VERBS

Helping verbs, also called auxiliary verbs, support the main verb in a sentence. They add meaning related to tense, mood, or voice. Common helping verbs are: be, have, and do.

  • Why We Use Them
    Helping verbs are used to form different tenses, questions, negatives, and emphatic statements. They allow us to express time (past, present, future), ask questions, and emphasize actions.

  • When We Use Them
    We use helping verbs with a main verb to show different tenses, form questions, or add emphasis. For example, helping verbs like do make questions, while have helps form perfect tenses, and be supports continuous tenses.

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

  1. I am eating lunch. (present continuous tense)

  2. She has finished her homework. (present perfect tense)

  3. They were running late. (past continuous tense)

  4. He does want to help. (emphasis)

  5. We have been waiting for an hour. (present perfect continuous)

  6. You did call her, didn’t you? (emphasis)

  7. They are watching a movie. (present continuous)

  8. I was doing my work when you called. (past continuous)

  9. She will be arriving soon. (future continuous)

  10. They have gone to the store. (present

TYPE OF HELPING VERBS

  • "Be" Verbs: am, is, are, was, were, be, been, being (used in continuous/progressive tenses and passive voice)

  • "Have" Verbs: have, has, had (used in perfect tenses)

  • "Do" Verbs: do, does, did (used to form questions, negatives, and emphasis)

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