Auxiliary Verb

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D13CQVT01-N
Auxiliary
verbs
Grammar Point:
The Helper “Words”
All the information and examples are extracted from “An A-Z of English Grammar & Usage” by Geoffrey Leech, published in 1989.
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Introduction about
Auxiliary Verbs
An auxiliary verb is usually BEFORE another verb.
Auxiliary verbs “help” other verbs to form Verb Phrases
1. Auxiliary verbs in English:
2. The forms of auxiliary verbs
The Primary Auxiliary Verbs have irregular:
-S form
PAST TENSE form
PAST PARTICIPLE form
b) Modal auxiliary verbs
Will: be willing to; intend to
Shall: intend to (formal); have decided to
May/Can: be possible to do
Can/Could/May: be allowed to do
Must: be necessary; be logically certain
Must/Have To: be required to do
Should/Ought To/Had Better: be obliged to do
Should have/Could have + P.P: was not true, did not happen
Used to/Would: did in the past
Main Use
Less important use
Uncommon use
The modals are a special class of words which behave in a special way
Modal auxiliaries have no –S FORM for the 3rd person singular. Compare:
He works ~ They work
BUT: He will ~ They will


Also, modal auxiliaries do not change their form in other ways: they have no –ing form or P.P form:
works ~ working ~ worked
BUT NOT: must ~ musting ~ musted
Modal auxiliaries always take the first position in a verb phrase
E.g:
Modal auxiliaries come before the NEGATIVE word not
E.g: She may see the play  She may not see the play
Modal auxiliaries (except MAY) have a negative contraction.
E.g: She could see the play  She couldn’t see the play.
Modal auxiliaries go before the SUBJECT in YES-NO QUESTIONS
E.g: She could see the play  Could she see the play?
Modal auxiliaries carry the emphasis in emphatic sentences
E.g: “You should speak to John”  “Yes, I will speak to him”
Modal auxiliaries are used in shortened sentences.
E.g: I’ll speak to him  Yes, so will I
Modal auxiliaries come before adverb like ALWAYS and words like ALL and BOTH, when they are in middle position.
E.g: All the girls will be here  The girls will all be here
I always enjoy singing  I will always enjoy singing
Thanks for your attention!!