Understanding Auxiliaries in English

Summary

• Understanding Auxiliaries in English
• 1.        Introduction
• 2.        Primary Auxiliaries
• 3.        Secondary Auxiliaries (Modal Verbs)
• 4.        Function of Auxiliaries
• 5.        Change of Formation
• 6.        Examples of Application
• 7.        Final Remmarks

1.    Introduction

Auxiliaries play a crucial role in making English grammar efficient and straightforward. These “helper verbs” support the main verb in a sentence, giving additional meaning, structure, or function.

If you want to learn English you must have a great command of auxiliaries and understand it as simple or practical. English is really based on auxiliaries, thus, pay attention to the subject to become a master!

Let’s break down the key points about auxiliaries and why they make English so approachable:

2.    Primary Auxiliaries

Primary auxiliaries include be (forms: am, is, are, were, being and been), do (forms: do, does, did), and have (forms: have, has, had). These verbs perform foundational functions in English sentences:

• Be: Helps form continuous (progressive) tenses and the passive voice.
  • Examples: 

Be (Simple Present)
Positive:	She is a lawyer.
Negative:	She is not a lawyer.
Interrogative:	Is she a lawyer?
Interrogative negative:	Isn’t she a lawyer?

Be (Present Continuous)
Positive:	I am studying.
Negative:	I am not studying.
Interrogative:	Am I studying?
Interrogative negative:	Aren’t I studying?

Be (Passive)
Positive:	The book was written by her.
Negative:	The book wasn’t written by her
Interrogative:	Was the book written by her?
Interrogative negative:	Wasn’t the book written by her?

Be (Continuous Passive)
Positive:	The report is being prepared now.
Negative:	The report isn’t being prepared now.
Interrogative:	Is the report being prepared now?
Interrogative negative:	Isn’t the report  being prepared now?

• Do: Used for questions, negatives, and emphasis.
  • Examples: 

Question	Do you like coffee?	Do they love football?
Negative	You don’t like coffee.	They don’t love football.
Emphasis	You do like coffee.	They do love football.

Question	Did you like coffee?	Did she teach English?
Negative	Didn’t you like coffee?	She didn’t teach English.
Emphasis	You did like coffee.	She did teach English.

• Have: Forms simple and perfect tenses.
  • Examples: 

Present Simple	I have two books.	I have not two books.	Have I two books?	Haven’t I two books?
Present Perfect	I have finished my homework.	I haven’t finished my homework.	Have I finished my homework?	Haven’t I finished my homework?
Past Perfect	She had left before the meeting started.	She hadn’t left before the meeting started.	Had she left before the meeting started?	Hadn’t she left before the meeting started?

3.    Secondary Auxiliaries (Modal Verbs)

Modal verbs, such as can, must, might, should, and will, express abilities, possibilities, permissions, or necessities. They are fixed and do not conjugate, making them easy to use:

Modal Verb	Function	Example
Can	Expresses ability, permission or possibility	I can swim.	You can speak now.	It can be very cold in winter.
Could	Past ability, polite requests, or possibility	When I was younger, Icould run faster	Could you help me?	It could rain this evening.
May	Expresses permission or possibility (formal tone).	You mayenter the room.	It may snow tomorrow.
Must	Conveys obligation or certainty.	You must finish this task.
Might	Indicates lower possibility than “may”.	It might rain later.
Will	Expresses future intention, certainty, or willingness.	I will call you tomorrow.	This will work perfectly	I will help you.
Would	Expresses polite requests, hypothetical situations, or preferences.	Would you like some tea?	If I were rich, I would travel the world.	I would rather stay home.
Shall	Formal suggestion or future action (mainly British English).	Shall we go to the park?	I shall return by 6 PM
Should	Expresses advice, expectation, or obligation.	You shouldeat more vegetables.	He should be home by now.	You shouldcomplete your homework.
Must	Expresses strong obligation or certainty.	You mustwear a seatbelt.	This must be the right answer.
Ought to	Expresses moral obligation or advice (similar to “should”).	You ought toapologize to her.
Need	Necessity (modal form, formal)	You need not stay late.
Dare	Challenge or courage (modal verb, formal)	Dare he speak the truth?

4.    Function of Auxiliaries

Auxiliaries simplify sentence construction and interpretation by:

1. Forming Questions: Instead of complex rearrangements, auxiliaries handle interrogative sentences. Example: Do they know the way?
2. Creating Negatives: Simply add “not” to the auxiliary verb. Example: He does not understand.
3. Creating Negative Questions: Auxiliaries handle interrogative negative sentences. Example: Don’t they know the way?
4. Building Tenses: With primary auxiliaries, you can construct continuous and perfect tenses effortlessly.
5. Giving Emphasis: Example: I do love wine!

5.    Change of Formation

Auxiliaries are indispensable for changing the structure of a sentence, whether it’s positive, negative, interrogative or interrogative negative:

Be (Present Continuous)
Positive:	She is working.
Negative:	She is not working.
Interrogative:	Is she working?
Interrogative negative:	Isn’t she working?

Be (Past Continuous)
Positive:	She was reading a book.
Negative:	She was not reading a book.
Interrogative:	Was she reading a book?
Interrogative negative:	Wasn’t she reading a book?

Do (Simple Present)
Positive:	He plays football
Negative:	He does not play football.
Interrogative:	Does he play football?
Interrogative Negative:	Doesn’t he play football?

Have (Present Perfect)
Positive:	They have visited Paris.
Negative:	They have not visited Paris.
Interrogative:	Have they visited Paris?
Interrogative Negative:	Haven’t they visited Paris?

Will (Future Simple)
Positive:	We will go to the park.
Negative:	We will not go to the park.
Interrogative:	Will we go the park?
Interrogative negative:	Won’t we go to the park?

This consistency removes guesswork, making English grammar more accessible and systematic.

6.    Examples of Application

Auxiliaries are present in countless daily scenarios, ensuring clarity and ease of communication:

• Can you help me? (Modal for permission)
• She has already eaten. (Primary auxiliary for perfect tense)
• They are watching a movie. (Primary auxiliary for continuous tense)
• I do not know the answer. (Primary auxiliary for negation)
• Could you open the window, please? (Modal for polite request)
• He is always working late. (Primary auxiliary for continuous tense)
• Have you finished your assignment? (Primary auxiliary for perfect tense in interrogative form)
• We will travel to Paris next month. (Modal for future intention)
• She must be at the meeting by now. (Modal for certainty)
• Does he like coffee? (Primary auxiliary for forming questions)
• You should call her today. (Modal for advice)
• The letter was sent yesterday. (Primary auxiliary for passive voice)
• I might visit my grandparents this weekend. (Modal for possibility)
• Aren’t they coming to the party? (Primary auxiliary for interrogative-negative form)
• You can borrow my book if you need it. (Modal for permission)

7.    Final Remmarks

By mastering auxiliaries, you unlock the foundation for effective and clear English communication. These small but powerful verbs make all the difference!

If you take the time to understand and practice them, you’ll gain confidence, speak fluently, and express yourself with clarity in any situation. On the other hand, if you neglect their importance, you may find it harder to form accurate sentences, leading to misunderstandings and a lack of confidence when communicating. 

The choice is yours: embrace auxiliaries as your language allies, and watch your English skills thrive!

Prof. Juliana Sammarco Zecchin

I’m a business Lawyer with expertise in Corporate Structuring, Commercial Contracts, and Compliance with Data Protection Laws (LGPD). My professional background includes working in public institutions and corporate law firms, where I’ve gained extensive experience advising companies, multinational corporations, and nonprofit organizations. I’ve adopted a personalized, creative, and innovative approach to legal challenges, delivering simplified and efficient solutions tailored to each client’s needs.