We often feel confused in daily life and want to express it in English. The structure “I don’t know what to + verb” helps us do that easily. We use it when we are unsure about what action to take. For example, if you are hungry but cannot decide, you can say, “I don’t know what to eat.” This structure is very common in conversations at home, office, or with friends. It makes your English sound natural and fluent. You can use it in many situations like choosing clothes, making decisions, or solving problems.
◎ Important Points
- Use this structure to express confusion or uncertainty
- Always use the base form of the verb (no “ing” or “to be”)
- “What to” is followed directly by a verb
- It is commonly used in spoken English
- Can be used with different subjects (I, we, they)
- Useful in daily decision-making situations
➤Key Concept
✅ Sentence Structure: Subject + don’t know + what to + base verb
Example: I don’t know what to say.
This structure shows confusion about an action. It is simple and very useful in daily conversations.
Tip: Use this structure when you feel unsure—it makes your English sound natural and confident.
➤ Common Mistakes To Avoid
| Common Mistake | Wrong Example | Correct Example |
|---|---|---|
| Using “to be” incorrectly | I don’t know what to be do | I don’t know what to do |
| Adding “ing” form | I don’t know what to doing | I don’t know what to do |
| Missing “to” | I don’t know what do | I don’t know what to do |
| Using past form | I don’t know what to did | I don’t know what to do |
| Wrong word order | I don’t what to know do | I don’t know what to do |
➤ Examples
- I don’t know what to eat for dinner.
- She doesn’t know what to wear to the party.
- We don’t know what to do now.
- He doesn’t know what to say to his boss.
- I don’t know what to buy for her birthday.
- They don’t know what to choose from the menu.
- I don’t know what to watch on TV.
- She doesn’t know what to tell her parents.
- I don’t know what to write in the email.
- We don’t know what to plan for the trip.
➤ Practice Examples
A. Fill in the blanks
- I don’t know what to ______ (eat / eating)
- She doesn’t know what to ______ (say / saying)
- We don’t know what to ______ (do / doing)
- He doesn’t know what to ______ (buy / buying)
- They don’t know what to ______ (choose / choosing)
B. Change incorrect sentence to correct one
- I don’t know what doing
- She don’t know what to say
- I don’t know what to did
- We don’t know what do
- He doesn’t know what to going
C. Speak this sentence aloud
- I don’t know what to do now.
- I don’t know what to say to her.
- I don’t know what to eat today.
- I don’t know what to choose.
- I don’t know what to write.
