What Is A Helping Verb?
What is a helping verb? An auxiliary verb (or a helping verb) is a verb that adds functional or grammatical meaning to the clause in which it appears, such as to express tense, aspect, modality, voice, emphasis, etc. An auxiliary verb is most generally understood as a verb that “helps” another verb by adding grammatical information to it.
Auxiliary Verbs: Helping Verbs List
Forms of the verb do (do, does, did), when used with other verbs to enable the formation of questions, negation, emphasis, etc.
Examples:
He does not play volleyball.
He did not play volleyball.
Does he play volleyball?
Did he play volleyball?
Forms of the verb have, when used to express perfect aspect.
Examples:
He has played volleyball.
He had played volleyball.
He has been playing volleyball.
He had been playing volleyball.
When used to express passive voice. Note that have is an irregular verb.
Example:
The house has/had been built.
We use this verb for compound tenses and the passive voice. Note that “be” is an irregular verb.
Examples:
They are teachers.
This was a very interesting experience to them.
When used to express progressive aspect.
Examples:
He is watching TV.
He was watching TV.
He has been watching TV.
He had been watching TV.
When used to express passive voice.
Example:
A letter will be written.
Forms of the verb will, when used form the future tenses.
Examples:
He will not play volleyball.
