Introduction to Verb - Part I - Auxiliary Verb / Helping Verb and Modal Verbs

Definition

A verb is a part of speech that expresses an action, occurrence, or state of being. Verbs are central to sentences as they convey what the subject is doing, experiencing, or being. 

Verbs are essential for forming sentences and conveying meaning. They can also change form to indicate tense, mood, aspect, and voice.

Types of Verb

    1. Auxiliary Verb/Helping verbs

    2. Modal verbs

    3. Phrasal Verbs

    4. Linking Verbs

    5. Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

    6. Gerunds

Auxiliary / Helping Verb

An auxiliary verb, also known as a helping verb, is used alongside a main verb to form various tenses, moods, voices, and aspects of that main verb. Auxiliary verbs help to modify or clarify the meaning of the main verb.

Common auxiliary verbs in English include:

• Be (e.g., She is running.)
• Have (e.g., They have finished their work.)
• Do (e.g., Do you like pizza?)

1.  BE form… 

Present Tense	Past Tense
Am (used with the first person singular): I am Is (used with the third person singular): He/She/It is Are (used with the second person singular and all plural forms): You are, We are, They are	Was (used with the first and third person singular): I was, He/She/It was Were (used with the second person singular and all plural forms): You were, We were, They were

2. Have

Present Tense	Past Tense
Have (first and second person singular, all plurals): I have, You have, We have, They have Has (third person singular): He/She/It has	Had (used for all persons and numbers): I had, You had, He/She/It had, We had, They had

3.  Do

Present Tense	Past Tense
Do (first and second person singular, all plurals): I do, You do, We do, They do Does (third person singular): He/She/It does	Did (used for all persons and numbers): I did, You did, He/She/It did, We did, They did

Auxiliary verbs are used in combination with main verbs to create:

• Tenses: (e.g., "He has been studying.")
• Questions: (e.g., "Did you see that?")
• Negatives: (e.g., "She does not like coffee.")
• Passive voice: (e.g., "The book was written by him.")

MCQ Practice Question

      1. Which of the following sentences uses the auxiliary verb “have” correctly?

A.    She has go to the store.

B.     They have been working all day.

C.      He have a meeting tomorrow.

D.    We had goes to the park.

            2. Which auxiliary verb is used to form the past continuous tense?

A.    Do

B.     Be

C.     Have

D.    Can 

          3. What is the correct form of the auxiliary verb “do” for the third person singular in the present  

               tense?

A.    Do

B.     Did

C.     Does

D.    Doing 

          4. Which sentence correctly uses “be” as an auxiliary verb?

A.    She be studying now.

B.     They is watching a movie.

C.     He was playing soccer yesterday.

D.    I am goes to the office. 

         5.  In which sentence is the auxiliary verb “have” used to form a perfect tense?

A.    She has finished her homework.

B.     We have been travelling.

C.     They had gone to the mall.

D.    He does not understand.

Answer:

 B) They have been working all day.

 B) Be

 C) Does

 C) He was playing soccer yesterday

 A) She has finished her homework.

True and False Practice Question

         1. The auxiliary verb "be" is used to form questions and negatives.

         2. "Have" is used to form continuous tenses.

         3. The auxiliary verb "do" can be used to form the past perfect tense.

         4. "Is" is the present tense form of the auxiliary verb "do."

         5. The past participle of the auxiliary verb "have" is "had."

         6. The sentence "She does not likes coffee" correctly uses the auxiliary verb "do."

         7. "Was" and "were" are past tense forms of the auxiliary verb "have."

         8. The present participle of "do" is "doing."

         9. The auxiliary verb "be" is not used to form passive voice constructions.

       10. In the sentence "They have been studying," "have been" are auxiliary verbs.

Answer

         1. True

         2. False (It is used to form perfect tenses; "be" is used for continuous tenses.)

         3. False (The auxiliary verb "have" is used for perfect tenses, not "do.")

         4. False (Is is the present tense form of the auxiliary verb "be.")

         5.  True

         6. False (The correct form is "She does not like coffee.")

         7. False (They are past tense forms of the auxiliary verb "be.")

         8. True

         9. False (The verb "be" is indeed used to form passive voice constructions.)

       10. True

 Modal Verbs

Definition

Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs used to express abilities, possibilities, permissions, obligations, and other forms of modality. They do not change form according to the subject and are always followed by the base form of the main verb.

Modal Verb	Function/Modality	Example
Can	Ability	She can swim
	Permission	Can I leave early?
	Possibility	It can be dangerous.
Could	Past Ability	He could run fast when he was young.
	Polite Permission	Could I borrow you pencil?
	Possibility	It could rain tomorrow.
May	Permission	May I come in?
	Possibility	It may rain later.
Might	Possibility	We might go to the beach.
Must	Obligation	You must wear a seatbelt.
	Deduction	Me must be at work.
Shall	Future intention	We shall overcome.
Should	Advice	You should see a doctor.
	Expectation	The train should arrive soon.
Will	Future intention	I will help you.
	Promise	I will be there.
Would	Polite request or offer	Would you like some coffee?
	Hypothetical situations	If I were you, I would apologize.
Ought to	Advice	You ought to finish your homework.

 

Modal verbs follow specific rules when used in sentences. Here are the key rules to keep in mind:

Form:

Modal verbs do not change form according to the subject. They do not take an "s" in the third person singular:

Example: He can swim."

 

No Infinitive or -ing Form: Modal verbs do not have infinitive or -ing forms.

Example: She must go.

Incorrect: "She must to go." or "She must going."

Negative Form: The negative form is created by adding "not" after the modal verb. In spoken English, contractions are often used.

1.      Can: cannot (can't)

2.      Could: could not (couldn't)

3.      May: may not (no contraction)

4.      Might: might not (mightn't)

5.      Must: must not (mustn't)

6.      Shall: shall not (shan't)

7.      Should: should not (shouldn't)

8.      Will: will not (won't)

9.      Would: would not (wouldn't)

10.  Ought to: ought not to (oughtn't to)

 

Questions: To form questions, the modal verb is placed at the beginning of the sentence.

Example: Statement: You can swim.

    Question: Can you swim?

 

Practice Questions

Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks with the appropriate modal verbs.

1. _______ you help me with my homework? (polite request)
2. She _______ be at home. I saw her car in the driveway. (strong possibility)
3. You _______ eat too much sugar. It’s bad for your health. (advice)
4. They _______ be here by now. (expectation)
5. When I was younger, I _______ run 10 miles without getting tired. (past ability)
6. _______ I use your phone? (permission)
7. He _______ finish his work before going out. (obligation)
8. I _______ play the guitar when I was a child. (past ability)
9. We _______ go to the beach tomorrow if the weather is good. (possibility)
10. You _______ apologize for being late. (obligation)

 

Exercise 2: Rewrite the following sentences using the given modal verbs.

1. It is necessary for you to wear a helmet. (must)
2. Perhaps she is at the library. (might)
3. It’s a good idea to take an umbrella. (should)
4. Is it okay if I borrow your book? (may)
5. He has the ability to solve complex problems. (can)
6. It wasn’t necessary for them to hurry. (didn't have to)
7. It’s possible that we will meet them at the concert. (could)
8. We are allowed to leave early. (may)
9. They were not able to finish the project on time. (couldn't)
10. It’s possible that you will be late for the meeting. (might)

 

Exercise 3: Choose the correct modal verb to complete each sentence.

1. You _______ (must / could) wear a seatbelt when driving.
2. _______ (Shall / Will) we go out for dinner tonight?
3. They _______ (can / might) visit us next month, but they are still determining.
4. He _______ (can / should) speak three languages fluently.
5. If you feel sick, you _______ (ought to / must) see a doctor.
6. _______ (Could / Should) you pass me the salt, please?
7. She _______ (may / must) have left early because her car is not in the parking lot.
8. He _______ (shouldn't / wouldn't) have eaten so much cake; now he feels sick.
9. We _______ (mustn't / needn't) leave now. The concert starts in an hour.
10. You _______ (will / must) not use your phone during the exam.