What Are Auxiliary Verbs? (Including Examples and Usage)

We use auxiliary verbs—also known as helping or modal verbs—all of the time in American English. Even if you aren’t familiar with the definition of an auxiliary verb, there’s a great likelihood you’ve used many today before reading this.

In this discussion we’ll review what an auxiliary verb is. We’ll also provide you with examples to reinforce your understanding of how important auxiliary verbs are to our everyday communication.

What Is an Auxiliary Verb?

An auxiliary verb is one that combines with a main verb to form a verb phrase. Together, auxiliary verbs and their main verbs provide further information about an action’s tense, mood, or emphasis.

For example, compare I study with I will study. The auxiliary verb (will) in the second statement indicates a different timing of the action. Consider also I work and I should work. The auxiliary verb in the second statement makes the action suggestive; without an auxiliary, the first statement’s action is assertive.

Just a few common auxiliary verbs are will, shall, should, may, can, and would. These auxiliaries are also known as modal verbs because their forms do not change (I will run, you will run, they will run).

Other auxiliary verbs are variations of be, have, and do. These auxiliaries are known as helping verbs, because they can change form (I am writing, you are writing).

Let’s look at some more examples:

Sheila has already spent the money. (The auxiliary verb lets us know the action occurred in the past.)

All of the donuts will be gone by lunch. (Again, the auxiliary verb tells of the action’s timing.)

Lamar did ace the test by studying for it. (The auxiliary verb informs us of the timing [the past] while also adding emphasis to the action.)

How Are Auxiliary Verbs Used?

As we’ve been discussing, auxiliary verbs provide more information about the context of an action. In this way, they allow for greater precision in our communication than would be possible without them.

That precision includes giving us the ability to negate an action as well. For example, imagine if we could say or write only I no go. That limitation would leave out much information. Now consider the same negation with the help of auxiliary verbs:

I will not go.	I would not go.
I shall not go.	I am not going.
I may not go.	I have not gone.
I cannot go.	I do not go.

With auxiliary verbs, we now have several ways we can further clarify the negated action just as we can an action that is not negated.

Continue Your Study of Grammar

Our website is full of grammar tips and guidance for helping you become an even more precise and eloquent communicator. Whether you have a subject in mind or would just like to browse, our archive has a wide range of articles for enhancing your mastery of American English. We also welcome you to share a comment or thought about the topic on this page in the comments section below.

Pop Quiz

Identify all of the auxiliary verbs in the sentences below.

1. Brian is surely going, but he does not know if Mariah will be joining him.

2. Do you know if it will rain tomorrow?

3. Carina should have an answer soon as long as Peter has properly finished his research.

4. The team is traveling by bus, and the fans can follow in their cars.

5. Najila would like to read more of those books if Petra can make them available.

 

Pop Quiz Answers

1. Brian is surely going, but he does not know if Mariah will be joining him.

2. Do you know if it will rain tomorrow?

3. Carina should have an answer soon as long as Peter has properly finished his research.

4. The team is traveling by bus, and the fans can follow in their cars.

5. Najila would like to read more of those books if Petra can make them available.

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