Auxiliary Verbs (Helping Verbs) in English: Types and Examples

Auxiliary verbs, also called helping verbs, work with main verbs to express grammatical information in a sentence. They help us form verb tenses and aspects, questions, negative sentences, and the passive voice. In She is reading a book, for example, is is an auxiliary verb that works with the main verb reading.

The primary auxiliary verbs in English are be, have, and do, which appear in different forms such as is, are, was, has, had, does, and did. English also has modal auxiliary verbs, including can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, and would. These verbs help express meanings such as ability, possibility, permission, necessity, and prediction.

In this guide, you will learn what auxiliary verbs are, the different types of auxiliary verbs, and how they work with main verbs. You will also see examples of primary and modal auxiliaries, learn how to identify helping verbs in sentences, and understand common mistakes to avoid.

What Are Auxiliary Verbs?

Auxiliary verbs are verbs that work with a main verb to help express grammatical meaning. They are also commonly called helping verbs because they help the main verb form different verb structures.

An auxiliary verb can help show tense, aspect, voice, mood, questions, negatives, or emphasis. It usually appears before the main verb in a verb phrase.

For example:

• She is reading a book.
• They have finished their homework.
• Do you like coffee?
• He does not understand the question.
• The window was broken yesterday.

In these sentences, is, have, do, does, and was function as auxiliary verbs. The verbs reading, finished, like, understand, and broken are associated with the main lexical meaning.

Auxiliary Verb Examples

Here are some common auxiliary verbs in English:

The three primary auxiliary verbs are be, have, and do. Each has several forms:

• Be: am, is, are, was, were, be, been, being
• Have: have, has, had
• Do: do, does, did

An important point is that be, have, and do are not always auxiliary verbs. They can also function as main verbs.

For example:

• She has finished her work. → has is an auxiliary verb.
• She has a new laptop. → has is the main verb.
• They are studying English. → are is an auxiliary verb.
• They are happy. → are functions as a linking/main verb.

The function of the verb in the sentence therefore determines whether it is being used as an auxiliary verb or a main verb.

Auxiliary Verbs vs Main Verbs

Types of Auxiliary Verbs

Auxiliary verbs in English can be divided into two main types: primary auxiliary verbs and modal auxiliary verbs. Both work with main verbs, but they perform different grammatical functions.

1. Primary Auxiliary Verbs

The three primary auxiliary verbs are be, have, and do. These verbs change form depending on tense, person, and number.

Primary auxiliaries are used for several purposes:

• Be helps form continuous verb forms and the passive voice.
• Have helps form perfect verb forms.
• Do helps form questions, negatives, and emphatic statements when another auxiliary is not already present.

For example:

• She is working from home.
• We have completed the assignment.
• Did you call him?
• I do understand your concern.

2. Modal Auxiliary Verbs

Modal auxiliary verbs work with the base form of a main verb to express meanings such as ability, possibility, permission, necessity, obligation, advice, and prediction.

Common modal auxiliary verbs include:

can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, and must

Examples:

• She can speak Spanish.
• You should study more.
• It might rain tonight.
• We will arrive tomorrow.
• You must follow the instructions.

Unlike primary auxiliaries, modal verbs generally do not change their form according to the subject.

For example:

• I can swim.
• She can swim.
• They can swim.

Not she cans swim.

The Three Primary Auxiliary Verbs

The three primary auxiliary verbs in English are be, have, and do. Each auxiliary has several forms and performs specific grammatical functions when it works with a main verb.

1. Be as an Auxiliary Verb

The verb be has several forms:

am, is, are, was, were, be, been, being

As an auxiliary verb, be is mainly used to form continuous verb forms and the passive voice.

Be in continuous forms:

• I am learning English.
• She is preparing dinner.
• They were playing outside.
• We have been waiting for an hour.

Here, forms of be work with the -ing form of the main verb to describe actions in progress.

Be in the passive voice:

• The room is cleaned every day.
• The letter was written yesterday.
• The project will be completed next week.

In passive constructions, a form of be works with the past participle of the main verb.

2. Have as an Auxiliary Verb

The verb have has three common forms:

have, has, had

As an auxiliary verb, have is used to form perfect verb forms.

Examples:

• I have finished my homework.
• She has visited London before.
• They had left before we arrived.
• We have been studying all morning.

The auxiliary have is followed by the past participle of a verb. In has finished, for example, has is the auxiliary and finished is the main verb.

3. Do as an Auxiliary Verb

The verb do has three forms commonly used as auxiliaries:

do, does, did

Do is used to form questions and negative statements in the simple present and simple past when there is no other auxiliary verb.

In questions:

• Do you like coffee?
• Does she work here?
• Did they finish the project?

In negative sentences:

• I do not understand.
• He does not eat meat.
• They did not attend the meeting.

Do can also add emphasis to an affirmative statement:

• I do understand your point.
• She does want to help.
• He did finish the assignment.

When do, does, or did is used as an auxiliary, the main verb remains in its base form. Therefore, we say Does she work?, not Does she works?

One important point to remember is that be, have, and do can also function as main verbs. Whether they are auxiliary or main verbs depends on the role they perform in a particular sentence.

Conclusion

Auxiliary verbs, also known as helping verbs, work with main verbs to form important grammatical structures in English. The three primary auxiliaries are be, have, and do, while modal auxiliaries include verbs such as can, could, may, might, should, will, would, and must.

Primary auxiliary verbs help form continuous and perfect constructions, questions, negative sentences, the passive voice, and emphasis. Modal auxiliaries work with main verbs to express meanings such as ability, possibility, permission, advice, necessity, and obligation.

Understanding the difference between auxiliary verbs and main verbs makes it easier to recognize verb phrases and build grammatically correct sentences. When identifying an auxiliary verb, look at its function in the sentence and determine how it works with the main verb.

Auxiliary Verbs FAQs

1. What is an auxiliary verb?

An auxiliary verb is a verb that works with a main verb to add grammatical information. Auxiliary verbs help form continuous and perfect constructions, questions, negatives, the passive voice, and expressions of modality.

2. What is another name for an auxiliary verb?

An auxiliary verb is commonly called a helping verb because it helps the main verb form different grammatical structures.

3. What are the three primary auxiliary verbs?

The three primary auxiliary verbs are be, have, and do. Their forms include am, is, are, was, were, been, have, has, had, do, does, and did.

4. What are modal auxiliary verbs?

Modal auxiliary verbs include can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, and must. They express meanings such as ability, possibility, permission, advice, necessity, and obligation.

5. What is the difference between an auxiliary verb and a main verb?

A main verb carries the central lexical meaning of the verb phrase, while an auxiliary verb helps express grammatical information.

For example:

She has finished her homework.

Here, has is the auxiliary verb and finished is the main verb.

6. Can a sentence have more than one auxiliary verb?

Yes. A verb phrase can contain multiple auxiliary verbs.

For example:

The work may have been completed already.

Here, may, have, and been are auxiliaries, while completed is the main verb.

7. Can be, have, and do also be main verbs?

Yes. Be, have, and do can function as either auxiliary verbs or main verbs depending on how they are used.

For example:

She has finished her work. → has is an auxiliary.

She has a new job. → has is the main verb.

8. How do you identify an auxiliary verb in a sentence?

Look for a verb that works with another verb to form a grammatical construction or add meanings such as tense, aspect, voice, or modality. In They are studying, are is the auxiliary and studying is the main verb.

9. Are modal verbs auxiliary verbs?

Yes. Modal verbs are a type of auxiliary verb. They are often called modal auxiliaries because they help the main verb express meanings such as possibility, ability, permission, advice, or necessity.

10. What are some examples of auxiliary verbs in sentences?

Examples include:

• She is reading.
• They have arrived.
• Do you understand?
• He can swim.
• We will leave tomorrow.

In these examples, is, have, do, can, and will function as auxiliary verbs.

I hope this article helped you learn what auxiliary verbs are, their types, and their role in forming questions, passive voice sentences, and different tenses. 

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• Verbs in English: Definition, Types, and Examples
• Main Verbs in English: Definition and Examples
• Types of Verbs in English: Complete Guide
• Modal Verbs in English: Rules and Examples
• Verb Conjugation in English: Rules and Examples
• Regular Verbs: Definition, Rules, and Examples
• Irregular Verbs: Complete List and Examples