Uses of auxiliary

verbs

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01 02
Auxiliary verbs
With verb tenses

03 Auxiliary verbs
In questions
04 Auxiliary verbs
To avoid repetition
01 Auxiliary verbs
Help express the main verb’s tense and
modality
 Primary auxiliary verbs:
“be”, “do” and “have”

2
Modal auxiliary verbs:
categories “can”, “could”, “would”, “should”,
“shall”, “might”, “may”, “must”,
“will”, “need”, “ought to”
 Auxiliary verbs to express tense
There are several tenses possible
for us to communicate because of
auxiliary verbs.

Past and present verb forms

• Present simple, present continuous

• Past simple, past continuous
• Present perfect, past perfect
We use auxiliary verbs (be, have, do) to form tenses, questions ad negative forms of the tenses

We have been
He is (was) here for three
months ily
studying to Do all your fam I didn’t get your
re ?
live round he email
become a The film had
doctor started when we
got there
 WH WORD AUX VERB SUBJECT MAIN VERB

What time are your friends arriving?

Where do the other students live?

in your class

What kind of music does your boyfriend listen to?

Past and present verb forms

Present simple vs Past simple vs Present perfect vs

continuous continuous past perfect
Normally, I take the train to I studied new vocabulary Oh no! Claire has already
work but this week I’m I was studying new left
coming by bicycle vocabulary Claire had left by the time
he arrived
 Present Past
Present Past simple
continuous continuous
simple

Temporary, incomplete Actions or states

Permanent Completed that were in
actions
actions or states Things happening actions or states progress at a point
over a limited period of time in the past
of time Incomplete actions
 Present perfect Past perfect

The action happened Things that happened

in the past but is before a point of time
linked, relevant or in the past
important to the
present
Auxiliary verbs: In questions
The auxiliary must agree with the tense and the person of the main
sentence
If there is no auxiliary verb in the previous sentence, we use do or did.

Positive sentence = positive reply ( + = +)

Negative sentence = negative reply ( - = -)
You can show
interest in
A: ‘Sarah hasn’t passed the exam.’ B: ‘Hasn’t she? I thought she what someone
would pass it.’ said by
responding
A: She likes pop music a lot. B: Does she? That’s great ! with a short
question using
A: ‘She left without saying goodbye.’ B: ‘Did she? That’s very rude.’ an auxiliary
verb
 Question tags (type 1)
We use a question tag at the end of a sentence to ask for
confirmation or to check information that we think is true.

POSITIVE SENTENCE = NEGATIVE TAG QUESTION

We use a question tag at the end
He is from Liverpool, isn’t he?
of a sentence to ask for
confirmation or to check
NEGATIVE SENTENCE= POSITIVE TAG QUESTION
information that we think is true.
You have done this before, haven’t you?

*Note that the question tag is separated from the statement by a comma*

If there is no auxiliary verb in the sentence, we use do or did in the question tag.

• Lisa went by train, didn’t she?
• The shops are closed today, aren’t they?
• You don’t have a car, do you?

Sentences with negative words are considered to be negative.

Therefore, they require positive tag question ,

He never drinks alcohol, does he?

Nobody left a message, did they?
 Auxiliary verbs: to avoid repetition
If the first part contains an auxiliary verb, we use the same verb in
the second part.

• I don’t like going to spas, but my wife does. 

• I thought I had lost my keys, but I hadn’t.
• Tom can play the guitar and Tina can’t.   We also use
• She has never had to face such difficulties, but I have. auxiliary verbs
to avoid
repeating
whole phrases
If the first part doesn’t contain an auxiliary verb, we use do or did in the second
part.

• She shares your opinion, but I don’t.

• Some wanted to go on with the plan, but others didn’t.

This use is common in answers to yes/ no questions

A: Have you done your homework yet?

B: Yes, actually, I have ( = done my homework)
PRESENT SIMPLE VS PRESENT CONTINUOUS

Things in
We go out every Saturday progress The sun is shining
Habits
night
Temporary My brother is staying with my
Permanent My sister Works in a bank situations aunt until he finds a flat
actions
A new pattern or These days people are eating
States I look like my mother tendency out more than ever before

The movie is starting at 7:00

General truth London is a big city Future plans pm
Paola is the student who sits at the Paola is the student who is sitting at the
back of the class ( = she always back of the class (she is there now)
does this)

My parents stay at the Metropole My parents are staying at the Metropole

hotel (every time they visit the town) hotel ( in the present period, just for this
time)

He is working in a café ( a He works for a big electrical company ( his

temporary job) permanent job)
 Take Agree
Choose Believe
Call Disagree
Build Forget
Watch Know
Kick Remember
Laugh Think
Forget Adore
Mean Detest
Understand Like
Paint Think Love
Meet Have Hate
Talk Be Want
Play Feel
Organize Hear
Build See
Exercise Smell
Type Taste
Write Be
Read Belong
Control Have
Start Seem
Land Own

STATE VS ACTION VERBS

*State verbs are rarely found in continuous form (ing)