Auxiliary Verbs Explained: 4 Ways to Use Helping Verbs

An auxiliary verb, also known as a helping verb, is a verb that adds context and functionality to clauses and sentences. You can use auxiliary verbs to express tense, modality, voice, or aspect, and to form interrogatives. Helping verbs are an important element of speech and writing, and in English grammar, they often work in concert with the main verb to form a complete verb phrase.

Broadly speaking, auxiliary verbs can be broken down into two main categories: primary auxiliary verbs and modal auxiliary verbs.

1. 1. Primary auxiliary verbs: Primary auxiliary verbs include “be,” “do,” and “have,” and they can be conjugated to form different tenses, voices, and moods. These verbs can also function as action verbs.
2. 2. Modal auxiliary verbs: Modal auxiliary verbs include “can,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “shall,” “might,” “may,” “must,” “will,” “need,” “dare,” and the phrases “ought to” and “used to.” You cannot conjugate modal auxiliary verbs. Verbs in base form, or the bare infinitive, follow modal auxiliary verbs.

One of the most common functions of auxiliary verbs is to express tense. Verb tenses are the time when the action is happening in relation to its being expressed in a sentence. There are several tenses possible to communicate because of auxiliary verbs. Examples of helping verbs expressing tense in sentences include:

• “She will try to hit the bullseye.” Here, the helping verb “will” establishes the future tense of the verb “try.”
• “I was listening to chamber music all morning.” In this sentence, “was,” a form of the verb “to be,” is the helping verb and creates the past continuous tense.
• “They are squirming in their seats with embarrassment.” In this example, “are,” another form of “to be,” is the auxiliary verb to “squirming,” forming the present continuous tense.
• “I have lectured on this topic for years.” In this example sentence, “have” is the helping verb to “lectured,” forming the present perfect tense.
• “I had already boarded the plane when I realized I was missing my wallet.” In this sentence, “had” is the auxiliary verb to “already boarded,” which uses the past participle of “board.” This creates the past perfect tense of the verb phrase.

You can also use auxiliary verbs to express mood and voice. Mood refers to how a verb is meant to be intended, such as a wish, a question, or a fact. Voice refers to how the action described by the verb is expressed, either passive or active. Consider the following sentences:

• “Did you forget to water the plants?” In this example, “did” is the auxiliary verb to “forget,” and its use establishes the interrogative mood of the sentence, which means that it asks a question.
• “I wish you were more punctual.” This sentence is in the subjunctive mood, meaning it expresses a wish or desire. “Were” is the helping verb.
• “I was ordered to take down the sign.” Here, “was ordered” is an example of a helping verb being used to create the passive voice.

When forming the negative form of a verb, it is common to use the adverb “not.” In English grammar, this usually requires the addition of a helping verb to be correct. Consider the following examples:

• “I will not stay inside on such a lovely day.” Here, the auxiliary verb “will” is necessary to complete the verb phrase.
• “Had he listened to reason, the problem would be solved by now.” This sentence is conditional, meaning it expresses something that could have happened. The helping verb “had” is the first word, modifying the verb “listened.” Note that it comes before the subject, “he,” which is known as subject-auxiliary inversion.
• “In no way did I mean to imply you were lying.” In this example, the negative phrase “in no way” forms a negative sentence with added emphasis. This negative phrase must be followed by the auxiliary verb “did” and then the subject, which is “I.”

Modal helping verbs express possibility, intention, necessity, and ability. They always precede the bare form of the verb and do not undergo conjugation. Take a look at some examples of modal verbs in the following sentences:

1. 1. Necessity: In the sentence “We must fight to preserve what remains.”, “must” expresses the necessity of the action verb “fight.”
2. 2. Ability: “You could drive all night and be there by morning.” In this sentence, “could” is the modal helping verb that expresses ability.
3. 3. Intention: “She will read the letter out loud for the audience.” Here, “will” is the modal verb being used to express intention.
4. 4. Possibility: “I could hike that whole trail during spring break.” In this example, the modal verb “could” is expressing the possibility of an action.

Become a better writer with the MasterClass Annual Membership. Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by the world’s best, including Salman Rushdie, Neil Gaiman, Walter Mosley, Margaret Atwood, Joyce Carol Oates, Dan Brown, and more.