##  [verbs: helping verbs, auxiliary verbs](/writing-tips-plus/verbs-helping-verbs-auxiliary-verbs)

##  Avertissement

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A helping (or auxiliary) verb is placed in front of a main verb to form a verb phrase (a verb of two or more words: *are going*, *will be competing*, etc.).

There are two types of helping verbs: primary helping verbs and modal helping verbs.

## Primary helping verbs

The three primary helping verbs are *be*, *do* and *have*. Note that these helping verbs may take different forms, as shown below:

- be, am, is, are, was, were, been, being
- do, does, did
- have, has, had

When *be* and *have* are used as helping verbs, the main verb that comes after them almost always changes its form:

- are **making** \[*making* is the present participle form of *make*\]
- were **kept** \[*kept* is the past participle form of *keep*\]
- has **decided** \[*decided* is the past participle form of *decide*\]
- have **left** \[*left* is the past participle form of *leave*\]

In addition to acting as helping verbs, *be*, *do* and *have* can act as main verbs:

- I **was** at the arcade. \[*was* is a main verb\]
- I **was working** at the arcade. \[*was* is a helping verb; *working* is the main verb\]
- Lars often **did** the cooking. \[*did* is a main verb\]
Lars **did** not **mind** cooking. \[*did* is a helping verb; *mind* is the main verb\]
- Adam and Cara **have** the keys. \[*have* is a main verb\]
Adam and Cara **have left**. \[*have* is a helping verb; *left* is the main verb\]

## Modal helping verbs

There are 9 principal modal verbs:

- can, could
- shall, should
- will, would
- may, might
- must

After these modal verbs, the main verb does not change its form; it is always in its base form (the form in which it is listed in the dictionary):

- can go
- will go
- might go
- should go

## Modals are invariable.

Unlike the primary helping verbs, modal verbs do not change their form to agree with different subjects. In the examples below, *can* does not change, no matter what subject it follows:

- I can go
- you can go
- he can go
- we can go
- they can go

## Modals are not used alone.

Unlike the primary helping verbs, the modal verbs must always be used with a main verb. They occur alone only when the main verb has already been used once and is being left understood the second time to avoid repetition:

- “Who **can tell** me the answer?” “I **can**!” \[= I **can tell** you the answer\]
- Lisa **may** not **go**, but Jorge **will**. \[= Jorge **will go**\]

## Modals come before primary helping verbs.

In a verb phrase containing both modal and primary helping verbs, the modal verb comes first:

- **might** be going
- **may** have intended
- **can** be found
- **will** have been completed

## Uses of helping verbs

We use helping verbs for the following purposes:

- to change the tense of a verb:
- am hoping \[present progressive\]
- have finished \[present perfect\]
- will go \[simple future\]
- will have been taking \[future perfect progressive\]
- to form the passive voice (with a form of *be* as the last or only helping verb):
- **were** introduced
- have **been** elected
- is **being** organized
- will **be** held
- would have **been** hired
- to form a negative verb:
- The children **did** not (*or* didn’t) see the end of the hockey game.
- Anna **does** not (*or* doesn’t) work here anymore.
- Please **do** not (*or* don’t) open this window.

**Note:** Adverbs (such as the adverb *not* or its contraction *n’t*) often appear in the middle of a verb phrase—but they are not verbs. They modify the verb phrase but are not part of it.

- to ask a question:
- **Do** I have the wrong number?
- **Does** Sven know Marta’s password?
- **Did** you forget to walk the dog?
- to create emphasis:
- Rivka **does** plan to attend, after all.
- We **do** need a new couch, no matter what you think!
- I **did** walk the dog. Don’t you remember?
- to add an idea:
- necessity: **must** read
- ability: **can** read
- permission: **may** read
- possibility: **might** read
- advisability: **should** read

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