Helping Verbs (with Examples)

What Are Helping Verbs? (with Examples)

A helping verb (which is also known as an auxiliary verb) sits before a main verb to help express the main verb's mood, tense, or voice.

Be, do, and have are the most common helping verbs. You will see them in these forms:

Be: am, is, are, was, were, being, been
Do: does, do, did
Have: has, have, had, having

Modal helping verbs (or modal auxiliary verbs as they are more commonly called) are also helping verbs. The modal auxiliary verbs are can, could, may, might, must, ought to, shall, should, will, and would. (These never change their forms.)

Examples of Helping Verbs

Here are some examples of helping verbs expressing tense (main verbs in bold): Here are some examples of helping verbs expressing voice: Here are some examples of helping verbs being used to express mood:

Helping Verbs and Verb Phrases

A verb phrase is made up of the helping verb(s) and the main verb. In the examples below, the verb phrase is shaded with main verb in bold: Be aware that any adverbs which appear alongside or inside the verb phrase are not part of the verb phrase. For example:
Click on the helping verbs:



 

CAN AND MAY

Remember, can is used for capability, and may is used for permission.

Younger sister: Can I listen to your CDs when you're out this evening?

Older sister: You can, but don't step foot in my bedroom.

Younger sister: May I listen to your CDs when you're out this evening?

Older sister: No.

Nowadays, can and may are used interchangably. This ruling is only for the grammatically pure!

Read more about can and may.


Help Us To Improve English Grammar Lessons
Please tell us using this form.

See Also

What is tense? What is mood? What is voice? What are adverbs? The difference between can and may Using shall and will Glossary of grammatical terms