A question about the word "do"

Question

Hi,I am curious if I can use the word "do" as a substitute for the main verb in the following way:1. The guy in the first row swindled me out of a load of money, as he did his other victims.2. Not only does it protect you, it also does meCould you tell me which of the two sounds normal to a native speaker?Personally, I'm in favor of sentence #1But as for sentence #2, something about it doesn't sit well with me.Thanks in advance!

Avangi · Accepted Answer

I agree. One is fine; two is a problem. One "does" is enough for anyone.

"Not only does it protect you, but me also."

MrPernickety · Answer

Thanks, Avangi!

I hear you loud and clear on this one

BillJ · Answer

Hi MrPernickety

Yes you can, and both sentences are fine. Here's why:

As well as the regular uses of the verb 'do', it also has a specialist use as what is called a pro-form. As a pro-form (in this case a pro-verb) 'do' substitutes a verb or verb phrase:

'Fred walked to town and I did too'. (where did replaces walked to town)

Basically, a pro-form is a word that is used to replace or refer to a longer construction in a sentence. It avoids saying or writing the same thing twice, which can be boring or repetitive, and it generally makes for a more acceptable economy of statement.

Your first sentence 'The guy in the first row swindled me out of a load of money, as he did his other victims' , is perfectly acceptable because the pro-verb did in the second clause is substituting the verb swindled in the first clause.

Your second sentence 'Not only does it protect you, it also does me' is also fine because 'does' in the second clause is replacing does protect in the first part.

So, to summarise, both your sentences are syntactically and semantically okay.

Hope that helps

Bill

BarbaraPA · Answer

Let's not forget the third S, "style."

The second one isn't good style with that repeated "does," as Avangi pointed out.

Yankee · Answer

Basically, the purpose of a so-called pro-form is to avoid repetition. In this respect, Avangi's post hits the nail on the head for your second sentence, Alex.

Secondly, the intended focus of "not only" is the direct object in the sentence ("you" vs "me"), not the verb. If we eliminate the inversion and reword accordingly, I think you will see how completely unnecessary it is to repeat the verb or to even add a stand-in for the verb:

- It protects not only you, but also me.

So, that is why I think your second sentence sounds so very awkward.

That's my two cents.

BarbaraPA · Answer

They are worth at LEAST twice that, Amy <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' alt='Emotion: smile'/>

A question about the word "do"

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