Question

Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate words.
I ___________ cigarettes, but my teacher _________ smoke.

A. Don’t/smokes
B. Smoke/doesn’t
C. Smokes/smokes
D. Smoke/don’t

Answer 1

Hint:A verb determines an ongoing action in a sentence. Example: drink, eat, sit, stand up etc. An auxiliary verb adds additional information to the given verb in the sentence. Example: don’t, doesn’t, would, should etc. We will carefully observe the given sentence to figure out where we need a verb and an auxiliary verb.

Complete answer:
Let us analyse each option individually to figure out the correct answer.

Don’t/smokes: By implying this option the sentence becomes “I don't smoke cigarettes, but my teacher smokes smoke.” This is grammatically incorrect as the first blank is followed by a noun ‘cigarettes’ and a verb is missing prior to that noun. Whereas the second blank is followed by a verb, so we need an auxiliary verb to enhance the given verb ‘smoke’.

Smoke/doesn’t : By implying this option the sentence becomes “I smoke cigarettes, but my teacher doesn’t smoke.” This is grammatically correct as the first blank is followed by a noun ‘cigarettes’ and a verb is missing prior to that noun. Whereas the second blank is followed by a verb, so we need an auxiliary verb to enhance the given verb ‘smoke’.

Smokes/smokes: By implying this option the sentence becomes “I smoke cigarettes, but my teacher smokes smoke.” This is grammatically incorrect as the first blank is followed by a noun ‘cigarettes’ and a verb is missing prior to that noun. Whereas the second blank is followed by a verb, so we need an auxiliary verb to enhance the given verb ‘smoke’.

Smoke/don’t : By implying this option the sentence becomes “I smoke cigarettes, but my teacher doesn't smoke.” This is grammatically incorrect as the auxiliary verb ‘don’t’ is used for first and second person singular and plural and third person plural. We have a third person singular here.

Hence, the correct answer is Option ‘B’.

Note:Don’t get confused between option B and option D. As there is a difference in the usage of auxiliary verbs don’t and doesn’t. Don’t is used for first and second person singular and plural and third person plural. Whereas doesn’t is used for third person singular only.Example: I don’t smoke.
Example: He doesn’t understand a thing.
Don’t can also be used to give commands. Example: Don’t touch the book.