Auxiliary Verbs
An auxiliary verb is one
which helps other verbs
to make tenses,
passive
forms etc. There are two groups - primary auxiliaries and modal auxiliaries.
Primary auxiliaries
Be, do, have and their various forms
are called primary auxiliaries.
Be is used with other verbs to
make progressive and passive verbs forms.
- I am writing.
- He was punished for lying.
Do is used to make questions,
negatives
and emphatic forms of non-auxiliary verbs.
- Do you know where John lives?
- I don’t know.
- Do sit down.
Have is used to make perfect verbs
forms.
- I have completed my work.
- She has acted in a film.
- They had forgotten to send the letter.
Primary auxiliaries merely help to express
statements of fact.
- She is writing.
- I am working.
- You have done wrong.
- He did not come in time.
- They have arrived.
Note that be, do and have can also
function as principal verbs. They are called auxiliaries only when they help
other verbs to form their tenses and moods.
- You were wrong. (Principal verb)
- You have done wrong. (Auxiliary verb)
- She is a good singer. (Principal verb)
- She is singing. (Auxiliary verb)
Modal auxiliaries
The verbs will, would, shall, should, can,
could, may, might, must, ought, dare and need are usually called
modal auxiliaries. They are used with other verbs to express actions, events or
situations that exist only as conceptions of the mind - permissions,
possibilities, certainty, ability, wishes, obligations etc. They may also
express simple futurity.
- I can swim.
- She will come.
- I must go now.
- Should I call them?
- She might come.
Modal auxiliaries have
three common characteristics.
1. They are never used alone. A
principal verb is either present or implied.
- I can fly an aeroplane.
- He should behave.
- Will you go? Yes, I will (go).
2. Modal auxiliaries have no –s
in the third person singular.
- I can swim.
- She can swim. (NOT She cans …)
- I may pass.
- He may pass.
- They may pass.
3. Modal auxiliaries do not have
infinitives (to may, to shall etc.) or participles (maying, shalling, shalled
etc.). You cannot say to shall, to must or to may.
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