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Modal Verbs.

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Modal Auxiliary.

What are modal verbs? They are: Ought to Can Could May

By: Erika Guadalupe Umbral Hernández The verbs can, could, may, might, must, needn´t, ought to, should, shall, will are Modal auxiliary verbs. This small.

MODAL VERBS These verbs have the following characteristics: -They are followed by an infinitive without 'to'. -They do not need auxiliaries for the interrogative.

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MODALS. Look at these sentences: ◦John can drive. ◦You should study every night. ◦They can’t run very fast. ◦We might travel to Italy in the summer. ◦You.

MODALS - INTRODUCTION MODAL VERBS can, could, may, might, must, ought to, shall, should, will and would: are always used before another verb in its infinitive.

InglêsModal Verbs Class – 13/08/2009 – Modal Verbs Apostila 1 - Pages 37, 38 Apostila 2 – Pages 39, 40 For more information on modal verbs and further.

They don´t take ` –s/ -es´ in the third person. She cans play the piano beautifully. They are followed by an infinitive without `to’. She should to eat.

MODAL VERBS.

By teacher Silvino Sieben

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Teacher Silvino Sieben 2nd grade HS. What are modal verbs? Modal verbs are special verbs which behave very differently from normal verbs. They cannot.

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1 Pertemuan 9 > Matakuliah: >/ > Tahun: > Versi: >

General Revision Modal Verbs

should He should go to the doctor. should He should take an aspirin. should He should drink a cup of tea with two panadols. Advice= SHOULD Abilities=

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MODAL VERBS: POWERPOINT PRESENTATION - 26 SLIDES

Subject: English language learning

Age range: 7-11

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

Last updated

11 June 2022

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This PowerPoint Presentation is perfect for teaching Modal Verbs – can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, have to, will and would. These no prep activities would be great for ELA lessons or ELA centers. Your students will love these exercises that are carefully planned for student engagement.

After attempting these New Bloom’s Taxonomy-based activities students will be able to:

• Recall and list the modal verb types with their positions.
• Identify the modal verbs from a given text and say what they express.
• Form and use modal verbs to express ability, possibility, advice, obligation and request.
• Form and use modal verbs to convey various conditions.
• Recognise and correct inappropriate use of modal verbs in writing.
• Produce well-written sentences using modal verbs in correct positions.

Here are some possible uses for these in your classroom:

• To challenge early finishers
• For effective tutoring
• As ESL stations and sub tubs
• As holiday work and homework
• For small group collaborations
• For an end of unit assessments
• For reinforcement and enrichment

More Vocabulary Resources by the same Author:

• Modal Verbs
• Determiners
• Imperative Verbs
• Conditionals
• Synonyms and Antonyms
• Articles (a, an, the)
• Compound Words
• Connectives and Transitions

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A bundle is a package of resources grouped together to teach a particular topic, or a series of lessons, in one place.

VOCABULARY - POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS - BUNDLE

This bundle of 10 products (PowerPoint Presentations) is perfect for teaching Vocabulary - Connectives, Transitions, Synonyms, Antonyms, Determiners, Modal Verbs, Articles, Compound Words, Imperative Verbs and Adjectives. These no prep activities would be great for ELA lessons. Your students will love these challenging exercises that are well-designed for student engagement. This bundle includes PowerPoint Presentations on: * Modal Verbs: 26 Slides * Determiners: 33 Slides * Compound Words: 27 Slides * Definite and Indefinite Articles: 27 Slides * Imperative (Bossy) Verbs: 26 Slides * Synonyms and Antonyms: 21 Slides * Connectives and Transitions: 27 Slides * Adjective Order: 21 Slides * Compound Adjectives: 23 Slides * Adjectives - Degrees of Comparison: 28 Slides ◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈ Save 50% on this BUNDLE! Note: These are also sold separately! ◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈

MODAL VERBS: CLASSROOM RESOURCES - BUNDLE

These bundled resources are perfect for teaching Modal Verbs – can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, have to, will and would. These no prep activities would be great for English lessons or English centers. Your students will love these ELA Boom Cards, Google Slides, PPT, Unit Plan, Worksheets with Answers and Scaffolding Notes. After completing this unit students will be able to: * Recall and list the modal verb types with their positions. * Identify the modal verbs from a given text and say what they express. * Form and use modal verbs to express ability, possibility, advice, obligation and request. * Form and use modal verbs to convey various conditions. * Recognise and correct inappropriate use of modal verbs in writing. * Produce well-written sentences using modal verbs in correct positions. This download includes: * Scaffolding Notes: 5 Handouts * Worksheets with Answers: 24 Exercises * Unit Lesson Plan: 25 Pages * PowerPoint Presentation: 26 Slides * Google Slides: 26 Slides * Boom Cards: 62 Digital Task Cards Here are some possible uses for these in your classroom: * To challenge early finishers * For effective tutoring * As ESL stations and sub tubs * As holiday work and homework * For small group collaborations * For an end of unit assessments * For reinforcement and enrichment ◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈ Save 50% on this BUNDLE! Note: These are also sold separately! ◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈◈

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8 More Grammar Terms You Used to Know: Special Verb Edition

Verbs (which as we discussed here express an action ( yodel ), an occurrence ( develop ), or a state of being ( exist )) are the divas of the Parts of Speech family. They demand to be included in (almost) every sentence and expect everyone to keep up with their often rather eccentric forms. Some verbs are old-school and follow predictable patterns as they go about their business. Others are older than old-school and follow patterns now buried in the language's fossil record.

These changing forms all, of course, have names.

The basic form is called the infinitive . Picture it as the verb with no makeup, in jeans and a t-shirt. It's the stripped-down form, like yodel or go .

Verbs claim most of the territory for expressing when things happen, and they take on different forms, called tenses , to do this. Sometimes the form is simply the infinitive. Other times it's a form that looks absolutely nothing like its plain-Jane infinitive self. Native speakers learn these forms mostly without ever thinking about them.

The main tenses are the present , past , and future . More on these to follow.

The Present Tense

The present tense is used to talk about something that is true now and most of the time. It's also used for something that happens regularly. The present tense always (well, almost always: see the note on be below) uses the infinitive form except in the third-person singular ( third-person singular = when the speaker or writer is referring to a single person or thing who's not you or me or the speaker/writer). Here are some examples with the present tense verb in bold :

A yodeler yodels . Grammarians yodel . My experience shows this to be true. I am neither a grammarian nor a yodeler. You are , for all I know , both a grammarian and a yodeler.

Note that be , the verb in the two final sentences, out-divas even the most diva of verbs and ignores the fact that the present tense always uses the infinitive form except in the third-person singular. It goes with these for the present tense instead:

I am; you/we/they are; he/she/it is

Be also insists on being a major player in the present progressive (also called present continuous ) tense. The present progressive tense indicates that something is happening right now or is continuing to happen, or is used to talk informally about events in the near future. It uses a form of be and the present participle (i.e. the -ing form) of the main verb. Here are some verbs being all present progressive in bold :

The grammarians are yodeling again. One grammarian is yodeling especially vigorously. How many grammarians are yodeling regularly these days? Are you yodeling with the grammarians on the town common on Tuesday?

And just when you were sure grammar couldn't get weirder, the perfect tenses show up. The perfect tenses are special tenses used to show a relationship between two different times. The present perfect uses have/has with the past participle (= a form usually identical to the past tense that generally expresses completed action) to talk about one of four things: 1) activities or states that began in the past and are completed at the time of speaking; 2) past activities that have a result in the present; 3) events that have just happened; 4) events that happened at an unspecified time in the past. Here are examples of each with bold present perfect verb forms:

1) It's true that I have yodeled with the grammarians. 2) I recognize that this fact has changed your opinion of me. 3) The grammarians and I have finished dinner. 4) I have decided not to yodel with them again.

It gets weirder: the present perfect progressive (also called the present perfect continuous ) combines have/has been and a present participle ( -ing form), and is used to talk about events that began in the past and continue in the present moment:

I will not admit that I have been yodeling about grammar in secret for months.

The Past Tense

The past tense is used to talk about events that began and ended in the past:

Just because I yodeled with the grammarians that one time doesn't mean I'm a regular yodeler or a grammarian.

Just as there is a present progressive, there is also a past progressive tense. It's also called the past continuous . It's also called—we kid you not—the imperfect tense. The imperfect tense is formed from was/were and a present participle ( -ing form), and is used to talk about incomplete actions in the past or about states that continued for a period of time in the past. Here are some bold verbs in the imperfect tense:

I was driving home when several yodeling grammarians pinged me at once. I was yodeling that one time because the peer pressure was really unbearable.

But there's also a past perfect tense. It's formed from had and a past participle (=a form usually identical to the past tense that generally expresses completed action), and is used to refer to an action that was completed by a particular time in the past:

I had naively believed that joining in their yodeling a single time would satisfy them.

And of course there is a past perfect progressive (or past perfect continuous ) tense. It's formed from had been and a present participle ( -ing form):

They had been pressuring me to join them in their yodeling for years, and I had been feeling especially vulnerable since my tonsillectomy.

The Future Tense

The future tense is usually formed with will and an infinitive. It's used to predict a future event or condition, as in the following sentences with their future tense verbs in bold :

The grammarians will pressure you to yodel with them too.

In the first person (that is, when the speaker or writer is using I ) and especially in 19th century British novels, shall is sometimes used instead of will :

I confess that I shall always secretly treasure the moments when I yodeled with the grammarians.

An informal form of the future tense uses am/are/is going to instead of will . The going to future tense is very common in speech:

I am going to pretend that we never had this conversation.

The future progressive (also called the future continuous ) tense is formed with will be and a present participle ( -ing form), and is used to talk about an activity that will be happening in the future, or an activity happening now that will end in the future:

Remember: the grammarians will be yodeling on the town common on Tuesday. The grammarians will be practicing privately until then.

The future perfect tense is formed from will have and a past participle (=a form usually identical to the past tense that generally expresses completed action), and is used to refer to an action that will be completed by a specified time in the future:

By this time on Tuesday they will have begun . By Wednesday morning the yodeling grammarians will have smote the town's enemies by repeatedly changing from a falsetto to a natural voice and back again with unprecedented vigor.

The future perfect progressive (or future perfect continuous) tense is formed from will have been and a present participle ( -ing form). It's used to talk about a time in the future when an activity that began earlier will still be continuing:

By Wednesday morning many of us will have been crying for mercy for hours in vain and despite the fact that we are not enemies of the town.

Transitive and Intransitive

We can't talk about verbs without discussing transitive and intransitive verbs. A verb's transitivity or intransitivity is something a native speaker will intuit, but whether you're a non-native learner of English or a native speaker, knowing the difference between the two is funner than yodeling.

A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object —that word or group of words that completes the sentence’s meaning by indicating the person or thing that receives the action of the verb. The direct object often answers the question what? or whom? (We know: whom sounds so stuffy and can be hard to use correctly. But the direct object always requires whom because it's the objective form of who . WHA?, you say? No worries, we have a video about this .)

Here are some transitive verbs in bold with their direct objects in italics :

Grammarians like songs that are easy to yodel . Their yodeling annoys some people . Do you prefer non-yodeling grammarians ?

An intransitive verb is not used with a direct object. If something comes after the verb—that is, in the position usually inhabited by the direct object—it doesn't answer what? or whom? ; instead it typically answers a question like where? , when? , how ?, and how long? . Here are some intransitive verbs in bold with an explanation of what's in the territory (grammatically speaking) that follows the verb:

Several yodeling grammarians live in my building. ( In my building is a prepositional phrase that answers the question "Where do several yodeling grammarians live?".) Most of the grammarians yodel quietly and at reasonable hours. ( Quietly and at reasonable hours is an adverbial phrase that answers the question "How and when do most of the grammarians yodel?".) A few grammarians are rude about the yodeling. ( Rude about the yodeling is an adjective phrase that describes the subject. More on this on the next page.)

A single verb can have both transitive and intransitive uses.

One particularly rude grammarian loudly yodels a different aphorism at midnight each night. Thankfully, that grammarian yodels quite well.

Linking Verbs

Most verbs are what's called action verbs : they can express active action, like run , swing , or levitate ; not-so-active action, like twitch or yodel ; or action that requires no movement at all, like think , imagine , or digress . There are, however, several other kinds of verbs, and you use them all the time.

One very common verb variety is the linking verb . A linking verb (also called a copula ) connects a subject with an adjective or noun (or an adjective phrase or noun phrase) that describes or identifies that subject.

We saw the most common linking verb in a sentence in the last section. Let's revisit it here:

A few grammarians are rude about the yodeling.

Be (which in this sentence takes the form are —such a diva) is a linking verb that connects the subject, a few grammarians with an adjective phrase that describes that subject, rude about the yodeling .

Be is a very common linking verb, and it can connect the subject with words that describe the subject, as we've seen, or words that identify the subject, as here:

The new neighbors are both engineers.

Another common linking verb is become :

They became enchanted by the yodeling. They have both become grammarians.

Some linking verbs, like seem , are often followed by to and a verb; the adjective or noun (or adjective phrase or noun phrase) that follows that verb describes or identifies the subject:

Yodeling seems to be a required skill for grammarians.

Here are some more linking verbs in bold and in action:

The engineers still look like engineers. But they sound like grammarians. How this will affect their professional lives remains unknown at this point.

Some other linking verbs are:

act, appear, come, constitute, equal, feel, form, get, go, grow, keep, make, measure, prove, represent, stay, taste, turn

Note that pretty much all of these can also be action verbs. Here's get first as an action verb and second as a linking verb:

Because of community pressure, the new neighbors get free yodeling lessons from the aphorism yodeler. I'm confident the grammarian-engineers will get better at yodeling.

Auxiliary Verbs

Another kind of non-action verb is the auxiliary verb. An auxiliary verb (also called a helping verb ) is used with another verb (or two other verbs) in a verb phrase.

The auxiliary verbs (which include be , have , do , and the modal verbs like may , shall , will , can , and must ) combine with verbs to do things like show a verb's tense or form a question.

We'll look at the modal verbs in the next section, and deal with be , have , and do here.

All three are used as both independent verbs and as auxiliary verbs.

Have is used to form all the perfect tenses:

has yodeled, had yodeled, have been yodeling, will have yodeled, will have been yodeling

Be is used to form all the progressive tenses :

is yodeling, was yodeling, have been yodeling, had been yodeling, will be yodeling, will have been yodeling

Be is also used in the passive voice, and to join infinitives plus to to the subject of a sentence or clause:

The sound of yodeling is beloved by many, but not all, people. The grammarians are to plead innocent of the charges of disturbing the peace.

Do occurs as an auxiliary verb mainly in negative sentences and in questions:

The imprisoned grammarians do not require bail. Do you want to include anything in the care package we're putting together for the grammarians?

Do is also occasionally used for emphasis. In this use, do is followed by an infinitive without to :

I really do care about grammarians. It does feel awfully quiet around here without those yodeling grammarians.

Do may also substitute for another verb that has just been stated:

The grammarians tried their best, and so did the engineers.

Modal Verbs

A small group of auxiliary verbs, called the modal verbs (or modal auxiliary verbs , modal auxiliaries , or simply modals ) are only used in combination with ordinary verbs. A modal verb changes the other verb's meaning to something different from simple fact. Modals may express permission, ability, prediction, possibility, or necessity. The principal modal verbs are:

can, could, may, might, must, ought, shall, should, will, would

The modal verbs are different from ordinary verbs in several ways: 1) they have no inflections at all; that is, they lack an -ing form, an -ed form, and even an -s form for the third-person singular; 2) a modal verb is always followed by the infinitive form of a verb (unless that verb has already been stated) but never follows another verb; 3) modal verbs do not follow to and are not followed by to . ( Ought to , like the near-modal verb have to , is a special case.)

In their simple form, modal verbs normally refer to present or future time:

It must be almost time for the grammarians to yodel again. They might yodel again tomorrow. As they now know quite clearly, yodeling can be dangerous.

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MODALS. Review. What are modal verbs?. They are: Can Could May Might Must Shall Should Will Would. Ought to. They are auxiliary verbs that provide additional and specific meaning to the main verb of the sentence. Modal verbs are sometimes referred to as

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Presentation Transcript

MODALS Review

What are modal verbs? • They are: • Can • Could • May • Might • Must • Shall • Should • Will • Would • Oughtto They are auxiliaryverbs that provide additional and specific meaning to the main verb of the sentence Modal verbs are sometimes referred to as Modalauuxiliaryverbs because they help other verbs

How do we use modals? Example: Marycouldplaythe piano S Subject V Verb M They do not accept conjugation They do not need other auxiliary verbs

Form • He can ski He cans ski or He can skis • Wouldyou like to come with me? Do you would like to come with me? • They can’t be serious They don’t can be serious There is no “s” in singular There is no “do / does” in the question There is no “don’t / doesn’t” in the negative

Form Modal verbs do not have infinitives or –ing forms to can / caning to must /musting She must study We should have gone the other way He couldplayfootball in hisyouth (general ability) Modal verbs are followed by an infinitive withoutto

Form Modal verbs do not have all the tenses Modal verbs use other verbs to complete the tenses Can is completed with be able to Mustis completed withhave to You must come early They can play the piano They will be able to play the piano in the future You had to come early yesterday

What do they express? • Theycan have different meanings depending on the situations they are used • To understand it better we are going to divide them into 3categories • Single Concept Modal: they have one meaning • Double Concept Modal: they have two meanings • Modals in past: They are used to express a situation in the past

Single Concept Modal

Double Concept Modal

Modals in the Past • They are modals referred to actions that happened in the past Itmust have beena difficult decision They should have invited her to their wedding • MODAL + HAVE + verb in past participle

Modals in Past : Modal + have + past participle

A last tip There are few verbs which often serve as modals too. These are modal-like verbs They need to be conjugated

Modals-like verbs

Practice • My son ___ be home by now. Where can he be? a. Have to b. Would c. Should d. Could • I think your thumb is broken. You ___ go to the emergency room. a. Might b. could c. ought to d. can • If you are interested in losing weight, you ______ try this new diet. a. Could b. mustn’t c. don’t have to d. had to • Johnnie’s fallen down the stairs! I ________ call an ambulance! a. Will b. might c. may d. ought to • You _______ come tooearly. Wewon’tleaveuntil 9 o’clock. a. Has to b. must c. needn’t d. can’t

Practice • Children ________ beaccompaniedbyanadult at the zoo. a. Ought to b. must c. would d. mustn’t • You _________ talkduringtests. It’sforbidden! a. don’thave to b. mustn’t c. couldn’t d. ought to • I can feeltheheat. We _________ benearthefire. a. Can b. would c. must d. have to • They ________ hearhimbecause he was whispering. a. Wouldn’t b. mustn’t c. shouldn’t d. couldn’t • You’veneverheard of BritneySpears! You ________ beserious! a. Must b. had to c. can’t d. shouldn’t

Practice • __________ youlike to havedinnerwith me tonight? a. Could b. may c. should d. would • You _________ lethimhear about the partytomorrow. It’s a surprise! a. mustn’t b. wouldn’t c. couldn’t d. can • __________ I speak to the Chief of Police, please? a. Must b. May c. Would d. Need • He has arrived late. He _______ missedthe bus a. Must have b. Should have c. Could have d. must

More practice • Re-write the following sentences using modals so that they have the same meaning. • I suggest that you get a good lawyer! You ___________________________________________ • A university degree isn’t necessary for that job. You ___________________________________________ • Perhaps my father will pick you up. My father _______________________________________ • 4. Eating is forbidden in class! You ___________________________________________ should get a lawyer needn’t have a university degree for that job don’t have to have a university… may / might pick you up mustn’t eat in class

More practice • Re-write the following sentences using modals so that they have the same meaning. • Look at his dirty clothes! I’m sure he is a poor person. He ____________________________________________ • I don’t believe that the legend of Hercules is true because there’re many contradictions. The legend of Hercules ____________________________ must be a poor person can’t be true

Use your imagination • Think about these situations and create a sentence using modals. • We are going to Paris for a weekend. (Make suggestions about things to do) • We start school in September. (Talk about necessity) • Margaret is a very talented sportswoman. (Talk about ability) • You have just won the lottery! (Talk about possibility) • Peter has got a headache and a congested nose. (Give him some advice) • You want to borrow your uncle’s Mercedes Benz. (Ask for permission politely)

Possible answers 1. We could visit the Louvre / We should go up the Eiffel Tower 2. We have to buy a new notebook 3. She can speak 3 languages! / She is able to play the piano and the violin 4. I might stop working / I may buy a new car / I can travel to New York 5. You should see a doctor / You ought to drink hot tea 6. Can I borrow your car, please? or May I borrow your car, please?

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Modals and Semi Modals

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Modals. Degrees of Certainty. How certain is it? (present t ime). Ali has been studying in IEP for 1 and a half years. I’m sure that Ali speaks English well now. Ali must speak English well now. Ali may/might/could speak English well now. more certain. 100%. 95%. 50%. Azar p. 180.

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Modals and semi-modals

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Modals. What are modal verbs?. They are: Can Could May Might Must Shall Should Will Would. Ought to. They are Auxiliary verbs that provide additional and specific meaning to the main verb of the sentence. Modal verbs are sometimes referred to as

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MODALS . THEORY & EXERCISES. What are « modals »?. Modals (or modal verbs, auxiliaries) are used to modify the main verb and give a new meaning to the sentence. The most common structure is modal + infinitive : I work I can work I must work I should work. OBLIGATION

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modals. MEANING have to & must. WHAT DO THESE SENTENCES MEAN? IS THERE ANY DIFFERENCE? In Britain, all school children have to wear a uniform. You have to speak English in class. I must do my homework every day. I must speak English in class.

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MODALS. Modals. . Los verbos modales van seguidos de infinitivo. . El modal funciona de verbo auxiliar, es decir, se niega y se usa para empezar una interrogativa. (Excepción el verbo HAVE TO). Modals. Hacer una sugerencia y dar consejo. debería. should. Modals. no debería. shouldn’t.

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Modals. Modals are words that add a specific meaning to the sentence. ال Modals هي كلمات تضيف معنى محدد الى الجملة. There are five modals:. 1- Can: (يستطيع) it gives a meaning of ability ( قدرة ) . Example: I can read English.

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HAVE GOT TO. MUST. CAN. MUST HAVE BEEN. MODALS. MAY. AND SKELETONS. SHOULD. HAVE TO. MIGHT. HAD BETTER. Modal Final Test Modals and Related Expressions. must. don’t have to. couldn’t. must have been. Can you. don’t have to. must. couldn’t. shouldn’t. have to. may.

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Modals. Joonhee & Sophia. Modals. A type of helping verb : Can, Could, May, Might, Must, Should, Will , Would. 1. Can, Could. - Of someone’s ability When they are three, most children can speak. Can you use a computer? I can’t understand this exercise. Present

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Modals. Can't act alone Must go with a main verb. Modals have more tan one meaning. Ability We can swim. Asking for permission Can we stay here?. Request Can you give me some information?. Inability/impossibility We can't do it. Could. Asking for Permission

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MODALS. CAN COULD BE ABLE TO. Can is an auxiliary verb, a modal auxiliary verb. We use can to:. talk about possibility and ability make requests ask for or give permission.

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A Guide to Auxiliary Verbs in English

We use auxiliary verbs to form verb tenses, ask questions, state negatives and much more., i want to learn....

The auxiliary verb is an essential part of communication in English. Auxiliary verbs include words such as do, be , and have . They are often referred to as helping verbs, and they assist us in both everyday communication and more advanced English use.

Modal verbs like can, should , and would are also auxiliary verbs. They layer our sentences with nuance and reveal whether an action is possible or allowed. We also use them to make our language more polite and less direct.

Although auxiliary verbs are absolutely necessary for even basic communication, they are often difficult to master. Read on to learn the ins and outs of auxiliary verb use and improve your English skills!

What are auxiliary verbs?

Auxiliary verbs, also called helping verbs, support the main verb of a sentence. They give us information about the action in a sentence, including:

• when the action takes place and if it’s still ongoing
• the order of actions in a sentence
• how the action is done or should be perceived
• whether the action is in the active voice or passive voice

Auxiliary verbs are also needed to form questions and negative statements.

The main auxiliary verbs are to be, to have , and to do . Modal verbs are also auxiliary verbs – these are words like will, can , and should .

Auxiliary verbs and tenses

We use auxiliary verbs to create complex English verb tenses.

Verbs in the past simple and present simple tenses don’t require an auxiliary verb. They’re expressed using the simple present or simple past form of the verb.

Present simple verb examples:

• They live in the United States.
• _She works in downtown Los Angeles.
• We call each other every week.

Past simple verb examples:

• You did an excellent job on the presentation Monday afternoon!
• He spoke to the neighbors yesterday morning.
• I rode the bus to work all last week.

Review our detailed guide on irregular verbs in English if you need a quick recap!

The auxiliary verb ‘to have’ for perfect tenses

The present perfect tense indicates that an action started and is still ongoing, or that it’s relevant at the moment of speaking. We also use it when discussing past experiences without providing a specific time, or to express the length of time something has occurred.

In order to say anything in the present perfect tense, you have to add the the auxiliary verb have or has before the main verb:

• I have lived in Toronto for 10 years.
• They have learned English thanks to Busuu.
• She has finished the report already.

As one of the narrative tenses, we use the past perfect to describe a past event that happened before another past event. You must use the auxiliary verb had to construct the past perfect tense:

• We had left the house by the time they arrived.
• Jones had already spoken to Martha before I learned of the matter.
• The dog had eaten the food just 5 minutes after you left!

The auxiliary verb ‘ to be ’ for past and present continuous

Continuous tenses indicate that an action is temporary and in progress (or was in progress) at a specific time. We also rely on the present continuous to talk about future plans.

We use the auxiliary verb to be in the continuous tense structure.

Present continuous examples:

• Everyone is running outside to check out the fireworks.
• I’m taking an Italian class this semester.
• We’re graduating next year.

Past continuous examples:

• Teachers were teaching via Zoom during the pandemic.
• My husband and I were visiting his relatives when he received the news.
• The plants were growing rapidly during the summer.

We can combine both auxiliary verbs ( to have and to be ) to form perfect continuous tenses.

Present perfect continuous examples:

• The city has been trying to help its citizens during the crisis.
• Environmental activism has been gaining momentum over the past decades.

Past perfect continuous examples:

• Steven had been studying medicine for 3 years when he decided to switch to law.
• Fans had been waiting for a miracle win since the middle of the season.

Take a look at our comprehensive list of verb conjugations in English to review English tenses in-depth.

Put your knowledge of auxiliary verbs to use

Auxiliary verbs can help you describe every detail of your last trip or that project you’re excited about. Master auxiliary verbs with the help of our expert-designed lessons.

Modal auxiliary verbs

Modal verbs are another type of auxiliary verb. Depending on the modal auxiliary verb used, we can show whether an action is required, possible or permissible, and if the subject is able or unable to perform an action. Let’s look at how different modal verbs are used in daily communication.

Will is the only one of the modal auxiliary verbs that tells about the time an action occurred. It is used to express the future simple .

• I will do the laundry tomorrow.
• She will visit me next summer.

We can combine will with the auxiliary verbs to have and to be to form complex future tenses:

• They will have graduated by this time next year. (future perfect)
• The celebrity will be signing autographs tomorrow. (future continuous)

By the end of this year, I will have been studying English for 5 years. (future perfect continuous)

Can and could

The modal verb can tells us that something is possible or is allowed in the present, while could is used to discuss ability and possibility in the past:

• Children can learn things more quickly than adults.
• You can swim on the beach until 7pm.
• The employees could work from home in 2022.
• My husband couldn’t enter the building last night.

Could may also be used to express politeness when giving a suggestion or asking for help:

• Could you help me with this?
• She could ask for more time off.

Use would to describe a past habit (similar to used to):

• Every day after school, I would go to the supermarket and get some snacks.
• When I was younger, learning a language would entail writing conjugation tables in a notebook.

Would is commonly found in conditional statements:

• Employees would appreciate it if they got more vacations.
• Concerts would be more enjoyable if people didn’t use their phones to record them.

Add would to make a polite request, give a suggestion or state an opinion:

• Would you be my Valentine?
• You would make a great teacher!

Express a desire with * would *:

• They would love to spend the rest of the day exploring the city,
• The customer would appreciate it if you spoke with her.

The auxiliary verb should is used to give a suggestion or recommendation. Use should to make polite requests:

• We should head home. It’s getting late.
• Tom should go back to school to get a degree.

Might and may

Similar to can and could , might and may are also used to suggest that something is possible. They are often used interchangeably. Nevertheless, they each express specific meanings depending on their use.

May is used to:

Note a strong possibility or infer a future action Congress may vote on the matter tomorrow if there is enough momentum. This color for the wall may clash with the rest of the furniture.

Give permission You may start your exams now. The students may take a short vacation as long as they complete their assignments .

Express a wish May the force be with you. May your hopes and dreams come true.

State a possible result If I have some free time tomorrow, I may organize my closet. If we don’t bring in more sales, we may have to change our strategy.

Might is appropriate when:

Suggesting something is a possibility, but with less certainty than may I might run into her at the party, but I’m not sure. There might be a snow day tomorrow for the kids.

Forming second and third conditionals If I were a millionaire, I might donate more to charities. He might have been a singer if he had taken voice lessons when he was younger.

Report what someone said They said they might stay longer if they found a place to stay.

Want to use modal verbs to sound more polite? Learn more about formal and informal language in English.

Other uses of auxiliary verbs

Beyond these many functions, auxiliary verbs are also needed to ask questions, express negative statements, and write sentences in the passive voice.

Auxiliary verbs and questions

When forming questions with tenses or actions that already use auxiliary verbs, we simply switch the subject and the auxiliary verb:

Lexi is working the late shift. → Is Lexi working the late shift?

We can travel by bus to Denver. → Can we travel by bus to Denver?

The baby had been sleeping for hours when I arrived. → Had the baby been sleeping for hours when I arrived?

The United States will be hosting the Olympics in the next decade. → Will the United States be hosting the Olympics in the next decade?

For ‘wh-’ or open-ended questions in English , we simply add the question word in front of the auxiliary verb:

• When is Lexi working the late shift?
• How can we travel by bus to Denver?
• Where had the baby been sleeping for hours when I arrived?
• Why will the United States be hosting the Olympics in the next decade?

We use the auxiliary verb to do to form ‘yes or no’ questions and ‘wh-’ questions when an auxiliary verb is not already used to state the action:

• Do you know what time it is?
• Does the writer express his opinion in the piece?
• What nutrients do fruits and vegetables provide us with?
• Where did Charles Darwin go during his travels?
• How did you learn to speak English so well?
• Did the guests arrive at the party on time?

Negative statements and auxiliary verbs

We also add the auxiliary verb to do in front of the main verb when forming negative statements and questions in English. Its present form is does or does not , and the past form is did not .

• They didn’t call the parents until the situation was under control.
• My favorite TV show doesn’t start until 7pm.
• Why doesn’t this airline fly out of LAX?
• Didn’t you get the message I sent you last weekend?

As with positive statements or questions, statements that already include the auxiliary verb do not need an additional auxiliary to be negated. We simply add the word not after the modal verb. The only exception is will , which changes to will not or won’t in the negative.

• The Mona Lisa isn’t as large a painting as everyone expects.
• You won’t believe what I’ve got to tell you!
• Young children shouldn’t spend too much time looking at screens.
• Haven’t the police been made aware of the situation yet?
• Were you not busy when they called last night?

Using the verb to be in the passive voice

When we want to express an action in the passive voice, we use the auxiliary verb to be followed by the past participle. To be is conjugated depending on the tense of the sentence.

• present simple passive – This building is owned by a group of siblings .
• present continuous passive – Sandra is being tutored by a student in a higher grade.
• present perfect passive – One of my car’s tires has been stolen!
• past simple passive – My hair was cut by a great hairstylist.
• past continuous passive – Pamphlets were being handed out in front of the library.
• past perfect passive – The news hadn’t been broadcast to the general public.
• future simple passive – You will be informed of the decision via email.
• future perfect passive – The packages will have been delivered before the holidays.

Avoid overusing the passive voice and stick to the active voice whenever possible. See our article on when and when not to use the passive voice in English.

Tips on using auxiliary verbs

The first step to mastering auxiliary verbs is to follow the rules above and use each one in the appropriate situation.

Here are some additional tips to keep in mind.

1. Don’t leave out the auxiliary verb

People often mistakenly leave out auxiliary verbs in spoken English.

• She being rude to me! → She is being rude to me!
• We not go to the mall every weekend. → We do not go to the mall every weekend.
• Where the doctor go? → Where did the doctor go?

2. Conjugate do, be , and have for the third-person singular

The form of do, be, and have is the same for all subjects except the third person singular ( he, she, it ).

❌My dog don’t like staying outside long. ✔ ️My dog doesn’t like staying outside long.

❌The councilman’s secretary have been communicating with the other council people. ✔ ️ The councilman's secretary has been communicating with the other council people.

❌ Are the plumber working on the downstairs bathroom? ✔ ️ Is the plumber working on the downstairs bathroom?

3. Don’t conjugate the main verb In questions, negative statements, and sentences with modal auxiliary verbs, the main verb is in the bare infinitive form (the verb without to, like travel, go, study, and so on).

They couldn’t join the others on time so they got seats in the back of the theater. → Not ‘ They couldn’t joined ’

Doesn’t your sister work at the French embassy in Washington? → Not ‘Doesn’t your sister works ’

He won’t find his birthday present if we hide it in the basement. → Not ‘ He won’t finds ’

An exception is perfect and continuous tenses, where the main verb is the past participle or a gerund form, respectively.

4. Do not add to after an auxiliary verb

We don’t add the word to between the auxiliary verb and the main verb:

We should to go to the cinema . [Incorrect] We should go to the cinema . [Correct]

The professor will to assign new homework next week. [Incorrect] The professor will assign new homework next week . [Correct]

These shoes don’t to match the dress . [Incorrect] These shoes don’t match the dress. [Correct]

Learn your auxiliary verb rules

Learning to use auxiliary verbs correctly takes practice. However, they’re an essential part of English grammar, so try to get the hang of them before moving to more advanced English grammatical topics.

The auxiliary verbs to be and to have allow us to form complex tenses like the perfect tense and the continuous tenses. The verb to be is also key to constructing the passive voice.

We rely on the helping verb to do to create questions and negative statements in the past and present when no other auxiliary verbs are part of the verb.

We add modal auxiliary verbs like can, should , and would to our sentences when we want to indicate something is possible, probable or permissible, and to express many other ideas.

Study each use of auxiliary verbs carefully, and look at plenty of examples. Since they are so common in everyday communication, you’re sure to get the hang of them with practice. Happy learning!

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