Auxiliary Verbs
Verbs are divided into two broad categories-main verbs and helping verbs. Until now, we've been
talking about main verbs. But now we are going to spend a little bit of time talking about helping verbs.
Helping verbs are also called auxiliary verbs. They help the main verbs. How do they do this? As you
know, main verbs mean something; they tell us something. But helping verbs don't really tell us
anything. They just help to make sentences correct. They help to form the main verbs.
Let's look at an example:
I might go to the store.
In this sentence, might is the helping or auxiliary verb. It is helping to form the main verb of the
sentence, which is go.
It is important to know that some of the words in the table can act as main verbs also. Which ones?
The ones in the be family, the do family, and the have family. When these words are in a sentence with
a main verb, they are helping verbs. But when they are alone in a sentence, they are the main verbs.
Let's look at an example:
I have a headache.
I have hurt my knee.
In the first sentence, the word have is the main verb. But in the second sentence, the word have is the
auxiliary verb; it helps the main verb hurt.
Simple Past and Present Tense
Verbs are different from most other words. Most words stay the same (except for nouns, which change
when you want to make more than one of them). But verbs are changing all the time.
What makes them change? They change when something happens. Verbs can be written in present,
past, or future tense.
Wait! What is a tense? The tense tells when something takes place, when it happens. If something is
going on right now, in the present, then the verb is written in the present tense.
If something happened yesterday, and it is already over, then the verb is written in the past tense.
Finally, if something is going to happen tomorrow, and it has not taken place yet, then the verb is
written in the future tense.
In this lesson, you will learn about present and past tenses. Take a look at a few of the rules used when
changing a word from present to past tense:
Let's look at the rule:

The simplest way to change a word from present to past tense is to add an ed to the end of the
word.
Let's look at an example:
Present tense: The lions hunt for food.
Past tense: The lions hunted for food.
The verb in these two sentences is hunt. In the first sentence, the lions are hunting for food right now.
This is the present tense. But in the second sentence, the lions already hunted for the food. They are
done. You can see this because the word hunt has an ed at the end.
Moving from Past to Present
In the last lesson, we learned that the most common way to change a verb from present to past tense
is to add an ed to the end of the word. And this works for many verbs. But there are some verbs that
need to be changed before you can add the ed.
Let's take a look at the rules:

If a verb ends in a silent e, you just add a d to the end of the word.

If the verb ends in a y after a consonant, change the y to an i, and then add ed.

If the verb ends in a single consonant after a short vowel, double the consonant, and then add
ed.
Let's look at an example:
Present tense: I hope I can go to the game.
Past tense: I hoped I would be able to go to the game.
In this case, hope is the verb. It ends with a silent e. In order to change it to past tense, you just have to
add a d.
Let's look at an example:
Present tense: I worry that you could get hurt.
Past tense: The mom worried that her son could get hurt.
In this sentence, worry is the verb. As you can see, it ends with a consonant and a y. In this case, you
change the y to an i, and then you add ed.
Let's look at an example:
Present tense: I step in the mud.
Past tense: I stepped in the mud.
In this sentence, the verb is step. As you can see, it ends in a single consonant p following a short vowel
e. In this case, you double the consonant, and then add ed.
Future Tense
Now that we've gone over how to form verbs in the past tense, it's time to look to the future. If a
sentence is written in future tense, it tells you something that will happen tomorrow or sometime in
the future.
Let's look at the rule:

In order to change a verb into the future tense, you have to use the helping or auxiliary verb
will.
Let's look at an example:
Present tense: Grandma comes to our house for a visit.
Past tense: Grandma came to our house for a visit.
Future tense: Grandma will come to our house for a visit.
Present Perfect Tense
So far, we have learned about three tenses: past, present, and future. If you remember, the tense is what
tells you when something took place-has it already taken place (past), is it going on right now (present),
or is it going to happen tomorrow (future)?
But these are not the only tenses. There are tenses called present perfect and past perfect. In today's
lesson, we will look at the present perfect. Taking the simple present tense of the verb "to have" and
adding it to the past participle form present perfect.
Or
To form the present perfect, add the past participle to the simple present tense.
Let's look at an example:
Simple Past: I walked on this road before.
Present Perfect: I have walked on this road before.
Great. So now we know how to form a sentence in present perfect. The real question is, when would we
want to use this.
What's the rule?
As a general rule, present perfect tense is used when describing something that already took place, but
the time of that action is not specified. By using the present perfect, we are showing that something
happened in the past and is in some way continuing into the present time. Given that generality, there are
certain topics that are discussed using the present perfect. Those topics are listed below.

Present perfect is used when you are trying to describe an experience, but not a specific event.
o

I have never been to see that movie.
Present perfect is often used to describe changes that take place over time.
o
The school board has tried to implement new rules that will help improve student
achievement.

Present perfect is used when showing something that is expected to be completed, but is still in
progress.
o

The meat has been cooking for two hours, but it is not yet done.
Present perfect is used when you describe multiple events done in the past that address the same
issue. The implication is that actions are still being taken to resolve the issue.
o
I have seen six doctors for the problem in my throat.
Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
Do you know the difference between rise and raise? What about sit and set? All of these words are
verbs, but they are different types of verbs. One type of verb is called a transitive verb, and the other is
called an intransitive verb. What's the difference?
What's the rule?

A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object. Without the direct object, the sentence or
the thought is not complete. Remember, a direct object is a noun that follows a verb and answers
the questions "What"? or "Whom"?
For example, you cannot say, Shelley set down. You must answer the question what did Shelley set
down? Shelley set down the book. That makes the word "set" a transitive verb.
There are times when you will have a transitive verb, which does not have a direct object. This is the
case only when the direct object is implied.
For example, the question Did you watch the game yesterday? may result in the answer Yes, I watched.
The words "the game" do not appear after Yes, I watched, and yet you know that this person watched the
game.
Other examples of transitive verbs include "adjust," "raise," "hit," "climb," and "bring."

An intransitive verb is a verb that does not require a direct object.
Shelley sat down.
You do not have to answer the question "What"? because we know that the noun that is sitting is
Shelley herself. That makes the word "sit" an intransitive verb.