auxiliary verbs

Grammar's support words

Auxiliary verbs are verbs that combine with main verbs to express tense, mood, or voice.

The primary auxiliaries are be, have, and do: She is running, They have finished, Do you understand?

Modal auxiliaries—can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would—express possibility, necessity, or permission: You must leave, She might come.

Auxiliaries carry the grammatical weight while the main verb carries the meaning.

Related

progressive aspect · were · tense · future tense · copula · perfect · past participle · could · might be · had · should · conjugation · are · grammar · is · passive voice · syntax · shall

Categories
Opposites
grammatical function

auxiliary verbsaction verbs

Words expressing physical deeds

Family

verb, auxiliary, auxiliaries, auxiliary verb

Familiarity
Top 200,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Abstract · Rated G