Auxiliary Verbs - English Grammar - English The Easy Way
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English Grammar

Auxiliary Verbs

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  4. Auxiliary Verbs

What are auxiliary verbs?

  • Auxiliary verbs are also called helping verbs. Auxiliary verbs are used to help/assist the main verb of the sentience.
    • Please, could you help me?
    • The girls are having a party on Tuesday afternoon.
  • Auxiliary verbs can not be used without a main verb.
    • We playing outside = not correct!!!!
    • We are playing outside. = correct
  • Auxiliary verbs can not be used with modal verbs.
    • You have do a car. = Not Correct
    • You have a car. = Correct
  • Auxiliary verbs are used to make sentences negative.
    • We do not have a car.
    • The girls do not have any money.
  • Auxiliary verbs are used to ask questions.
    • Do you have any money?
    • Does Jenni live in your building?

The 6 most common auxiliary verbs are:

Do - Does - Did - Is - Are - Am

    Do is used with the present simple tense.

      Do-Does are used as part of the sentence structure for negative statements/sentences with the present simple tense

      Do - Does are used as part of the sentence structure for questions, with the present simple tense.

    Did is used with the past simple tense.

      Did is used as part of the sentence structure for negative statements/sentences with the past simple tense

      Did is used as part of the sentence structure for questions, with the past simple tense.

Be - Am - Is - Are - Was - Were

Have - Has - Had

'DO', 'BE' and 'HAVE' are the English auxiliary verbs used in a negative structure, a question or to show tense.

Descriptions Of Auxiliary Verbs:

Do- Don't Does and Don't are used for questions and negatives in the Present Simple Tense, and 'DID' and 'DIDN'T' are used in the Past Simple Tense.

'BE' is used with the Present Participle in Continuous (Progressive) Verbs. It is also used with the Past Participle in the Passive.

'HAVE' is used with the Past Participle to form the Perfect Aspect.