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I am currently confused between the use of these two:

Does it worth all the trouble?

or

Is it worth all the trouble?

Can some one suggest which one is correct?

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    If we ask "Does it {x}?", what part of speech is "{x}"? Is it an adjective or a verb?
    – TimR
    Commented Apr 2, 2017 at 11:41
  • verb, i suppose.
    – user2991413
    Commented Apr 2, 2017 at 11:49
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    Is there a verb, worth, in contemporary English?
    – TimR
    Commented Apr 2, 2017 at 11:55
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    While option 2 is correct, it is possible to begin the question with Does by inserting a phrase, such as: Does it SEEM TO BE worth all the trouble? or Does it MAKE THE JOB worth all the trouble?
    – Ronald Sole
    Commented Apr 2, 2017 at 13:08
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    Remembering this little phrase might be helpful: It's worth it (NOT *It worths it.)
    – Damkerng T.
    Commented Apr 2, 2017 at 14:43

2 Answers 2

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Worth may be a noun or an adjective, but not a verb. In your context it is a predicate adjective, almost invariably employed with BE:

This house is worth one million dollars.
It is worth the trouble.

Consequently, you cannot use DO here--there's no verb to act as its complement.

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  • Good explanation. Worth noting that many other European languages have verbs meaning "to be worth": valer (es, pt), valoir (fr). I can't think of non-Romance examples right now. I don't know as much about non-European ones, but it wouldn't surprise me if there are many examples there too.
    – CynicallyNaive
    Commented Apr 2, 2017 at 18:00
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    @CynicallyNaive: "Does it merit all the trouble?"
    – Stew C
    Commented Apr 2, 2017 at 19:45
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The common idiomatic phrase is "Is it worth X?" or even the seemingly tautological "Is it worth it?" In this case you have to figure out the meaning of the pronouns from context. For example:

Buying a home can be a difficult, frustrating, and ultimately expensive process -- plus, afterwards, there are all the headaches the comes with home ownership. Is it worth all that trouble?

Joining the military is a serious commitment that should not be taken lightly. Before you let yourself be pressured into enlisting, you should ask yourself, "Is it worth it?"

As others have pointed out, "worth" is not a verb and so you can't ask "Does it worth it?" However can you use the standard "to be" verb to say things like:

Does it seem like it would be worth the trouble?

Does it look like a good investment that is worth the cost?

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  • The tautological version would be "Is it worth itself?" It's perfectly normal to have pronouns refer to different things in the same sentence: "John went to the shopkeeper. He gave him five dollars."
    – David Richerby
    Commented Apr 3, 2017 at 8:45
  • @DavidRicherby which is why I said "seemingly tautological". Yes, I know it's not an actual tautology.
    – Andrew
    Commented Apr 3, 2017 at 13:51

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