Auxiliary and Main Verbs

8/8/2019 Auxiliary and Main Verbs

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MAIN VERBS & HELPING (AUXILIARY) VERBS

Besides regular and irregular, verbs are listed as either Main Verbs or Helping (Auxiliary)

Verbs. To help you understand how a helping (auxiliary) verb works, picture the following.

A person you never saw before walked up to you and said I can , your first response

would be This person is a nut. If you are brave enough, you might ask You can what?

I can as a statement on its own does not make sense. You need another word to

complete the sentence. I can walk, I can run, I can help all make sense, it gives complete

information. In these cases walk, run and help are the Main Verbs and can is the Helping

or Auxiliary Verb . The helping verb helps the main verb make sense.

Another example of a helping verb is the verb Be. The sentence I am walking tells

you three important things. First, it tells you who is doing the action (I). Second, it tells you

what the action is (walking) and finally, it helps you to understand when the action takes place

or the Tense of the verb (am and the ing ending of the verb implies the action is happening

now). Helping verbs often tell us when the action takes place.

There are a total of 23 helping verbs. They are;

am are be been

being

can could did

do does had has

have is may might

must shall should was

were will would


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1. Twelve of these verbs, when used as helping verbs, combine with the base or dictionary form

only. They are

cancould did

do does may

might must shall

should will would

Examples

I will work. He can go. We should stop. You may go. They do go.

2. Seven verbs, when used as auxiliary verbs, combine with present participles (base form + ing)

OR past participles.

am are

be been

is was were


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Examples; I am singing. He is singing. He is done. You are singing. You are done. She was

singing. She was done. We were singing. We were done. They will be singing. They will be

done. It has been raining. It has been done.

3. Four verbs, when used as auxiliary verbs, combine with past participles only.

Being HadHas Have

Examples; I have gone. He has gone. I had gone. I was being robbed. I have chased. He has

chased. I had chased. I was being chased.

4. Nine are helping (auxiliary) verbs ONLY.

can could may might must shall

should will would

Exampes; I will sing. I shall sing. I can sing. I would sing. I should sing. I could sing. I may

sing. I might sing. I must sing.

5. F ourteen can be used as helping (auxiliary) verbs OR principal verbs .

am are be been

being did

do doeshad has

have is was were

Examples;


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Helping or Auxiliary Principal

I do like chocolate. I do my homework.

He does like chocolate.

He does a good job.He did sing He did what I asked.

He is going He is fatHe had eaten He had breakfast

Top Tip;

Short Answers;

When talking in everyday language, native speakers often use expressions such as: I

do. I will. He does. We might. You should. They might. I must. It could. It seems like

the auxiliary verb is being used as a principal verb, but this is not the case. The principal

verb is not said. The examples above occur only in response to questions. Do you like the

beach? Yes, I do (like the beach). No, I dont (like the beach). Will she come here? Yes,

she will (come here). No, she will not (come here). Does he study English? Yes, he does

(study English). No, he doesnt (study English).

Documents

Auxiliary and Main Verbs