Auxiliary Verbs
Pre-Lesson Exercises
1. Identify the auxiliary verb
Instructions: Underline the auxiliary verb in each sentence.
1. She is reading a book.
2. They have finished their homework.
3. We do not know the answer.
4. He will call you later.
5. You must be quiet in the library.
2. True or False?
Instructions: Read the sentence and decide if it contains an auxiliary verb. Write True or False.
1. He eats lunch at noon.
2. She has gone to the store.
3. They are playing soccer.
4. I walk to school every day.
5. We do like chocolate.
3. Fill in the Blank
Instructions: Fill in the blank with the correct auxiliary verb: am, is, are, was, were
1. I __________ going to the market.
2. They __________ playing football.
3. He __________ watching TV yesterday.
4. We __________ happy to help.
5. She __________ singing when I arrived.
1
4. Correct the Sentence
Instructions: Correct the sentences that use the wrong auxiliary verb.
1. He do go to school every day.
2. She have a new car.
3. They was playing soccer.
4. I is tired.
5. We has finished our homework.
5. Auxiliary Verb Crossword Clues
1. I _____________________________ going to the store. (present)
2. She _____________________________ been working all night. (past perfect continuous)
3. They _____________________________ not understand the lesson. (present negative)
4. We _____________________________ arriving soon. (future continuous)
5. He _____________________________ playing when it started to rain. (past)
Auxiliary verbs are a type of verb that takes a supportive role in a sentence, second to the main
verb. They’re used mainly to create complex grammatical tenses, like the perfect and continuous
tenses, which show different aspects of time, or how long an action takes place.

Simple present (no auxiliary verbs): I go to the zoo.

Present continuous: I am going to the zoo.

Future perfect continuous: In September, I will have been going to the zoo for a year.
Aside from tense and aspect of time, auxiliary verbs are also necessary for showing voice and are
useful for adding special emphasis, such as through tag questions.
2

Tag question: You like the book, don’t you?

Emphasis: I do like the book!
The three main auxiliary verbs are be, do, and have. However, all three of these can also be used
separately as action verbs. When you see one of these verbs, look for a second verb to determine
if it’s being used as an action verb or an auxiliary verb.
[action verb] I did my homework already.
[auxiliary verb] I did not want to go home.
[action verb] I have a selfie with Neil deGrasse Tyson.
[auxiliary verb] I have waited a long time for this.
Besides the three main auxiliary verbs, there’s also a special type of auxiliary verb that affects
grammatical mood. These are called modal auxiliary verbs, and they behave a little differently
than the other auxiliary verbs.
Modal Auxiliary Verbs
Main Auxiliary Verbs
be
do
have
can
could
dare
may
might
must
should
will
would
One of the most common uses of auxiliary verbs, especially be and have, is to form different
grammatical tenses in writing. Each different tense shows a different aspect of time, so by using
auxiliary verbs, we can communicate more accurately.
Continuous tenses (be)
The continuous tenses, also called the progressive tenses, show an ongoing action not yet
completed. The present continuous tense shows an ongoing action happening now. The past
continuous tense shows an ongoing action in the past, such as a previous condition or event that
was interrupted. The future continuous tense shows a future action that will be ongoing.
3
The continuous tenses use a conjugated form of the auxiliary verb be along with the present
participle (-ing form) of the main verb.

I am working in the shed.

She was studying all night.

They will be sleeping when you arrive.
Practice:

Marie _________ reading a book right now. (present)

We _________ eating dinner at 7 PM. (past)

I _________ traveling to Spain next week. (future)

The baby _________ crying all night. (past)

They _________ playing football in the park. (present)
Perfect tenses (have)
The perfect tenses are used for events that have already happened but still have significant
consequences later. The present perfect tense refers to completed actions that either greatly impact
or continue up until the present. The past perfect tense, also called the pluperfect, shows a past
event that happened before another past event in the same sentence. The future perfect tense shows
an event that will be completed later.
The perfect tenses use a conjugated form of the auxiliary verb have along with the past participle
form of the main verb.

They have just finished class and are getting ready for recess.

I had forgotten about the birthday party until I saw the calendar.

By the time you get off work, the movie will have started already.
Practice:

The Johnsons _________ lived here since 2010. (present)

I _________ finished the project before the deadline. (past)
4

We _________ finished the work by Friday. (future)

The plane _________ just arrived at the airport. (present)

My parents _________ gone to bed when the phone rang. (past)
Perfect continuous tenses (be and have)
The perfect continuous tenses combine the perfect and continuous tenses and are used in instances
when both apply. The present perfect continuous tense shows an ongoing action started in the past
that is still happening. The past perfect continuous tense is used just like the past perfect tense but
for ongoing actions. The future perfect continuous tense shows an ongoing action that will be
completed later.
The perfect continuous tenses use a conjugated form of the auxiliary verb have and the past
participle of the auxiliary verb be (been) along with the present participle of the main verb.

I have been reading Moby Dick for months now.

He had been working there for five years before he quit.

Tomorrow, we will have been dating for an entire year.
Practice:

Tom _________________ studying for three hours. (present)

The Dunphys _________________ living in London before they moved to Canada. (past)

By next month, Jenna ______________________ working here for five years. (future)

The students _________________ playing football all afternoon. (present)

Sheila _________________ watching a movie before you arrived. (past)
Negatives (do)
In negative statements using the word not, use a conjugated form of the auxiliary verb do together
with the bare infinitive of the main verb.

She doesn’t understand algebra.

We did not hear the bell.
5
Using the negative word never does not require an auxiliary verb.

She never understands algebra.
Practice:

The baby slept peacefully.
→ _______________________________________

Ken walks to school every day.
→ _______________________________________

My cat breaks the glasses. (use never)
→ _______________________________________

Animals like water.
→ _______________________________________

I use my phone before bed. (use never)
→ _______________________________________
Modal auxiliary verbs and modality
Modal auxiliary verbs, or simply modal verbs, change the grammatical mood of a sentence. That
means you can use modal verbs to express different meanings of the main verb, such as showing
possibility (“It might rain”), ability (“It can rain”), necessity (“It must rain”), or suggestion (“It
should rain”). Moreover, the modal verb will is necessary to express all future tenses (“It will
rain”).
When using modal verbs, the main verb often takes either the participle form (past or present,
depending on the usage) or the infinitive form without to, known as the bare infinitive. In the
examples below, notice how the main verb loses its conjugation (the –s at the end) when used with
an auxiliary verb.

Jorgen skates backwards.

Jorgen can skate backwards.
6
One of the main differences between modal auxiliary verbs and other auxiliary verbs is that modal
verbs do not get conjugated by person. For example, the modal verb may stays the same no matter
what the subject is, unlike other auxiliary verbs like have.

I may delete this later.

She may delete this later.

I have deleted this already.

She has deleted this already.
However, the modal verbs can and will both change for the past tense: can becomes could, and
will becomes would (when discussing the future relative to the past).

When I was a kid, I could do somersaults without getting dizzy.

I didn’t know when we met that John would become my best friend.
Modality, where “modal verbs” get their name, refers to the different grammatical moods a
sentence can take. More often than not, modality refers to hypothetical situations: actions that
haven’t actually happened but could.
Specifically, modality and modal verbs cover these situations:

likelihood

suggestions

possibility

commands

ability

obligations

permission

habits

requests
Practice:

You ___________ wear a helmet. (necessity)

They ___________ come late. (possibility)

Kim’s husband ___________ talk to her. (advice)

Sam ___________ run fast when he was young. (past ability)

Jim ___________ be in his home now. (strong certainty)
7

A single person ___________ move the couch. (lack of ability)

I ___________ travel to Egypt last November if I got my visa on time. (past opportunity)

___________ I use your phone? (polite request)

You ___________ save some money every month. (recommendation)

___________ I open the window? (asking permission)
Passive voice (be)
Standard sentences are generally written in the active voice, where the subject does the action. The
passive voice, however, is when the doer of an action is not the subject.
[active] The man leads his dog.
[passive] The dog is led by the man.
The passive voice is constructed with the conjugated form of the auxiliary verb be and the main
verb in the past participle. There’s usually a prepositional phrase as well to explain who does the
action; in the example above it’s “by the man.” Keep in mind that only transitive verbs can be used
in the passive voice.
Practice:

The documents ___________ being prepared now. (is / are / were)

A new hospital ___________ built in the city last year. (was / is / has)

The results ___________ been published already. (has / have / had)

The building ___________ be opened by the mayor tomorrow. (is / will / will be)

The thief ___________ caught by the police. (was / are / has)

The invitations _____________________ (send) yesterday.

This book _____________________ (write) by a famous author.

The project _____________________ (complete) by next week.

The cake _____________________ (bake) when I arrived.
8

The tickets _____________________ already _____________________ (sell) out.
Tag questions
Tag questions are when you add a small question to the end of a statement to confirm if it’s true.

The park is closed tomorrow, isn’t it?
In English, tag questions use a pronoun and the auxiliary verb that best matches the tense, aspect,
and modality of the statement. So if the statement uses the continuous tense, the tag question uses
a conjugated form of be; if the statement uses the perfect tense, the tag question uses a conjugated
form of have.

The game is still going, isn’t it?

You have been eating all the peanut butter, haven’t you?
The tag question is always a reverse of the statement. If the statement is positive, the tag question
is negative. If the statement is negative, the tag question is positive.

She won’t quit, will she?
If the statement does not use a tense with an auxiliary verb or the verb be, the tag question uses a
conjugated form of the generic auxiliary verb do.

Your friend wants to leave, doesn’t he?
If the statement uses a modal verb, the modal verb is repeated in the tag question.

They can’t swim, can they?
Practice:

You’re coming to the party, __________________?

Jane doesn’t like coffee, __________________?

It’s a beautiful day, __________________?

Mike can drive, __________________?

You won’t tell anyone, __________________?
9

Let’s go for a walk, __________________?

I am late, __________________?

Nobody called you, __________________?
Emphasis (do)
Lastly, the verb do can be added to a sentence for emphasis as a way to show that the speaker
enthusiastically agrees or to correct a wrong statement. In this construction, conjugate the verb do
and use a bare infinitive of the main verb.
Did your mom find the mess?

She did find it.
You probably don’t want to come.

I do want to come!
Practice:

I like this book.
→ _______________________________________

Sarah enjoys classical music.
→ _______________________________________

My parents visited us last summer.
→ _______________________________________

Mr. Clerk understands the problem.
→ _______________________________________

You helped a lot.
→ _______________________________________
10
Exercise
Instructions: Read the passages below. There are errors in the use of auxiliary verbs (be, do,
have). Identify and correct the errors on the passages.
Although she has preparing for weeks, Mona were still feeling nervous before the big presentation.
She have always been someone who doubted her abilities, but her friends have encourage her to
believe in herself. “You can done this,” they told her repeatedly. Even though she might failed,
she shall remember how far she have come. She will is fine, they insisted. As the clock ticked
closer to her time slot, she was try to focus on her breathing and positive thoughts. No matter what
happened, she would gave it her best effort and could not let fear control her.
By the time the committee have convened, several decisions had already been make behind closed
doors. It might has seemed like a democratic process on the surface, but anyone paying attention
would have notice the subtle manipulation at play. The chairperson were being unusually quiet, as
though she have been warned not to interfere. Analysts has long argued that such systems can be
influence by unseen pressures, and this instance seems to has confirmed that suspicion. While
dissenting voices could have challenged the final vote, most members was expected to comply
without question. In hindsight, some might admitted they should have act differently, but at the
time, conformity was demanded and obedience had been assumed.
11