Grammar Toolkit
What are
auxiliary verbs?
Grammar Toolkit
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
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
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
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
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
• 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