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A: What are you doing on Friday?
B: I’m meeting up with my friends from work.
A: Why do you always call them that? You never get any support or help. They don’t give you anything you need.
B: That’s not true. I can talk with them. Sometimes talking is what I really need.
A: Sure, you’ve done it quite a few times. We know this approach doesn’t do any good to you.

The construction "doesn't do you any good" is quite popular. I'm wondering if "doesn't do any good to you" also works in the last sentence. I've found a few examples on the Internet, but I'm not sure.

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    Not do [someone] any good is idiomatic English, not do any good to [someone] isn't. Commented May 17 at 15:51
  • You keep writing these dialogues and then you ask us to correct them. Commented May 17 at 17:56
  • Hello, @Lambie. Thank you for your summary. It's outstanding :) Commented May 17 at 17:58

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I'm wondering if "doesn't do any good to you" also works in the last sentence.

The answer is: no, it sounds wrong.

  • To make your phrasing a bit closer to correct English, use the preposition "for". "This doesn't do any good for you."

  • Preferably, switch the verb to "be". "This won't do any good for you." "This isn't any good for you."

  • Better still, choose the idiomatic "doesn't do you any good".

Otherwise, you are inventing incorrect sentences (in English).

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  • Thank you, @Sam. I assume these folks also invent incorrect sentences (in English): Jane E. Brody, NY Times: "On the 3rd of February, I was 100 years old, and I tell people,'That's too long to live. You're so useless, and it seems like you're not doing any good to anybody.'" John Sudworth, BBC: "It is not doing any good to the people. If the gangsters who run this country get stronger, then the people will suffer more." Commented May 18 at 22:12
  • @Tony_M the word "to" has many meanings. wiktionary lists around 25. One of those various meanings is if you are carrying out an action towards someone else. You give a gift to someone else. Your examples here follow such a pattern where the object of "to" is another person. Not yourself. Earlier, you asked about "to you". That's a difference. Next... these examples may be either 1. antiquated (100 years old) or 2. for me, another dialect (BBC). Commented May 18 at 22:47

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