English Grammar - Auxilaries Or Helping

AUXILIARIES OR HELPING VERBS

There are two types of auxiliaries or helping verbs.

1. Primary auxiliaries or helping verbs:
   are also called Auxiliaries or helping verbs.
   
   
2. Modal auxiliaries or helping verbs:
   are also called Modal verbs.

(Primary) Auxiliaries or Helping Verbs

The verbs  (to be and to have and to do etc)  when used with ordinary verbs to make tenses, passive forms, questions and negatives, are called primary auxiliary verbs or auxiliaries or helping verbs (Auxiliary = helping).
Auxiliary or helping verb helps the main verb to describe action ( in tense, mood or voice),  that action is happening in the present  or happened in the past or will happen in the future. 

Classification Of  Primary Auxiliaries Or Helping Verbs:

They are classified as  to be verbs or be (am, is, are, was, were, be, been, being etc), to have and to do

• To be Verbs - (am, is ,are, was, were, be, been, being etc)
• To have Verbs - (has, have, had)
• Will / shall be Verbs - (will be, shall be)
• To do Verbs - (do, did, does)

To Be

The to be verbs are ( is, am, are, was, were, be, being, been).
A) The auxiliaries "Be" is used:

1. In the formation of continuous tenses (ongoing action).
   For example:
   (i) He is working.
   (ii) I was writing.
   
   
2. In the formation of the passive voice.
   For example:
   (i) The gate was opened.
   (ii) Chocolates were eaten by Alex.
   

To Have

The to have verbs are (has, have , had and will have etc)
A) The auxiliary have is used:

1. In the formation of the perfect tenses. (completion of action)
   For example:
   (i) He has worked.
   (ii) I have finished my work.
   
   
2. In the formation of the perfect continuous tense. (ongoing action completion)
   For example:
   (i) He has been working.

B) Have to is used with the infinitive to indicate obligation.
For example:
(i) I have to be there by five o'clock.
(ii) He has to move the furniture himself.

C) The past form had to is used to express obligation in the past.
For example:
(i) I had to be there by five o'clock.
(ii) He had to move the furniture himself.

D) In negatives and questions, have to and had to are used with do, does, did.
For Example:
(i) They have to go.
(ii) They don't have to go.
(iii) Do they have to go?
(iv) He has to go.
(v) He doesn't have to go.
(vi) Does he have to go?
(vii) He had to go.
(viii) He didn't have to go.
(ix) Did he have to go?

Will / shall (be)

Shall is used in the first person (I) and will in all persons (we, you, he, she, it, they etc).
A) Shall / Will are used to express future tense.
For Example:
(i) I shall write a letter.
(ii) Sam will be punished for this (Future continuous tense)
(iii) John will have been running for an hour at that point. (Future perfect continuous tense)

B) Shall / will be used to express voices
For example:
(i) Letter will be written by him.

To Do

The to do auxiliary verbs are do, did and does.
Auxiliary do is used:
A) To express mood.

1. To form interrogative mood (i.e ask a question) of the simple present and simple past tenses of ordinary verbs
   For example:
   (i) Does he work?
   (ii) Did he work ?
   
   
2. To form the negative mood of the simple present and simple past tenses of ordinary verbs.
   For example:
   (i) He doesn't work.
   (ii) He didn't work.
   
   
3. To form imperative mood i.e to give an order.
   For example
   (i) Don't pluck the flower.
   (ii) Do your work.

B) To avoid repetition of a previous ordinary verb.
For example:
(i) Do you know him ? Yes, I do.
(ii) She sings well. Yes, she does.
(iii) You met him, didn't you ?
(iv) He eats fish and so do you.

C) Do is also used to emphasize the affirmative nature of a statement.
For example:
(i) You do look pale.
(ii) I told him not to go, but he did go.

D) In the imperative, do makes a request or invitation more persuasive.
For example:
(i) Do be quiet,
(ii) Oh, do come ! It's going to be such fun.
In such cases do is strongly .stressed.

TO BE VERBS

Person	Present Tense	Past Tense	Present Perfect Tense	Past Perfect Tense	Future Tense
I	am	was	have	had	will be
We	are	were
You
He	is	was	has
She
They	are	were	have
It	is	was	has

For Modal Verbs (Click here)