Forms of Helping Verbs</a> | <a href=verbs-verb-forms_quiz.htm>Quiz</a></div><h1>Forms of Helping Verbs</h1>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="300" bgcolor="#FFFFCC" align="right"><tr><td><img src="../images-esl/ectip.gif" alt="WSM Image" width=300 height=17 border=0></td></tr><tr><td>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" width="100%"><tr><td>Helping verbs are also called "auxiliary verbs".</td></tr></table></td></tr></table><p>All helping verbs are used with a main verb (either expressed or understood*). There are 2 groups of helping verbs:</p><ul><li><b>Primary helping verbs</b>, used mainly to change the tense or voice of the main verb, and in making questions and negatives.</li><li><b>Modal helping verbs</b>, used to change the "mood" of the main verb.</li></ul><p>Study the table below. It shows the prinicipal forms and uses of helping verbs, and explains the differences between primary and modal helping verbs.</p><p>* Sometimes we make a sentence that has a helping verb and seems to have no main verb. In fact, the main verb is "understood". Look at the following examples:</p><ul><li>Question: <b>Can</b> you <b>speak</b> English? (The main verb <b>speak</b> is "expressed".)</li><li>Answer: Yes, I <b>can</b>. (The main verb <b>speak</b> is not expressed. It is "understood" from the context. We understand: Yes, I <b>can speak</b> English.</li></ul><p>But if somebody walked into the room and said "Hello. I can", we would understand <b>nothing</b>!</p><table border="1" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="0"><tr><td colspan="4"><b>Helping Verbs</b></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><b>Primary</b></td><td colspan="2"><b>Modal</b></td></tr><tr><td>do</td><td>(to make simple tenses, and questions and negatives)</td><td>can</td><td>could</td></tr><tr><td>be</td><td>(to make continuous tenses, and the passive voice)</td><td>may</td><td>might</td></tr><tr><td>have</td><td>(to make perfect tenses)</td><td>will</td><td>would</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="3" colspan="2"></td><td>shall</td><td>should</td></tr><tr><td>must</td><td rowspan="2"></td></tr><tr><td>ought (to)</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">"Do", "be" and "have" as helping verbs have exactly the same forms as when they are <a href=verbs-verb-forms_main.htm>main verbs</a> (except that as helping verbs they are never used in infinitive forms).</td><td colspan="2">Modal helping verbs are invariable. They always have the same form.</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">Primary helping verbs are followed by the main verb in a particular <a href=verbs-verb-forms_main.htm>form</a>:

<ul><li><b>do</b> + V1 (base verb)</li><li><b>be</b> + -ing (present participle)</li><li><b>have</b> + V3 (past participle)</li></ul></td><td colspan="2">"Ought" is followed by the main verb in infinitive form. Other modal helping verbs are followed by the main verb in its base form (V1).
<ul><li><b>ought</b> + to... (infinitive)</li><li><b>other modals</b> + V1 (base verb)</li></ul></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">"Do", "be" and "have" can also function as <a href=verbs-verb-forms_main.htm>main verbs</a>.</td><td colspan="2">Modal helping verbs cannot function as main verbs.</td></tr></table>