ESLSongs

Practice basic level yes/no questions and short answers in your ESL class with this song, Yes, I do by Shakin’ Stevens.

The interrogatives which appear in these song lyrics are: “is it…”, “do I…”, “should I…”, “will I…” & “why do…”, and the short answers are: “yes, I do”, “no, I don’t”, “yes, I should”, “yes, I could” & “no, I won’t”.

There is a suggestion on how to use this song in your ESL classes below, but for more ideas, click here.

Lyrics

Is it yes or is it no?
What’s a man supposed to do?
Tell me no I don’t, or yes I do

Do I cry much? (yes, I do)
Long for your touch? (yes, I do)
Do I trust you or feel blue?
No I don’t and yes I do

Should I leave you? (yes, I should)
Or decieve you? (yes, I could)
Do I cheat or see it through?
No I don’t, and yes I do

Oh I don’t know what I say
Guess I do hurt more each day
Still I know that feeling blue
Is better than living without you

Do I like it? (no, I don’t)
Will I walk out? (no, I won’t)
Do I leave or still love you?
No I don’t and yes I do

No I don’t
Yes I do
No I don’t
Yes I do

Why do you treat me bad this way?
Why do you hurt me more each day?
Still I know that feeling blue
Is better than living without you

Do I like it? (no, I don’t)
Will I walk out? (no, I won’t)
Do I leave or still love you?
No I don’t, and yes I do

Ohhh
Do I cry much? (yes, I do)
Long for your touch? (yes, I do)
Do I leave or still love you?
No I don’t and yes I do

Should I leave you? (yes, I should)
Or decieve you? (yes, I could)
Do I cheat or see it through?
No I don’t and yes I do

No I don’t, and yes I do

Suggested activity: fill the gaps/correct the mistakes

Download this exercise (PDF)

Fill the gaps in the song (1-14) with an appropriate auxiliary verb: do, is, should or will. Then listen to check and correct the mistakes of the bridge in bold (15 & 16)

¹_______ it yes or ²_______ it no? What’s a man supposed to do?
Tell me no I don’t, or yes I do

³_______ I cry much? (yes, I do)
Long for your touch? (yes, I do)
⁴_______ I trust you or feel blue?
No I don’t and yes I do

⁵_______ I leave you? (yes, I should)
Or decieve you? (yes, I could)
⁶_______ I cheat or see it through?
No I don’t, and yes I do

Oh I don’t know what I say
Guess I do hurt more each day
Still I know that feeling blue is better than living without you

⁷_______ I like it? (no, I don’t)
⁸_______ I walk out? (no, I won’t)
Do I leave or still love you?
No I don’t and yes I do

No I don’t, yes I do, no I don’t, yes I do

¹⁵ Why does she treat me bad this way?
¹⁶ How does she hurt me more each day?
Still I know that feeling blue is better than living without you

⁹_______ I like it? (no, I don’t)
¹⁰_______ I walk out? (no, I won’t)
Do I leave or still love you?
No I don’t, and yes I do

¹¹_______ I cry much? (yes, I do)
Long for your touch? (yes, I do)
¹²_______ I leave or still love you?
No I don’t, and yes I do¹³_______ I leave you? (yes, I should)
Or decieve you? (yes, I could)
¹⁴_______ I cheat or see it through?
No I don’t and yes I do

Shakin' Stevens

Michael Barratt, known professionally as Shakin’ Stevens, is a Welsh singer and songwriter. He was the UK’s biggest-selling singles artist of the 1980s.