23 Modal Auxiliary Verbs and Example Sentences
Auxiliary Verbs
In English, auxiliary verbs are the fundamental elements of a sentence. For the following reasons, they are used.
- To make the sentence negative,
- To make the sentence question,
- To mention the time period of the sentence (to mention the tense of the sentence)
They have no meaning when they are used alone. Throughout the page, you will be learning the main auxiliary verbs in English.
The Main Auxiliary Verbs in English:
These auxiliary verbs are commonly used auxiliary verbs in English.
- To be (am, is, are): They are used to mention the tense of the sentence. Also, they are used to ask questions.
- Have and has: These auxiliary verbs have more than one function we will explain this below.
- Do and Does: Generally, they are used in the present simple tense to make questions. The past form of these verbs is “did”.
- Was and Were: “Was” and “were” are the past form of “to be”. These verbs are used to point out the tense of the sentence (Past tense). By the way, you can make questions by these verbs.
- Had: Had is the third form of the have and has. It is used in the present perfect tense.
How do you mention the tense of the sentence?
As we told above, auxiliary verbs can be used to explain the tense of the sentence. Let’s see how it’s done.
- I was running towards the cottage when I was a little child.
- We are getting late, come on! Hurry up!
- She just arrived at the airport, probably she hasn’t got out of the plane.
How do you make the sentence negative?
As we told above, auxiliary verbs can be used for making a sentence negative. You can see how a sentence is made negative by an auxiliary verb.
- You should break up with your girlfriend. She doesn’t love you.
- Can you give me a minute? I haven’t had my lunch yet.
- She wasn’t killed by the suspect lying there.
How do you ask a question by using an auxiliary verb?
To ask a question in English, generally, you use an auxiliary verb. How do you ask a question in English? It should be like the following.
- Did you believe in anything from the beginning of your precious life?
- Do you lie to me in any context, anywhere?
- Were your childhood memories as good as the people from the Arctic?
How do you make a sentence passive voice?
We didn’t mention it in the list above, but auxiliary verbs are used to make sentences with the passive voice. How?
- All my dreams of you were broken by your lies. Thank yourself.
- The terrible silence was ended when the wild wind blows.
- The NASDAQ stocks were dramatically decreased due to the last political developments.
How to stress a verb in a sentence?
Auxiliary verbs can be used to stress out a verb in a sentence.
- I do hate seeing you every night in my dreams.
- She does suck in every job we give her.
- We do love playing music with our best buddies.
