Auxiliary Verbs | Basic Grammar for IELTS PDF Download

Auxiliary Verbs: Definition, Examples & List

Auxiliary verbs are essential to enhance the quality of our sentences. They serve as the initial building blocks in constructing a complete sentence. When combined with the main verb, auxiliary verbs help to complete sentences, enabling us to express emotions, make statements, ask questions, or issue commands.

Auxiliary Verbs

Table of Content

• What is an Auxiliary Verb?
• Auxiliary Verb Definition
• Auxiliary Verbs Examples
• Types of Auxiliary Verbs
• List of Primary Auxiliary Verb
• Primary Auxiliary Verb Examples in a Sentence
• List of Modal Verbs
• Modal Verb Examples in a Sentence
• How to Use Auxiliary Verbs with Examples?
• List of Auxiliary Verbs of All Tenses
• Check Your Understanding of Auxiliary Verbs

A verb that incorporates a helping verb alongside a main verb within a sentence is classified as an Auxiliary verb. It is utilized to convey moods, voice, and tense. For instance, in the sentence "I have finished my homework," the word "have" functions as an auxiliary verb, specifically aiding in forming the present perfect tense.

Auxiliary Verbs: An Overview

An auxiliary verb, also known as a helping verb, is a verb that works alongside the main verb in a sentence to express various grammatical aspects like moods, voice, and tense.

Functions of Auxiliary Verbs

• They connect the subject or object with another subject, noun, or verb.
• Helping verbs describe actions done by someone else.
• They add functional or grammatical meaning to other verbs in a sentence.
• Helping verbs are crucial for expressing tense, aspect, and modality.

Examples of Auxiliary Verbs

• Might
• Has
• Will
• Could
• Should
• Shall
• Must
• Do
• Would
• Are
• May
• Had
• Ought to
• Am
• Was
• Were
• Can
• Need
• Is
• Did

Helping Verbs: An Overview

• Might
• Has
• Will
• Could
• Should
• Shall
• Must
• Do
• Would
• Are
• May
• Had
• Ought to
• Am
• Was
• Were
• Can
• Need
• Is
• Did

Auxiliary Verbs: Understanding Their Role

• Auxiliary verbs and modal-auxiliary verbs fall under the category of helping verbs.

• Primary Auxiliary Verbs

  • Primary auxiliary verbs, also known as auxiliary verbs, assist the main verb in a sentence.
  • Examples of auxiliary verbs are "be," "do," "have," "will," "shall," "may," "can," "must," "ought," "should," "could," and "would."
  • These verbs help indicate tense, aspect, mood, and voice, and are crucial for forming questions, negatives, and passive structures.
  • Primary auxiliary verbs include "to be" and "to have," which are used to convey tense, voice, and mood.
  • The verb "to be" plays a significant role in forming the simple present, simple past, and present perfect tenses.

List of Primary Auxiliary Verbs

Auxiliary verbs, also known as "helping verbs," are used in combination with a main verb to add meaning to the sentence. Here are some examples of auxiliary verbs:

• "I am walking to the store." In this sentence, "am" is the auxiliary verb.
• "She has finished her homework." In this sentence, "has" is the auxiliary verb.
• "We will be going on vacation next month." In this sentence, "will be" is the auxiliary verb.
• "He could have studied harder for the test." In this sentence, "could have" is the auxiliary verb.
• "They are going to the party tonight." In this sentence, "are going to" is the auxiliary verb.
• "I should have been more careful." In this sentence, "should have been" is the auxiliary verb.
• "The children were playing in the park." In this sentence, "were" is the auxiliary verb.
• "She must finish her project by tomorrow." In this sentence, "must" is the auxiliary verb.
• "I might have seen him at the concert." In this sentence, "might have" is the auxiliary verb.
• "He is still sleeping." In this sentence, "is" is the auxiliary verb.

Additional Examples:

• "She had been studying all night."
• "He could not finish the task."
• "I must go now."
• "She should have done it."
• "We may go to the movies."

Modal Verbs

• She had been studying all night.
• He could not finish the task.
• I must go now.
• She should have done it.
• We may go to the movies.

Modal Verbs Overview

Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs that convey various meanings such as probability, necessity, obligation, permission, and ability. They are crucial in English grammar and serve different purposes.

• Can: Indicates possibility, permission, or ability. Example: "I can speak Spanish" - showcasing the speaker's ability.
• Could: Polite way to express past potential or ability. Example: "I could speak Spanish as a child" - indicating past ability.
• May: Used for possibility or permission. Example: "May I have a cookie?" - a polite request for permission.
• Might: Expresses possibility or a polite request. Example: "You might want to try this new restaurant" - suggesting likelihood.
• Must: Indicates necessity or strong obligation. Example: "You must obey the law" - emphasizing vital duty.
• Ought to: Expresses obligation or advice. Example: "You ought to study more" - advising further study.

Modal Verbs

• Can is used to talk about someone's ability, permission, or possibility. For instance, "I can speak Spanish" indicates the speaker's capability to speak Spanish.
• Could is a polite way to refer to past ability or potential. For example, "I could speak Spanish as a child" implies the speaker's ability in the past.
• May is employed to express possibility or ask for permission. When someone says, "May I have a cookie?" they are politely seeking permission to have a cookie.
• Might is utilized to imply possibility or make a polite suggestion. For instance, "You might want to try this new restaurant" suggests the likelihood of the listener wanting to try the new place.
• Must is used to convey necessity or strong obligation. For example, "You must obey the law" stresses the vital duty of obeying the law.
• Ought to is used to indicate obligation or give advice. For instance, "You ought to study more" advises the individual to dedicate more time to studying.

Examples:

• Anna can play the piano beautifully.
• When he was younger, Tom could run very fast.
• May I borrow your pen for a moment?
• You might enjoy reading this book.
• We must finish the project by Friday.
• You ought to call your parents more often.

Auxiliary Verbs: Enhancing Your Communication

• It's important to correctly utilize auxiliary verbs for effective communication.
• Modal auxiliary verbs require the base form of another verb to follow them.
• Primary auxiliary verbs are essential for forming specific verb tenses.
• Semi-auxiliary verbs help in expressing a variety of ideas.
• Understanding and using auxiliary verbs correctly leads to precise communication.

Modifying Sentence Tense with Auxiliary Verbs

• Auxiliary verbs like "to be," "have," and "will" can alter the tense of actions within a sentence.
• Different verb tenses are denoted by variations of "to be," all forms of "have," and all forms of "will."

Key Points to Remember:

• The gerund form (verb + ing) of the main verb should be used with "to be" for ongoing actions.
• Utilize different forms of "have" and past participles of key verbs when using these verbs.
• When "have" and "been" are used together, employ the gerund form of the main verb for perfect continuous tense.
• For future continuous tense, combine the root verb with "will" and a gerund (verb + ing) or "will be."
• Use the past participle with "have" and "will" for the future perfect tense.

Future Tense

• Using "will" + gerund for future continuous tense
• Using "have" + past participle + "will" for future perfect tense

Examples:

English Tenses

• Present Perfect (Third person pronoun – ‘He’, ‘She’ and ‘It’)

  Tharun has finally found the keys to his car.

  Example: Tharun has found his car keys after searching for hours.

• Past Perfect

  Neena and Vijay had brought their pet along when they came for dinner.

  Example: By the time we realized, Neena and Vijay had already brought their pet.

• Present Perfect Continuous

  I have been waiting for my interview results since last week.

  Example: I have been eagerly awaiting the results of my interview for days.

• Present Perfect Continuous (Third person pronoun – ‘He’, ‘She’ and ‘It’)

  Firoz has been working as a doctor in Uttar Pradesh for a year now.

  Example: Firoz has been dedicating his time to serving as a doctor in Uttar Pradesh.

• Past Perfect Continuous

  Heera and Diana had been waiting to visit the Museum of Fine Arts since they arrived in Bangalore.

  Example: Heera and Diana had been eagerly anticipating visiting the Museum of Fine Arts.

• Will (Simple Future)

  I assure you that I will finish all my assignments by Friday.

  Example: I promise to complete all my tasks before the end of this week.

Auxiliary Verbs used to Change the Voice of the Verb

All forms of 'to be', 'have' and 'will' can serve as auxiliary verbs to change the voice of the verb in a sentence. Let's explore various examples to understand how these auxiliary verbs function.

Future Continuous Tense

She will be attending the Parent-Teacher meeting next week.

Future Perfect Tense

They will have reached London by this time tomorrow.

• Auxiliary Verbs and Their Usage

  • Introduction to Auxiliary Verbs

    Auxiliary verbs, also known as helping verbs, are used alongside main verbs to express nuances of meaning, tense, or mood in a sentence.

    For example, in the sentence "He has been checked by the doctor," the auxiliary verb "has been" helps to indicate the present perfect tense.

  • Common Examples of Auxiliary Verbs

    English primarily utilizes three main auxiliary verbs: be, have, and do. These verbs play crucial roles in constructing grammatically correct sentences.

    For instance, in the sentence "The workers had been sent to protest against low wages by the company," the auxiliary verb "had been" signifies the past perfect tense.

  • Expressing Future Actions with Auxiliary Verbs

    Auxiliary verbs are also used to convey future actions or events in English sentences.

    Consider the sentence "The solution to the problem will have been delivered by the authorities, this time tomorrow." Here, "will have been" indicates the future perfect tense.

Understanding Auxiliary Verbs in English Grammar

Auxiliary verbs play a crucial role in shaping the tenses in English grammar. They help convey the time of an action or a state of being. Let's delve into the various forms of auxiliary verbs across different tenses:

Present Tense

• be (am, is, are): I am reading.
• do (does, do): He does his lunch.
• have (has, have): They have lunch.

Past Tense

• be (was, were): She was running.
• do (did): We did our best.
• have (had): He had a great time.

Future Tense

• will: I will call you later.
• shall: We shall meet tomorrow.
• be going to: They are going to travel.

These auxiliary verbs are instrumental in constructing sentences across different tenses. It's important to note that the forms of these verbs can vary based on the subject and the tense of the sentence.

Let's practice to reinforce our understanding:

By mastering the usage of auxiliary verbs, we can effectively communicate actions and states in English with clarity and precision.

• Auxiliary Verbs in English- FAQs

• What are Auxiliary Verbs?

  An auxiliary verb is used in forming the tenses, moods, and voices of other verbs.

• What is the definition of Auxiliary Verbs?

  When used in a sentence, auxiliary verbs play a supporting role behind the primary verb. They assist in creating complex grammatical tenses, such as perfect and continuous tenses, which exhibit different aspects of time or duration of an action.

• Give some examples of Auxiliary Verbs.

  Examples of auxiliary verbs comprise am, is, were, will have, has had, may, might, can, could, shall, should, must, ought to, would, and more.

• Why are Auxiliary Verbs important?

  Auxiliary verbs are crucial as they establish the necessary grammatical structure for a sentence to be coherent. Furthermore, they can express various tenses like past, present, and future, along with conveying nuances such as modality, aspect, and voice.

• Parts of Speech English SSC/Banking
• • Parts of Speech
  • English
  • SSC/Banking