Meaning & use
dos and do nots
Last updated
Meaning
nounplural
A set of rules or pieces of advice saying what you should and should not do in a situation.
Grammar: Always plural and used with a plural verb: 'The dos and do nots are simple.'
Patterns
- the dos and do nots of something
- a list of dos and do nots
The guide lists the dos and do nots of interviewing for a job.
Before you start, read the dos and do nots for using the lab.
Her talk covered the dos and do nots of raising a puppy.
Common combinations
- the dos and do nots of
- He explained the dos and do nots of online banking.
- a list of dos and do nots
- The teacher handed out a list of dos and do nots for the trip.
- follow the dos and do nots
- Please follow the dos and do nots posted by the door.
- the dos and do nots for
- There are clear dos and do nots for visitors to the site.
Synonyms and how they differ
- rules
- 'Rules' is more general and often official, while 'dos and do nots' sounds like friendly practical advice.
- guidelines
- 'Guidelines' suggests flexible advice rather than firm instructions, which fits this phrase well.
- etiquette
- 'Etiquette' refers specifically to polite social behavior, a narrower idea than general dos and do nots.
Word family
- do verb
- to perform an action
- don't verb
- the contraction of 'do not', used in the spelling 'dos and don'ts'
Commonly confused: dos and do nots or don'ts?
dos and do nots vs don'ts
The usual spelling uses an apostrophe: 'dos and don'ts'. The form 'do nots' is also correct but looks more formal.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Choose one answer.
The phrase is plural, so it takes 'are'. Option 1 wrongly uses a singular verb, and options 3 and 4 change the fixed plural form.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dos and do nots”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.