en English es español fr française it italiano de deutsche ja 日本語 pl polski cs česky sv svenska tr Türkçe nl Nederlands

Why "she don't" doesn't work: a grammar breakdown

Reviewed and edited by Anwar Kareem 15/11/2024, 22:47
English.me team member

What kind of error is it?

She don't or she doesn't. What's correct?

Subject-verb agreement error

Why do people make this mistake?

The error often occurs because "don't" is widely used as the negative contraction for "do not," and some people mistakenly apply it to singular third-person subjects influenced by informal speech patterns or dialects.

What is correct?

The correct form is "she doesn't" because "she" is a singular third-person subject and requires the auxiliary verb "does" to agree in number.

Examples of correct usage

  • She doesn't like pizza.
  • She doesn't know the answer.
  • She doesn't want to go.

Recommended posts in Grammar

Don't say "wait me" — here's why

Don't say "wait me" — here's why

People often make this error due to direct translation from ... Learn more →

Why is an affect a grammar error?

Why is an affect a grammar error?

People often confuse "affect" with "effect" because they sound similar ... Learn more →

Why "had shook" shakes up grammar

Why "had shook" shakes up grammar

People may confuse "shook" (the simple past tense) with "shaken" ... Learn more →

The reason "it weights" doesn't hold up

The reason "it weights" doesn't hold up

People may incorrectly use "weights" instead of "weighs" because they ... Learn more →