say

Do you have
instead of
Have you
for questions about possession?

In modern English, especially American English, do/does is almost always used as the helper verb for questions and negatives with have when it means possession. While

Have you a car?
might be understood,
Do you have a car?
is much more common and natural.

Q

What's the main difference between "I don't work and I am not working"?

"I don't work

talks about a habit or general fact (e.g.,
I don't have a job«). »I am not working
talks about an action that is not happening at this specific moment (e.g.,
I am not working *right now*").

Cultural Context

Native English speakers use these patterns constantly in daily conversation. You'll often hear contractions like don't and doesn't because they make speech flow more smoothly. While some older or more formal varieties of British English might still use Have you...? for possession, using do/does with have for questions and negatives is overwhelmingly common and natural in contemporary English everywhere.
Don't be afraid to use these helper verbs – they sound very natural!

Exemples clés (8)

1

I don't eat meat.

Je ne mange pas de viande.

Dire 'Non' en anglais : Don't & Doesn't
2

You don't need to hurry.

Tu n'as pas besoin de te dépêcher.

Dire 'Non' en anglais : Don't & Doesn't
3

Do you live in a big city?

Tu habites dans une grande ville ?

Poser des Questions: Do et Does (Questions au Présent Simple)
4

Does she like to cook dinner?

Elle aime cuisiner le dîner ?

Poser des Questions: Do et Does (Questions au Présent Simple)
5

I don't have a car for the trip.

Je n'ai pas de voiture pour le voyage.

Verbe 'have' : Questions et négations (do/does)
6

Do you have a pen I can borrow?

Tu as un stylo que je peux emprunter ?

Verbe 'have' : Questions et négations (do/does)
7

I'm not listening to music right now.

Je n'écoute pas de musique en ce moment.

Présent Continu : Négations et Questions (Suis-je en train de travailler ?)
8

Are you working on your project this evening?

Tu travailles sur ton projet ce soir ?

Présent Continu : Négations et Questions (Suis-je en train de travailler ?)

Conseils et astuces (4)

💡

Pense au 'S' pour le singulier

L'astuce, c'est le 'S' de doesn't ! Il te fait penser aux sujets 'he', 'she', 'it'. Si ton sujet n'a pas de son 'S' (comme 'I', 'you', 'we', 'they'), utilise 'don't' ! "I don't play."
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Dire 'Non' en anglais : Don't & Doesn't
💡

La règle de la forme de base du verbe

Toujours, toujours, *toujours* utiliser la forme de base du verbe principal après 'do' ou 'does'. Le verbe auxiliaire 'do'/'does' porte déjà l'information sur le temps et le sujet, donc le verbe principal reste simple. C'est comme une équipe : 'do'/'does' est le capitaine, et le verbe principal est la star qui n'a qu'à se présenter !
Does he work here?
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Poser des Questions: Do et Does (Questions au Présent Simple)
💡

Entraîne-toi aux réponses courtes

Les réponses courtes comme Yes, I do. ou "No, she doesn't.
sont très courantes. Entraîne-toi à les utiliser pour un anglais plus naturel.
Do you have a pet? Yes, I do."
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Verbe 'have' : Questions et négations (do/does)
💡

Repère le verbe 'Be'

Cherche toujours le mot am, is ou are ! Pour les négations, not se met juste après. Pour les questions, am/is/are saute au début de la phrase. Are you hungry?
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Présent Continu : Négations et Questions (Suis-je en train de travailler ?)

Vocabulaire clé (6)

work to perform tasks have to possess study to learn drink to consume liquid now at this moment breakfast morning meal

Real-World Preview

coffee

At the Office

Review Summary

  • Subject + don't/doesn't + verb
  • Do/Does + subject + verb?
  • Do/Does + subject + have?
  • Am/Is/Are + subject + verb-ing?

Erreurs courantes

When using 'does', the main verb loses the 's'. The auxiliary takes all the work.

Wrong: Does he works here?
Correct: Does he work here?

To ask a question, start with 'Do'. Don't just add a question mark to a statement.

Wrong: I don't have a car? (as a question)
Correct: Do you have a car?

Present continuous requires the -ing ending. Without it, the sentence is grammatically incomplete.

Wrong: Are you work?
Correct: Are you working?

Next Steps

You are building a fantastic foundation. Keep practicing, and don't stop asking questions!

Watch a short English interview and note the questions used.

Continue to: Asking Questions and Saying No

Pratique rapide (10)

Trouve et corrige la faute dans la phrase.

Find and fix the mistake:

He doesn't has a bicycle.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: He doesn't have a bicycle.
Quand 'does' est utilisé, le verbe principal 'have' doit être à sa forme de base. Donc, 'has' devient 'have'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Verbe 'have' : Questions et négations (do/does)

Choisis la bonne forme pour compléter la phrase négative.

My phone ___ charging right now.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: isn't
Pour un sujet singulier comme 'My phone', on utilise 'is not', qui se contracte en 'isn't'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Présent Continu : Négations et Questions (Suis-je en train de travailler ?)

Trouve et corrige l'erreur dans la phrase.

Find and fix the mistake:

Does he works on weekends?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Does he work on weekends?
Après 'does', le verbe principal doit être à sa forme de base ('work'), pas 'works'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Poser des Questions: Do et Does (Questions au Présent Simple)

Trouve et corrige l'erreur dans la phrase.

Find and fix the mistake:

She don't speaks Spanish.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: She doesn't speak Spanish.
Pour 'she', on utilise 'doesn't'. Et après 'doesn't', le verbe principal ('speak') doit être à sa forme de base sans '-s'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Dire 'Non' en anglais : Don't & Doesn't

Choisis la bonne forme pour compléter la phrase.

My cat ___ like water.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: doesn't
Le sujet 'My cat' est singulier (c'est 'it'), donc on utilise 'doesn't'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Dire 'Non' en anglais : Don't & Doesn't

Quelle phrase pose correctement une question sur une habitude ?

Choisis la phrase correcte :

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Does she study English?
'She' nécessite 'does', et le verbe principal 'study' doit être à sa forme de base.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Poser des Questions: Do et Does (Questions au Présent Simple)

Choisis la bonne forme pour compléter la phrase.

My phone ___ a good camera.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: doesn't have
Le sujet 'My phone' est 'it', donc on utilise 'doesn't'. Après 'doesn't', la forme de base 'have' est toujours utilisée.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Verbe 'have' : Questions et négations (do/does)

Quelle phrase pose correctement une question sur une action en cours ?

Choisis la phrase correcte :

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Are you studying for your exam?
Pour former une question au Present Continuous, 'are' vient avant le sujet 'you', suivi du verbe en '-ing'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Présent Continu : Négations et Questions (Suis-je en train de travailler ?)

Choisis le verbe auxiliaire correct pour la question.

___ your friends live nearby?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Do
'Your friends' est un sujet pluriel (they), donc nous utilisons 'Do'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Poser des Questions: Do et Does (Questions au Présent Simple)

Quelle phrase pose correctement une question de possession ?

Choisis la bonne phrase :

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Does she have a sister?
Pour 'she', on utilise 'does'. Après 'does', le verbe 'have' est toujours à sa forme de base, pas 'has'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Verbe 'have' : Questions et négations (do/does)

Score: /10

Questions fréquentes (6)

Ils servent à rendre un verbe négatif au présent simple, pour dire qu'une action ou une habitude ne se produit pas. Pense que c'est le 'non' pour les actions de tous les jours. "I don't eat meat."
Tu utilises 'don't' avec les sujets 'I', 'you', 'we', 'they', et avec tous les noms pluriels (par exemple, 'students', 'my parents'). Par exemple, "We don't understand."
'Do' et 'does' agissent comme des verbes auxiliaires (d'aide) pour former des questions 'oui/non' au présent simple. Ils signalent qu'une question est posée à propos d'habitudes, de routines ou de faits généraux. Par exemple :
Do you work here?
Tu utilises 'do' pour les sujets I, you, we et they (et les noms pluriels). Tu utilises 'does' pour les sujets he, she et it (et les noms singuliers). Tout est une question d'accord sujet-verbe. Par exemple :
Do they like pizza?
mais
Does he like pizza?
Le verbe 'have', quand il est le verbe principal pour la possession, se comporte comme la plupart des autres verbes en anglais. Il a besoin des auxiliaires 'do' ou 'does' pour former les questions et les phrases négatives, contrairement au verbe 'be' qui peut le faire seul.
Do you have time?
Il n'y a aucune différence de sens ! 'Do not have' est la forme complète, tandis que 'don't have' est la forme contractée. 'Don't have' est beaucoup plus courant à l'oral et dans l'écriture informelle, rendant les conversations plus naturelles. "I don't have any idea."
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Describing Your World and Actions
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Asking Questions and Saying No
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