Grammar Toolkit Auxiliary verbs What are auxiliary verbs

Grammar Toolkit Auxiliary verbs What are auxiliary verbs?

Grammar Toolkit Auxiliary verbs A non-finite verb can become a finite verb with the help of an auxiliary or “helping” verb. Auxiliary verbs give the resulting verb its tense. Let’s start with the present participle looking. The auxiliary verb is makes the verb complete and gives it a tense (present tense. ) Mickey is looking The complete verb can now have a subject. By itself, it doesn’t have a tense and can’t have a subject. The complete finite verb becomes is looking.

Grammar Toolkit Auxiliary verbs are forms of the verbs have, do and be. Choose an auxiliary verb for each non-finite verb. What tense does the complete verb get? have has do does did be am is are was were being been I ______ am cleaning. present past She _______sure. was We have to go. present Yuki and Sanj are coming. present I did know. past

Grammar Toolkit Auxiliary verbs Modal verbs are a type of auxiliary verb. They help a non-finite verb express possibility, obligation or permission. Choose an auxiliary verb for each non-finite verb. What tense does the complete verb get? can could may might must shall should will would Shall You Mia Jack They we dance? future must eat. present can run fast. present will go. future might know. present

Grammar Toolkit Auxiliary verbs A main verb plus one or more auxiliary verbs makes a verb phrase. may have been played Verb phrases can become quite long. What verb phrases can you make with these auxiliary verbs? been is will was have had Carlos is playing. Carlos was playing. Carlos had been playing. Carlos will have been playing.

Grammar Toolkit Auxiliary verbs Many subjects and their auxiliary verbs are written as contractions. Contractions are words or phrases with an apostrophe to show missing letters. I’m home. = I am home. Cristina’s here. = Cristina is here. Many negative verb phrases are also written as contractions. She hasn’t sold it. = She has not sold it. He didn’t arrive. = He did not arrive.

Grammar Toolkit Auxiliary verbs Do you know what these contractions mean? subject + auxiliary verb contraction I have I’ve you are you’re I had I’d it is it’s they are they’re contraction negative verb phrase can’t cannot don’t do not shouldn’t should not won’t will not hadn’t had not

Grammar Toolkit Auxiliary verbs • Verbs have different forms. • A finite verb is a verb with a subject and tense. A non-finite verb doesn’t have a subject or tense and cannot be the main verb in a sentence. • Non-finite verbs can become finite verbs with the help of auxiliary verbs (forms of the verbs have, do and be), including modal verbs. • Adding one or more auxiliary verbs to a main verb forms a verb phrase. • Many subjects and their auxiliary verbs are written as contractions (e. g. she’d = she had), as are negative verb phrases (e. g. don’t = do not).

Grammar Toolkit Auxiliary verbs The End