Auxiliary verbs play a vital role in the English language. But do you know what is an auxiliary verb? These are helping verbs that are used along with the main verb to express tense, mood, or voice in a sentence. These verbs play a supportive role in the main verb. Further, read the blog to know everything about the auxiliary verbs, and their types along with a few examples. In addition to that, a worksheet for practice is also given towards the end. Let us first begin by understanding what is an auxiliary verb.
Table of Contents
An auxiliary verb, commonly known as a helping verb is used to make a sentence more meaningful. They can be used to perform different functions in a sentence or a context. These verbs are used to create complex grammatical tenses such as perfect and continuous tenses. Moreover, auxiliary verbs act as supporting verbs that second the main verbs in sentences. In English grammar, there are three main auxiliary verbs - they are be, have, and do.
Here are a few definitions of auxiliary verbs by different dictionaries:
The list below shows a list of auxiliary verbs in English Grammar that can be used along with the main verbs.
1) Am
2) Is
3) Are
4) Was
5) Were
6) Have
7) Has
8) Had
9) Will
10) Would
11) Might
12) Can
13) Could
14) Shall
15) Do
Also Read: Proverbs
In English grammar, there are two types of auxiliary verbs - main auxiliary verbs (primary auxiliaries) and modal auxiliary verbs.
The main auxiliary verbs commonly known as the primary auxiliary verbs are the helping verbs alongside the main verb. These verbs help form different tenses, voices, and aspects. For a better understanding, look at the main auxiliary verb examples in the table below.
| Main Auxiliary Verbs | Usage | Main Auxiliary Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Be (am, is, are, was, were, being, been) | To form continuous (progressive) tenses and the passive voice. It also acts as a linking verb. | She is sleeping on the park bench. |
| Have (have, has, had, having) | Shows perfect tenses, which indicate actions that have been completed. | I have finished my homework. |
| Do (do, does, did) | It is used to form questions, negations, emphatic expressions, and emphasis in the simple present and simple past tenses. | He does not like ice-cream. |
Modal auxiliary verbs in English grammar are helping verbs used with the base form of a main verb. These are used to express possibility, necessity, ability, permission, or hypothetical situations. Modal verbs do not change form to match the subject. Moreover, these are followed directly by the base verb indicating the speaker's mood, intention, or degree of certainty. For a better understanding, look at the modal auxiliary examples and their usage in the table below.
| Modal Auxiliary Verbs | Usage | Modal Auxiliary Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Can | Expresses ability, possibility or permission. | She can dance well. |
| Could | Shows past ability, polite request, possibility | Could I use the restroom, please? |
| May | Conveys permission or possibility. | You may leave early today. |
| Might | Exhibits possibility or suggestion, often less certain than ‘may’. | I might come for the party tonight. |
| Must | Expresses necessity, strong recommendation | You must wear a seat belt while driving. |
| Shall | Shows future actions, formal suggestions, or offers. | I shall bring colors for the celebration. |
| Should | Exhibits advice, recommendation, or obligation. | You should study for the test. |
| Will | Expresses future intention, promise or willingness. | I will be back by 10 PM. |
| Would | Conveys a hypothetical situation, polite requests, or past habitual actions. | She would like a waffle. |
| Need | Expresses necessity, often used in negative or question forms. | Did I need to bring anything for the event? |
Auxiliary verbs usually come before or in between two main verbs, though another word like adverbs in a sentence. Look at the auxiliary verb examples sentences in tense, voice, and mood.
The tense of a verb tells us when the action took place. Besides, there are a few particularly auxiliary verbs that can be used to change the tense of the action being performed by the subject (noun or pronoun) in a context.
|
Root Verb
|
Auxiliary Verb
|
Tense Form
|
Examples
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Be |
Am |
Present Continuous (Singular) |
I am eating my lunch.
|
|
|
Is |
Present Continuous (Singular) |
She is watching TV. |
|
|
Are
|
Present Continuous (Plural) |
We are going for a party. |
|
|
Was |
Past Continuous (Singular) |
She was angry with me. |
|
|
Were |
Past Continuous (Plural) |
They were my classmates. |
|
Have |
Have |
Present Perfect |
They have come to my home for the 1st time. |
|
|
Has |
Present Perfect |
Tarun has found his car keys. |
|
|
Had |
Past Perfect
|
Vijay had taken a sick leave yesterday. |
|
Will |
Will |
Simple Future
|
I will finish all my assignments by Friday. |
|
|
Will be |
Future Continuous
|
She will be taking a meeting next week.
|
|
|
Will have
|
Future Perfect
|
They will have reached India by this time tomorrow. |
The voice of verbs tells us whether the subject is acting or being acted upon.
|
Root Verb
|
Auxiliary Verb
|
Examples
|
|---|---|---|
|
Be |
Is |
The game is played by him. |
|
|
Are
|
Birthday parties are most liked by kids. |
|
|
Was |
Any alterations in the dress was refused by her. |
|
|
Were |
They documents were being checked by the authorities. |
|
Have |
Have Been |
They have been invited to the Diwali party, |
|
|
Has Been |
Aditya has been finding his lost cycle. |
|
|
Had Been |
Her reports had been already taken care of. |
|
Will |
Will be |
The bus will be boarded by me. |
|
|
Will have
|
The mail will have been delivered to India tomorrow. |
The mood of a verb tells us how it is to be regarded. The verb forms of the auxiliary verb ‘do’ express the mood of a sentence. It is mostly used in imperative and interrogative sentences.
| Auxiliary Verb | Examples |
|---|---|
| Do | Do you enjoy swimming? |
| Did | Did she complete the work yesterday? |
| Does | Does she not have a pen? |
Do you know what is the best way to understand and remember auxiliary verbs? It is by practicing! Below is a worksheet with answers for your reference.
Exercise – Fill in the blanks with the appropriate auxiliary verb
Directions: Try the following practice exercise to find out how far you have understood the usage of auxiliary verbs in sentences.
Ready to find out if you got it all right? Check your answers.
Answers
1. Aarti is/was eating oranges.
2. Did you finish the work I had given you yesterday?
3. Could you please pass the book?
4. You should follow the traffic rules.
5. Your phone must be damaged after the accident.
6. I am sorry, I cannot make it to your wedding.
7. Pradeep had submitted all the documents for verification last week.
8. My mother’s jewellery was/had been stolen from the house.
9. Garv was asked to host the ceremony by his uncle.
10. Tanya and Sanya will be attending the event
Wrapping up, the blog covered everything about auxiliary verbs. Learning about these verbs is considered fundamental and essential in the English language. Thus, every student or individual should learn these as they not only help you build conversations with ease but also write well. Moreover, several exams and tests require you to learn these verbs as a part of the syllabus. For this, you may seek professional help from Gradding.com as our experts provide excellent coaching in this domain. Besides, there are auxiliary verb examples sentences provided in the write-up for your reference.
1. What Is an Auxiliary Verb?
An auxiliary verb is a helping verb that is used mostly before the main verb. These verbs make the sentence even more meaningful. For example, she was watching a cricket match on TV.
2. What Is Modal Auxiliary Verb?
Modal auxiliary verbs are helping verbs used with the base form of a main verb. These are used to express possibility, necessity, ability, permission, or hypothetical situations. For example, he can dance well.
3. When Should You Use Auxiliary Verbs?
In English grammar auxiliary verbs play a vital role and have a variety of uses. They are most commonly used to form tenses, specifically the future, continuous, perfect, and perfect continuous tenses.
4. What Are Some Major Points to Remember While Using Auxiliary Verbs?
Here are some points to remember while using auxiliary verbs:
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