Auxiliary Verbs
A verb which helps another verb with respect to formation of its tense, voice or specific meaning is known as an auxiliary verb.
Auxiliary verbs are of two types: Primary Auxiliary Verbs and Modal Auxiliary Verbs.
Primary Auxiliary Verbs
Primary Auxiliary Verb | Functions |
---|---|
To be: am, is, are, was, were, shall, will, being, been | Formation of the progressive tense, passive voice. |
To have: have, has, had | Formation of the perfect tense. |
To do: do, does, did | Formation of interrogation and negation, emphasis, request, invitation. |
Examples:
- They are enjoying themselves in the garden. (Progressive tense)
- The car was being repaired by the man. (Passive voice)
- The computer has completed its task. (Perfect tense)
- Do you know that? (Interrogation)
- I did not buy any papers today. (Negation)
- We did check all the cabins. (Emphasis)
- Do come with me to the cinema. (Request)
Modal Auxiliary Verbs
Modal Auxiliary Verb | Function |
---|---|
Can | Ability, Informal permission, possibility |
Could | Ability, Informal permission, possibility |
May | Formal permission, possibility, expression of wish |
Might | Formal permission, possibility |
Shall | Future action, command, compulsion, formal request |
Will | Future action, determination, threat, promise, intention, wish, invitation. |
Should | Duty/obligation, advice, condition, approval. |
Would | Habitual action, polite request, wish, refusal, determination, invitation. |
Must | Compulsion, determination, duty/obligation. |
Ought (to) | Moral obligation, advice |
Dare | Courage |
Need | Necessity |
Have to | Compulsory obligation |
Examples to understand:
- I can study well in a quiet hall. (Ability)
- Can I see your beautiful eyes? (Informal permission)
- He could not survive in such a critical situation. (Inability)
- Could I have this letter typed? (Polite request)
- You may enter the room. (Formal permission)
- I may go to Pune next week. (Possibility)
- It might rain this evening. (Probability)
- We shall watch a film this evening. (Future action)
- Shall I get you a cup of tea? (Informal request)
- You shall not leave until I permit you to do so. (Command)
- You must remain silent. (Compulsion)
- We ought to respect our senior citizens. (Duty/obligation)
- He dared to face the consequences. (Courage)
- She needs to fill in this form. (Necessity)
- My father has to go to office on Sundays too. (Compulsive obligation)
- You shouldn't talk so impolitely. (Obligation/Advice)
- Would you care for a continental meal? (Formal request)
- Ajith would go out jogging every morning. (Habitual action)
- The students would not admit their fault. (Determination/refusal)
- Father would like a cup of coffee. (Wish/Polite request)
Identify the auxiliary verb and state its functions:
- I don’t know exactly how much it costs.
- We’ll settle up when you get back.
- But I couldn’t find it.
- Parking was prohibited.
- It was not commercially economic to grow it.
- It will produce certain volatile oils.
- He had to consult many scholars.
- She does not give up easily even when the odds are against her.
- She would do well to practise a little more.
- India has committed itself to reducing its carbon emissions by 20-25 per cent by 2020.
- Power shortages could be the single biggest factor to derail the country from its high-growth trajectory.
- Solar water heaters can save enough electricity to pay back for their cost in three to five years.
- The government has launched the Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) mechanism.
- We had to borrow from a lady, who was a housemaid in Chaupati in Mumbai.
- Few people realize that the application of these well-tried methods can revolutionize more new departments of human life.
- Before an idea or opinion can be accepted as truth, it must satisfy certain conditions.
- It must be rational.
- The idea or belief must be consistent with the knowledge already acquired.
- Can faith take the place of reason, knowledge, hard work or right conduct in daily life?
- Can you please take her home?
- Europe has forgotten it, whereas India still uses it.
- It would not be as tasty.
- Politicians don't really catch my attention.
- I don't think it is a correct work ethic.
- This, however, does not last long and cannot be considered as mehendi in its true sense.
Answers
- don’t (do not) - Primary Auxiliary (to do) - Formation of negation.
- ’ll (will) - Modal Auxiliary - Future action.
- couldn’t (could not) - Modal Auxiliary - Inability.
- was - Primary Auxiliary (to be) - Formation of passive voice.
- was - Primary Auxiliary (to be) - Indicates past tense (here, as a linking verb with negation).
- will - Modal Auxiliary - Future action.
- had to - Modal Auxiliary (semi-modal) - Compulsive obligation.
- does not - Primary Auxiliary (to do) - Formation of negation.
- would - Modal Auxiliary - Advice/Suggestion (as in 'would do well').
- has (in 'has committed') - Primary Auxiliary (to have) - Formation of the perfect tense.
- could - Modal Auxiliary - Possibility.
- can - Modal Auxiliary - Ability.
- has (in 'has launched') - Primary Auxiliary (to have) - Formation of the perfect tense.
- had to - Modal Auxiliary (semi-modal) - Compulsive obligation.
- can - Modal Auxiliary - Possibility.
- can - Modal Auxiliary - Possibility; must - Modal Auxiliary - Obligation/Compulsion.
- must - Modal Auxiliary - Obligation/Compulsion.
- must - Modal Auxiliary - Obligation/Compulsion.
- Can - Modal Auxiliary - Asking about possibility/ability.
- Can - Modal Auxiliary - Polite request (asking about ability).
- has (in 'has forgotten') - Primary Auxiliary (to have) - Formation of the perfect tense.
- would not - Modal Auxiliary - Conditional possibility (negated).
- don't (do not) - Primary Auxiliary (to do) - Formation of negation.
- don't (do not) - Primary Auxiliary (to do) - Formation of negation.
- does not - Primary Auxiliary (to do) - Formation of negation; cannot - Modal Auxiliary - Inability.
Difficult Words and Their Meanings:
- Auxiliary: Helping or supporting.
- Tense: The form of a verb that shows the time an action happened (e.g., past, present, future).
- Voice (in grammar): Shows whether the subject of a sentence performs the action (active voice) or receives the action (passive voice).
- Primary (Auxiliary Verb): A basic helping verb (be, do, have) used to form tenses, questions, and negatives.
- Modal (Auxiliary Verb): A helping verb (e.g., can, may, must, should, will) that expresses necessity, possibility, permission, or ability.
- Progressive (tense): Shows an action that is ongoing or in progress (e.g., "is walking").
- Passive (voice): When the subject of the sentence is acted upon by the verb (e.g., "The ball was thrown by the boy").
- Perfect (tense): Shows an action completed at some point in the past or before another past action (e.g., "has eaten," "had finished").
- Interrogation: The act of asking a question.
- Negation: Making a statement negative (e.g., using "not").
- Emphasis: Giving special importance or stress to something.
- Permission: Allowance to do something.
- Possibility: A chance that something may happen or be true.
- Probability: The likelihood of something happening.
- Obligation: A duty or a commitment; something you must do.
- Compulsion: A strong, irresistible urge or a feeling of being forced to do something.
- Determination: Firmness of purpose; not giving up.
- Intention: An aim or a plan.
- Necessity: The state or fact of being required.
- Consequences: The results or effects of an action.
- Impolitely: Rudely; without good manners.
- Habitual: Done regularly or as a habit.
- Rational: Based on or in accordance with reason or logic.
- Consistent: Agreeing or in harmony with; not contradictory.
- Ethic (work ethic): A set of moral principles, especially those related to good conduct in work.
- Volatile (oils): (Of a substance) easily evaporated at normal temperatures.
- Derail: To cause to go off course or stop progressing.
- Trajectory: The path followed by a projectile or object moving under the action of given forces. (Here, refers to a path of growth/development).