Auxiliaries

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Auxiliaries/ Helping verbs Primary Auxiliaries Modal Auxiliaries

)Be( DO CAN
IS DOES COULD
ARE DID MAY
AM HAS MIGHT
WAS HAVE WILL
WERE HAD WOULD
BEEN HAS TO
BEING HAVE TO
HAD TO
They can be used as a They can be used as a OUGHT TO
main verb and also as main verb and also as SHALL
.helping verb .helping verb SHOULD
NEED
DARE

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Auxiliaries(Helping Verb)
Be
(is/am/are/was/were/been and being)
They can be used as a main verb and helping verb.
As a Main Verb: (denote existence and mental condition)
1. He is a carpenter.
2. I am a teacher.
3. We are students.
4. He was tall and fair.
5. The roads were rough and narrow.
6. She is cold/hot. (mental condition)
7. He was excited/calm. (mental condition)

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 Be
(is/am/are/was/were/been and being)
They can be used as a main verb and helping verb.
As a Helping Verb in progressive tenses:
1. He is learning English grammar.

2. I am teaching Accounting in the morning classes.

3. They are watching movies now.

4. She was waiting for me last time.

5. They were playing the games last Friday.

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 Primary Auxiliaries
They can be used as a main verb and also as helping verb.
DO/DOES/DID/HAS/HAVE/HAD
As a main verb:
1. I do my assignment everyday.

2. She does her job very well.

3. We did the task last night.

4. She has a very expensive car.

5. I have a marker now.

6. They had a book last time.

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They can be used as a main verb and also as helping verb.
DO/DOES/DID/HAS/HAVE/HAD
As a helping verb:
1. I don’t complete my task now.

2. She does not work in the class.

3. Ahmad did not study the book last night.

4. She has lost the wallet.

5. We have visited the city.

6. He had bought the car when he was very young.

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 AUXILIARIES AND MODALS

In English language, we have different modes/manners and

attitude toward the action in which a word may be used to
express Moods. (It is derived from Latin word “modus”
means manner.)

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 Modal auxiliaries

Can, could, had better, may, might, must, ought to, shall
should, will, would, must and ought are called modals
which generally express a speaker’s attitudes or moods.
They are used before main verbs and express meanings
such as permissions, possibility, advice, certainty and
necessity.
Need and dare can sometimes be used like modal verbs.

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 Characteristics of Modals

Modals do not change for singular and plural subjects.

1. The students can study English.
2. Ziaullah can study algebra.
Modals do not take suffix and prefix; as, ed, es, er, tion,
We must use base form of the verb after modals. But we have
also exception which are (ought to) as;
You should speak English.
You ought to speak English.

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 Can, Could, May, Might
1. Can usually express ability or capacity ; as,
I can swim across the river.
He can speak French.
We can lift this heavy box.
2. Can and may are used to express permission. May is
rather formal.
You can/may go now.
Can/May I borrow your umbrella?
3. May is also used to express possibility in affirmative
sentences:
It may rain tomorrow.
He may be at home.
We may get good marks in the coming exams. 10
4. In very formal diction, May denotes a wish; as,
May you live happily and long!
May success attend you!
May God succeed you ever.

5. Could and might are used as the past similiar of can

and may; as,
I could swim across the river when I was young. (ability)
He said I might/could go.
(permission)
I thought he might be at home. (possibility)

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 Shall, Should, Will, Would
1. Shall is used in the first persons (I and we) and will is
used in all persons to express future; as,
I shall be twenty-five next birthday.
We shall need the money on 7th April.
When shall we see you again?
He will play the game next month.
2. Shall is sometimes used in the second and third
persons
to express a command, a promise, or threat ; as,
He shall not enter my house again. (command)
You shall have a holiday tomorrow. (promise)
You shall be punished for this. (threat) 12
3. Shall is used in the second and third persons to ask after
the will of the person addressed ; as,
Shall I open the door ? (Do you wish me to open it ?)
Which pen shall I buy? (what is your suggestion ?)

4. Will is used to express (volition) future intention; as,

I will (= am willing to) carry your books.
I will (= promise to ) try to do better next time.
I will (= am determined to ) succeed or die in the attempt.

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5. Will you ? Indicates an invitation or a request ; as,
Will you have tea?
Will you lend me your scooter?

6. Should is used in all persons to express duty or

obligation; as,
We should obey the laws.
You should keep your promise.
Children should obey their parents.

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7. In conditional clauses, should is used to express a
supposition that may not be true.
If It should rain, they will not come.
If he should see me here, he will be annoyed.

Must, ought to
1. Must is used to express necessity or obligation.
You must improve your spelling.
We must get up early.
2. Must is often used when the obligation comes from the
speaker. When the obligation comes from somewhere else,
have to is used often. Compare;
I must be on a diet. ( it is my own idea)
I have to be on a diet. (The doctor has told me to be on a diet)
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3. Must can also express logical certainty.
Living in such crowded conditions must be difficult. (= I am
sure it is difficult. )
You must have left already. ( I am sure she has left already.)

1. Ought (to) expresses stong obligation or desirability;

as,
We ought to love our neighbors.
We ought to help him.
You ought to know better.
Used (to), Need, Dare
1. Used (to) is used for the past habit which is now
discontinued;
I used to live there when I was a boy.
They used to smoke in free time. 16
1. Need is also used as auxiliary to express necessity or
obligation; (but also as a main verb after which we must use
infinitive verb) as,
He need not go now. (auxiliary verb)
She need take her help. (auxiliary verb)
Ali needs to help the poor. (main verb)
The girl needs to know English. (main verb)

1. Dare is also used as auxiliary (= be brave enough to); as, (but

also as a main verb after which we must use infinitive verb)
He dare not take such a step (auxiliary verb)
I dare speak him (auxiliary verb)
He dares to jump in the river. (main verb)
Ahmad dares to stop him. (main verb)

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 Exercise
Choose the correct alternative in the followings:

1. I don’t think I (shall, should, can) be able to go.

2. He (shall, will, dare) not pay unless he is compelled.
3. You (should, would, ought) be punctual.
4. (shall, should, would) you please help me with this ?
5. (shall, Might, Could) you show me the way to the station?
6. I was afraid that if I asked him again he (can, may, might) refuse.
7. He (used , is used, was used) to play cricket before his marriage.
8. You (needn’t , mustn’t , won’t ) light a match; the room is full of
gas.
9. She(would, used, ought) to be an atheist but now she believes in
God.
10. The president ( would, need, is to) make a statement tomorrow

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 EXERCISE

Rewrite each of these sentences, using a modal verb:

1. Possibly she is not Ali’s sister.

2. Perhaps we will go to Mazarshrif next month.
3. My cousin was able to read the alphabet when she was 18 months old.
4. It is not necessary that you do not wash the car. (The paint is still wet.)
5. It is not necessary for you to wash the car. (It is clean)
6. I am certain that they have left already.
7. Do you allow me to use your phone?
8. I was in the habit of going to the beach every day when I was in Chennai.
9. He will probably pass his driving test easily.
10. I am sure he is over seventy

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