Helping Verbs: Examples of Helping Verbs
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
Helping Verbs: Examples of Helping Verbs
We use helping verbs to “help” main verbs express tense, aspect, voice, mood, possibility, necessity, and other meanings.
What Is a Helping Verb?
Helping verbs, also called auxiliary verbs, are verbs that work with main verbs to form verb phrases. Helping verbs fall into two categories: primary auxiliaries and modal auxiliaries (we’ll explain that more in a moment).
In a sentence with a single main verb in the simple present tense, it’s typically easy to identify the verb. For example:
Jim walks quickly.
Walks is the action being performed by Jim, so that’s the main verb. But what if we want to express a different time (tense) of Jim’s activity? We need another verb to provide that information. In our example with Jim, let’s tell the reader more about his action by placing it in the present progressive tense to convey that he’s doing it now:
Jim is walking quickly.
You see we now have two verbs. The main verb is walking. The word is has been added to “help” further describe the main verb. In this case, the helping verb (is) combines with the main verb (walking) to form the present progressive tense. Together, the helping verb and the main verb add clarity and context. If we say only Jim walks, that action can apply to any place and any time. By saying Jim is walking, we know his action is happening in this moment.
With that in mind, let’s change our helping verb for what we want the main verb to communicate. We’ll adjust our verb tense to the past perfect and add some information:
Jim had already walked to the corner when the ice cream truck came into view.
The main verb is still walk, but our helping verb is now had to let the reader know the action was completed before another past action occurred (the ice cream truck appeared).
Three Common Helping Verbs
Once you understand the principle of helping verbs, finding and using them gets much easier. You can also begin to recognize many of their common forms.
Here are some helping-verb varieties you probably use every day. They are classified as primary auxiliaries because they can change form depending on the subject and tense.
To be: am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been
To have: have, has, had
To do: do, does, did
Examples
We were shopping at the mall yesterday.
Joan had been unaware of that until you informed her.
Does Chris understand what is required to make the deliveries on time?
Let’s look at a few more examples:
The dog was eating the food in the bowl.
Janine has visited her mother.
If you’re wondering, Robert did rehearse for several weeks before opening night.
Note that primary auxiliaries can also function as main verbs or linking verbs when they are not helping another verb.
Examples
We were at the mall yesterday.
Joan has the information now.
Chris does what is required to make the deliveries on time.
Modal auxiliary verbs are other helping verbs you will see paired with main verbs. Common modal auxiliaries include can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, and would.
Modal auxiliary verbs do not change form as primary auxiliary verbs do. They are also always followed by the base form of the main verb.
Examples
I should inform Joan.
You should inform Joan.
We can inform Joan.
They can inform Joan.
Pop Quiz
Identify the helping verbs in the following sentences.
1. Christy was dancing at the wedding.
2. Did you bake that cake on the counter?
3. You have slept longer than usual today.
4. I am flying to Cleveland next month.
5. Bruce was seen by a specialist at the clinic.
Pop Quiz Answers
1. Christy was dancing at the wedding.
2. Did you bake that cake on the counter?
3. You have slept longer than usual today.
4. I am flying to Cleveland next month.
5. Bruce was seen by a specialist at the clinic.
Master Your Grammar One Tip at a Time
No one becomes an expert overnight. Getting good at grammar is a journey through the rules and techniques that make communication accurate, clear, and eloquent. Visit us again soon for more articles. You can also ask a question or suggest a grammar topic in the comments below!
If the article or the existing discussions do not address a thought or question you have on the subject, please use the "Comment" box at the bottom of this page.
It is very important to be able to write and communicate effectively; however, it is not as easy as it may seem. I struggle and have struggled my entire life with writing and my oral communication skills. The articles and practice activities are useful in allowing me to improve my skills, but I know it will require a great deal of practice. I have reached out to family to help tutor me so I can be successful.
We agree that clear, well-expressed communication is an asset to all of us. It is also something we can all aspire to enhance with a little bit of patience, focus, and desire. We hope you continue to visit our website to further develop the areas of grammar and writing that matter to you.
Thanks for the explanation; it’s very clear and helpful.
Your explanation is very clear and understandable. Keep up the good work, and we will subscribe.
Many of the officers_______ responded.
Either “have” or “had” could be grammatically correct.
Thank you very much for your kind explanation in detail.
Can anyone give me an explanation that can be understood by an eight-year-old as to when to use a helping verb with past tense? For instance, why would I say, “Frances has visited his mother” instead of just “Frances visited his mother”?
“Frances visited his mother” is simple past tense. Past tense “visited” means he did it once and it’s completed. “Frances has visited his mother” is present perfect tense. “Has visited his mother” is more open-ended and less definite.
Frances visited his mother (on Sunday).
Frances has visited his mother (on occasion, through the years, periodically).
See our post Present Perfect Tense for more information
I’m a retired NY and FL trial lawyer who taught trial practice in Continuing Legal Education courses for members of both Bars. A technique that I used, which I think is still done, is the “historical present.” During the ’50s, Walter Cronkite MC’d the TV show “You Are There.” It took an historical event (I know my grammar is wrong because what I read today is “a” historical) and had an announcement that “all things are the same as they were then, except you are there.”