An auxiliary (also called helping) verb serves to give additional meaning to the main or

lexical verb following it.

If you are doing things correctly, every clause you use has a verb. That clause MUST have
a lexical verb and it MAY have one or more auxiliary verbs.
1. Seiji enjoys Legos. One lexical verb; no auxiliary verb.
2. Seiji has enjoyed Legos. One lexical verb; one auxiliary verb.
3. Seiji has been enjoying Legos. One lexical verb; two auxiliary verbs.
[In the following examples, the auxiliary verb is underlined and the lexical verb is bold.]
Common Auxiliary Verbs
TO BE: is, am, are, was, were, been
Some verbs, such as TO BE, can act either as auxiliary or lexical verbs,
1. Brett is walking to school.
2. Brett is a student.
In the case of TO BE, it is sometimes hard to determine whether it is auxiliary or not.
o The cocktail was chilled.
2. This sentence could mean that someone chilled the cocktail, so WAS would
be an auxiliary verb to the lexical verb CHILLED. (It is worth noting, that if
this is the meaning. then the sentence has been constructed in passive voice,
which is in general a weaker construction.
1. This sentence could also mean that the cocktail was cold, in which case
WAS is a linking verb.
1. The commission is using stocks to purchase development rights.
2. The agencies are restricting logging and road building in the forests.
3. Brill was lagging in the polls behind Richards.
4. The agencies were completing the inventories.
5. Moskowitz has been offered a similar project.
1. Passive voice. Better written as SOMEONE offered Moskowitz...
TO DO: do, did, does
1. Volunteers do spend their weekends mapping the nation's forests.
2. Clinton did agree to ban logging on 40 million acres.
3. Time does run out for these wild lands.
TO HAVE: has, had, have
TO HAVE is another one of those verbs that can be auxiliary or lexical.
1. She has played softball for years.
2. She has a softball in her backpack.
Unlike TO BE, it is rarely hard to determine whether it is auxiliary or not.
1. Brent has planned this party down to the last detail.
2. The governor had exhausted all of the options.
3. Someone should have predicted these complications.
SHALL, WILL, MAY, CAN, SHOULD, COULD, WOULD
1. This portion will not be eligible for protection under the 1964 Wilderness Act.
2. The Clinton Administration may try to make the most of public support for
preserving open space.
3. Only Congress can formally protect lands under the Wilderness Act.
4. They should limit its real estate holdings.
5. Preservation could become one of Clinton's most significant accomplishments.
6. The legislation would provide guaranteed funding.
Identifying the various configurations that make up a complete verb helps in understanding
the type of verb being used. Once again, this is not because writers necessarily need to
remember the specific type of verb they are using, but because using a verb properly with
the correct modifiers strengthens anyone's writing.
Verbs
LEARN MORE
o Verbs
o Verb Structure
o Auxiliary Verbs
o Lexical Verbs
o Transitive Verbs
o Intransitive Verbs
o Linking Verbs
o Practice
o Quiz #1
o Quiz #2
When we get down to the business of putting words together to form a sentence, we need rules and we need
elements. The rules are called syntax. The elements are called the parts of speech.
The first part of speech that this Web site deals with is the verb. We consider it first for the simple reason that the
verb, in all its strength and power, is the engine that either makes your sentence soar or leaves it sputtering on the
ground in frustration.
In more practical terms, a verb is a part of speech that usually denotes an action (jump, collapse), an occurrence
(shine, rot), or a state of being (seem, feel).
While the more complicated elements of verbs are outside the scope of this site (feel free to explore linguistics to
your heart's content for that discussion), every writer must be concerned with a verb's structure and tense. Without
an understanding of these basics, writers run the risk of overlooking everything from the correct tense of the verb
to the correct subject-verb agreement to the correct case of pronouns in relation to the verb.
Tense
The tense of a verb indicates the relative time of the action or state of being. Rarely are writers required to know
the name of a verb's tense other than to understand its usage and agreement.
In other words, it might be less important for you to know that in the sentence "Bill is running," the verb "is
running" is in the present progressive tense than it may be to know that "running" is the main verb and "is" acts as
its helper.
Tense is also important in assuring that a verb agree with the subject. (i.e. "Bill is running" not "Bill are running" or
"Bill were running.").
Learn more about the structure of verbs...
Verbs
Parts
Structure All verbs include a lexical or main verb. Some verbs include an auxiliary verb
that "helps" the main verb, which is why they are also called "helping" verbs.
Lexical The main part of the verb. Every verb has one.
Auxiliary The helping part of a verb. Not every verb has one.
Verbs Types
It is misleading to think of a verb simply as the action in the sentence. While there are any number of action verbs,
such as "run" or "jump," sometimes the action is merely emotional or intellectual, as in "believe" or "imagine."
Other times, verbs indicate no action at all, as in "be" or "seem," but instead serve to link the subject with its state
of being.
To delineate between action that is received by an object and action that is not received by an object, action verbs
are divided into TRANSITIVE and INTRANSITIVE verbs.
Those verbs that indicate a state of being rather than an action are defined as LINKING verbs. Determining
whether the verb indicates an action or a state of being is easier with a clear understanding of verb tense and
structure. (That's the part right before this. Did you read it? Do you understand it? If not, things are likely going to
get a little rough.)
Learn more about the types of verbs...
Verbs Transitive An action verb. It requires a direct object.
Intransitive An action verb without a direct object.
Linking A verb implying a state of being or condition for the subject.
Writers would be wise to recognize that the verb is the force behind the sentence, and, therefore, they will improve
their writing by being able to recognize what the verb is and how it is being used.


Affirmative prayer in English is built in accordance with the following structure:



Direct Object Subject Verb
I eat apples
You need help
We Bought a car


In the negative sentence, the auxiliary is placed before the main verb:

Auxiliary Verb Subject Direct Object denial
I do not eat apples
You do not need help
We Did not buy a car


In the interrogative sentence, the auxiliary is placed at the start of it:

Assistant Direct Object Subject Verb?
Do I eat apples?
Do you need help?
Did we buy a car?


Other additions to the prayer (place, time, etc..) Are usually placed at the end of it:
I eat apples at lunchtime.
You need help in your job.
We Bought a car last Friday.

Normally, the complement of place goes before the snap of time:
I eat apples at home at lunchtime.
You need help in your job right now.
We Bought a car in Madrid last Friday.

When there are adverbs in sentences, they are usually placed in front of the verb in
the simple forms, and between the auxiliary and main verb in the compound forms
(there are many exceptions):
I always eat apples at home.
I have always eaten apples at home.
You never need help.
Have you never need help.



The verb "to be" in English is equivalent to the verbs "ser" and "being" in Castilian.
Its decline in the present indicative (simple present) is:



Simple Present of the verb "To Be"
I am / I am I am
You are / You are you
He / she is / is He / she / it is
We are / we are We are
You are / you are You are
He / they is / are THEY ARE



Contractions are often used in these ways:
I am I'm
You / we / they are You / we / they 're
He / she / it is He / she / it 's

Its decline in the past tense (simple past):

Simple Present of the verb "To Be"
I was / was (I / I) I Was
You were / were (you were / were) You were
He / she was / was (were / was) He / she / it WAS
We were / was (were / were) We Were
Ye were / were you (you were / were) You were
He / they were / were (was / were) They Were


The verb "to be" can be used as a regular verb and in this case serves to provide
information on the subject:
I am old. I'm older
The car is red. The car is red
It is cold. It is cold (the day is cold)

It is also used as an auxiliary verb to form continuous forms:
I am running. I'm running
I WAS running. I was running

And to build the passive form:
The table is made of wood. The table is made of wood

Another use of the verb "to be" is followed by the infinitive and is used to command
a somewhat impersonal, especially with the 3 rd person, or to communicate a plan:
That He is to solve problem. He must solve this problem
They Are to help you. They should help
I am to travel next week. I will travel next week

The verb "to have" in English is equivalent to the verbs "have" and "have" in
Castilian. Its decline in the present indicative (simple present) is:



Simple Present of the verb "To Have"
I have / I have i have
You have / have You Have
He / she has / has He / she / it has
We have / have We Have
You have / You Have ye
He / they have / have They Have



As shrinkage of these forms are used:
I / you / we / they Have I / you / we / they 've
He / she / it has I / she / it 's

Its decline in the past simple (simple past) has a unique way:

Simple Present of the verb "To Have"
I had / had (I had / I) I Had
You had / had (hubiste / did you) You had
He / she had / have (had / had) He / she / it Had
We had / had (we had / had) We had
You had / you had (hubisteis / you had) You had
They / she had / had (had / had) They Had


The verb "to have" can be used as a regular verb in this case is the meaning of
"having"
I have a car. I have a car
She Had a boyfriend. She had a boyfriend

And also used in some expressions with the meaning of "taking":
I had a drink after the match. I took a drink after the game
She has a bath. She takes a bath

As an auxiliary verb, "to have" is used to construct composite forms:
I have read. I have read
Had I played tennis. He had played tennis
We Have Seen the film. We have seen a movie




The verb "to do" in English can function as an ordinary verb, meaning to "do" or as
an auxiliary verb. Its decline in the present indicative (simple present) is:



Simple Present of the verb "To Do"
I do I do
You do You do
He / she does He / she / it does
We do We do
You do you do
He / they do They do



In the past simple (simple past) has a unique way:

Simple Present of the verb "To Do"
I did I did
You did your hiceste
He / she did He / she / it did
We did we did
You did You did
He / they did They did


As a regular verb with the meaning of "doing" must be distinguished from another
verb, "to make", which also translates into Castilian for "doing", although the latter
with a meaning of "manufacture"
I did my job. I did my job
I made a cake. I made a cake
What areyou doing this evening? What are you doing this afternoon?
That she made table. She made that table

As an auxiliary verb, is used to construct the negative and question the present
and the past simple:
I Do not Know That. I do not know why
I did not answer Correctly. I did not answer correctly
Do you go to the cinema? Going to the movies?
Did You See That film? Did not you see that movie?

As can be seen in the negative contractions are commonly used:
Do Not Do
Does not does
Did not Did not

Another use of the verb "to do" is to avoid repeating a verb just mentioned,
especially in answering questions:
Do you like coffee? Yes, I do
Did you play tennis? Yes, I did
He likes music ... ... and so do I (= I like music too)




Affirmative prayer in English is built in accordance with the following structure:



Direct Object Subject Verb
I eat apples
You need help
We Bought a car


In the negative sentence, the auxiliary is placed before the main verb:

Auxiliary Verb Subject Direct Object denial
I do not eat apples
You do not need help
We Did not buy a car


In the interrogative sentence, the auxiliary is placed at the start of it:

Assistant Direct Object Subject Verb?
Do I eat apples?
Do you need help?
Did we buy a car?


Other additions to the prayer (place, time, etc..) Are usually placed at the end of it:
I eat apples at lunchtime.
You need help in your job.
We Bought a car last Friday.

Normally, the complement of place goes before the snap of time:
I eat apples at home at lunchtime.
You need help in your job right now.
We Bought a car in Madrid last Friday.

When there are adverbs in sentences, they are usually placed in front of the verb in the
simple forms, and between the auxiliary and main verb in the compound forms (there are
many exceptions):
I always eat apples at home.
I have always eaten apples at home.
You never need help.
Have you never need help.


It is used to talk about habitual actions, generic, occurring with some frequency,
without reference to whether the present time are being made.



I study Ingls. I study English, I started and continued for some time, but may at
present is not undertaking this activity.
He plays tennis. He plays tennis, practiced the sport with some regularity, but does
not mean that at present is on playing tennis.
I work in a bank. I work in a bank, this is my profession, but may at the present
time I am on vacation, relaxing at home.


It is also used to discuss future actions that have already been planned, especially
when referring to travel.

I leave Madrid tomorrow morning. I'm going to Madrid tomorrow morning


The shape of the "present simple" coincides with the infinitive without the particle
"to" except in the 3 rd person singular in that it adds an "s".

Infinitive I / you / we / they He / she / it
To eat (food) eat eats
To run (run) run runs


If the verb ends in "ss", "sh" "ch", "x", "o", to form the 3 rd person singular, you add
"-es".

Infinitive I / you / we / they He / she / it
To kiss (kiss) I kiss I kisses
To watch (observe) I watch I watches


If the verb ends in "y" after a consonant, to form the 3 rd person singular is
replaced this "and" with an "i" followed by the ending "is."

Infinitive I / you / we / they He / she / it
To carry (wear) I carry I Carries
To envy (envy) I envy I sent


Negative sentences are formed with the auxiliary "to do", usually in their contracted
forms: "do not" (= do not) for people, "I, you, we, they", and "does not" (= does not)
for people, "he, she, it."

I do not play tennis. I do not play tennis
She Does not go to the cinema. She's not going to the movies
We do not know the answer. We do not know the answer


The interrogative form is also formed with the auxiliary "to do" at the beginning of
the sentence ("do" with people, "I, you, we, they", "does" to "he, she, it").

Do you play tennis? Do you play tennis?
Does she go to the cinema? Does she go to the movies?
Do we know the answer? Do we know the answer?


It is used to describe actions that are being developed right now:



I am reading a book. I'm reading a book (in right now)
You are playing football. You are playing football


Also used to describe actions that are being developed around the time that we
speak, though not necessarily in that moment:

I am Studying French. I'm studying French (I have enrolled in an academy, but not
necessarily at this precise moment I am with books in French)


Also used to describe an action that will take place in the near future and which
has taken a final decision. In this case, you always have to mention the time in
which to develop action:

I am going to London next week. I'm going to London next week (the action will
develop in the near future and there is a final decision on my part to carry out)


Another use of this continuum is to describe actions that are repeated often in this
case, prayer is accompanied by the word "always" (always):

He is always working. He is always working (meaning that often works, perhaps
even excessively)


Formation of "present continuous": it is built with the present indicative of the verb
"to be" in its role as an auxiliary verb, and the "present participle" (= gerund) the
main verb.

Disclaimer statement Interrogation
I am eating I'm not eating Am I eating?
You are eating You Are not eating Are you eating?
He / she is eating He / she isn't eating Is he / she eating?
We are eating eating Are We Are not we eating?
You are eating You Are not eating Are you eating?
They Are They Are not eating eating eating Are They?




It is used to refer to actions that took place in the past and for some time that
ended. Its equivalent in Castilian is the past tense:



I Studied Ingls. I studied English (it was an activity I did in the past and has
ended)
I Bought a car. I bought a car


In these sentences there is no information on the present:

I lost my job. I lost my job (currently it has since recovered)
I Bought a car. I bought a car (now may no longer have the car, who has sold)


Often indicates the time period in which the action took place:

I played tennis yesterday. I played tennis yesterday.
I Went to Paris last summer. I went to Paris last summer


The sentence structure is similar to the present, using the main verb in its past
form.

She listens to music. She listens to music (this)
She listened to music. She listened to music (past)


In the negative and interrogative is used also a similar structure: we use the
auxiliary verb "to do" in time past, that accompanies the main verb in its infinitive
form:

I did not go to the party. I did not go to the party
Did you go to the party? Was it you to the party?


In the past tense formation must distinguish between regular and irregular verbs:
regular verbs form the past tense by adding "-ed" to the infinitive (see Lesson 9),
while the irregulars do not follow a specific pattern, should be studied individually
(see tenth class).

Regular verb "To listen" past form "listened."
Irregular verb "To go" past form "went"


The last form of the verbs is unique for all people, no differently for the 3 rd person
singular as in the present.

I / you / he / she / we / they "listened"
I / you / he / she / we / they "went"




Is formed by adding "-ed" to the infinitive:



Infinitive Form ago
To need (need) Needed
To listen (listen) listened


If the infinitive of the verb ends in "e", then only you add a "d":

Infinitive Form ago
To love (love) loved
To bribe (bribes) bribe


If the infinitive of the verb ends in "y" after a consonant, then the letter "y" becomes "i" and
add "-ed".

Infinitive Form ago
To carry (wear) Carrier
To study (study) Studies


If the infinitive of the verb is formed by a single syllable, with only one vowel and ends in a
consonant, then the consonant is doubled:

Infinitive Form ago
To stop (stop) stopped
To ban (ban) banned


It also doubles the final consonant of these verbs of two or more syllables, whose accent
falls on the last syllable, and it contains a single vowel and ending in a single consonant:

Infinitive Form ago
To support (support) ADMITTED
To prefer (prefer) preferred


Finally, means double the last consonant of those verbs whose infinitive ends in "l",
following a single vowel

Infinitive Form ago
To signal (signaling) Signalled
To cancel (cancel) canceled


The following list includes all English irregular verbs. It takes the infinitive and the present
(both have the same shape, except that the infinitive is preceded by the particle "to") and
the simple past and participle.


In some cases, the verb has two possible ways in the past or the future are indicated. In
other cases, the verb has no infinitive (there are some modal verbs and the table shows no
particle "to").


These verbs do not follow a particular rule, so you have to memorize. To be numerous, we
understand that it is more practical consideration irlos slowly (some of them barely used).





Infinitive / past participle form Present Meaning
To stand stand Stood Stood
To come up come up come up meat
To wake wake woke woke
To be ser / estar WAS Been
To stand stand Stood Stood
To beat beat beat beaten
To Become Became Become become
Happened Happened To Happen occur
To procreate Procreate Procreate Procreate
To begin start Began Begun
To see Noticed Noticed notice
To bend bent bent bent
To feel grief grieve grieved grieved
To keep insistently ask Kept Asking Kept Asking Asking
Better bet to bet / bet better / bet
To order bid bade bidden
To bid bid bid bid
To bind bind bound bound
To bite bite bit bitten
To bleed bled bled bled
To blow blow blew blown
To break break broke broken
Breed to breed bred bred
Brought Brought To bring bring
To broadcast broadcast broadcast broadcast
To build build built built
To burn burn burned / burnt burned / burnt
To exploit burst burst burst
To buy buy Bought Bought
Can Could Be Able to
To throw away throw / throw away Threw Thrown Away
To catch catch caught caught
To chide chide chid Chiddes
To choose choose chose Chosen
To cut to cut / break cut cut
To cling cling clung clung
To clothe dress clothes / clad clothes / clad
Come to eat meat eat
To cost cost cost cost
To creep crept crept stealthily slip
To sing sang sung sing
To cut cut cut cut
To dare challenge DARED / durst DARED / durst
To try to deal Dealt / delt Dealt / delt
To dig dig dug dug
To do do did done
To draw draw drew drawn
To dream dream dreamed / Dreamt Dreamed / Dreamt
To drink drink drank drunk
Drove to drive driven driver
To live in live Lived in livled
To eat eat ate eaten
Fail to fall down Fell
To feed feed fed fed
To feel feel felt felt
To fight fight Fought Fought
To find find found found
To escape ran away run away run away
To fling flung flung cast
To fly fly flew flown
To stop desist stopped stopped
To forbid forbade forbid forbidden
To forget forget forgot forgotten
To forgive forgave forgiven forgiving
To leave left left give up something
To freeze frosting (se) froze frozen
To get get got got
To make golden brown made made golden golden
To fasten fastened fastening with belt fastened
Given to Give to gabe
Went to go get gone
To grind grind ground ground
To grow growing grown Grew
To hang hanged hung / hanged hung / hung
Have to have / have Had Had
To hear hear Heard Heard
To hide hide hid hidden
To hit hit hit hit
To hold hold held held
To hurt hurt hurt hurt
To keep keep Kept Kept
To kneel kneel Knelt Knelt
To knit knit knit knit
To know know Knew Known
Place to lay laid laid
To lead lead led led
To lean lean lean / leant lean / leant
To jump leap leaped / leapt leaped / leapt
To learn learn Learned / Learned Learnt / Learnt
To leave leave left left
To lend lend lent lent
To let let let let
To lie lie lay lain
To turn light lit lit
To lose lost lost lost
To make make made made
Might be able to May ----
Meant to signify mean / ment meant to / ment
Meet To find (him) met met
To mow mow mowed mowed / mown
Had to duty ---- Must
Ought duty ---- ----
Paid Paid To pay pay
To put put put put
To read read read / red read / red
To rent rent Rent Rent
To delete rid rid rid
To ride ride (a horse) rode ridden
To ring ring rang rung
To rise up Risen rose
To run run run ran
To saw saw sawed sawed / sawn
To say that Said Said
To see see saw seen
To seek seek sought sought
To sell sold sold sold
To send sending sense senses
To September to set set
To sew sew sewed sewed / sewn
To shake shake shook shaken
Shall (auxiliary future) ----
To shear shear Shear / shore Shear / shorn
To shed waste (leaves) shed shed
To shine shine shone shone
To shoe shoe shoed / shod shoed / shod
To shoot shot shot shot
To show show show show / Shown
To shrink shrank shrunk shrink
To shut shut shut shut
To sing sang sung sing
To sink sink sank sunk
To sit sit sat sat
To kill slay slew slain
To sleep Sleep Slept Slept
To slide slid slid slid
To sling throw (hard) slung slung
To sneak slip quietly snuck snuck
To cut slit slit slit
To smell smell smelled / smelt smelled / smelt
To hit hit hit hit
To sow seed SOWEDA SOWEDA / sown
To speak speak spoke spoken
To speed speed speeded / sped speeded / sped
To spell spell Spell / spelled Spelled / Spelt
To spend spend Spent Spent
Spilled To spill spill / spilled Spilled / spilled
To spin spin spun spun
To spit spit spat spat
To split split split split
To spread spread spread spread
Skip to spring sprang sprung
To stand up Stood Stood
To steal stole stolen steal
To drive stick stuck stuck
To sting sting stung stung
To stink stink stank / stunk stunk
To disseminate strew strewed strewed / strewn
To walk stride strode strode stridden
To strike strike struck struck
To hang something string strung strung
To strive strove strived STRIVE
To swear swear swore sworn
To sweep swept swept swept
To swell swell swelled swelled / swollen
To swim swim swam swum
To swing swing swung swung
To take take taken Took
Taught Taught To teach teach
To tear tear tore torn
To tell that Tarpaulins
To think thinking Thought Thought
To thrive thrive thrived / throve thrived / thrive
To throw shooting Threw Thrown
To throw forward thrust thrust thrust
To tread tread trod trodden / trod
To understand Understand Understood Understood
To undertake undertaker undertook Undertaken
To wake wake waked / woke waked / woken
To wear wear worn Wore
To weave weave wove woven
To mourn weep wept wept
To wet wet wetted / wet wetted / wet
Will (future auxiliary) Would ----
To win win won won
To wind to wind wound wound
To wring wring wrung wrung
To write write wrote Writte