Auxiliary Verbs in English: Rules and Examples

Auxiliary verbs, also known as helping verbs, play a key role in forming tenses, questions, and negatives in English. In this guide, you’ll learn their types, how to use them correctly, and common examples — plus simple exercises to help you master this grammar point easily.

I. What Are Auxiliary Verbs?

Auxiliary verbs, also known as helping verbs, are verbs that are used together with a main verb to form a complete verb phrase. They do not carry meaning on their own but support the main verb by adding grammatical information such as tense, voice, mood, or emphasis.

Auxiliary Verbs vs Main Verbs

It’s important to make the distinction:

• Main verbs express the core action or state.
  Example: “She works hard.”

• Auxiliary verbs assist the main verb to express when or how the action happens.
  Example: “She is working hard.”

In this sentence, “is” is the auxiliary verb and “working” is the main verb in the present continuous tense.

Auxiliary verbs play an essential role in everyday English. They are used to:

• Form different tenses (e.g. has eaten, was driving)

• Make questions and negatives (e.g. Do you like coffee?, She doesn’t play the piano.)

• Create the passive voice (e.g. The book was written in 1990.)

• Add emphasis or clarity (e.g. I do want to help.)

Because of their versatility, mastering auxiliary verbs will make your grammar stronger, boost your exam writing scores, and help you understand native speakers more easily.

• For learners strengthening grammar connections, reviewing because and because of can also be helpful.

1. Types of Auxiliary Verbs in English

Auxiliary verbs in English fall into three main categories: Primary auxiliaries, Modal auxiliaries, and Semi-auxiliaries. Each plays a different grammatical role in forming tense, mood, and voice.

Primary Auxiliary Verbs

These are the foundational helping verbs used to form tenses, questions, negatives, and the passive voice. The three main primary auxiliaries are:

• To reinforce foundational grammar, you may also review article in english.

Modal Auxiliary Verbs

Modal verbs express possibility, necessity, permission, ability, obligation, or advice. These always go with the base form of the main verb and do not change their forms.

Common modal verbs include:

Semi-Auxiliary Verbs

Semi-auxiliary verbs are verb phrases or combinations that function similarly to auxiliary verbs but are not part of the core system. They usually consist of a main verb like be, have, or get, followed by an infinitive or gerund.

Unlike pure auxiliaries, semi-auxiliaries carry some independent meaning and often indicate future actions, necessity, or habit in the past.

Mastering all three types of auxiliary verbs will give you a strong foundation to express a full range of meanings in English—from actions and intentions to opinions and obligations.

• To explore another construction involving ‘have,’ review have something done in english.

2. How to Use Auxiliary Verbs Correctly

Auxiliary verbs are essential in building grammatically correct English sentences, especially in questions, negatives, tenses, and even for emphasis. In this section, you'll learn how to use them accurately and naturally in real communication.

Forming Questions and Negatives

To ask questions or make negative sentences in English, especially in simple tenses, we rely on auxiliary verbs like do, does, did, is, are, was, have, or has.

Examples – Forming Questions:

Examples – Making Negative Sentences:

Note: In negative and question forms, the main verb returns to base form (no -ed, no -s).

• For additional structured review, explore learn english grammar

Auxiliary Verbs with Tenses

Auxiliary verbs help express various verb tenses and aspects, such as continuous, perfect, or passive voice.

Emphasis and Short Answers

Auxiliary verbs are also used to:

• Add emphasis: to strongly confirm or contradict something

• Give short answers: in conversation, to avoid repeating the main verb

Examples – Emphasis:

• I do like this song a lot.

• She did call you last night.

Even though “do” is not needed grammatically, it adds strong confirmation.

By using auxiliary verbs correctly, you will make your sentences grammatically accurate, easier to understand, and more natural-sounding. Whether you are writing essays, taking exams, or having conversations, mastering auxiliary verbs is a must.

• You can organize these rules more effectively using english grammar note-taking

II. Auxiliary Verbs Exercises – Practice Your Grammar

Understanding auxiliary verbs in theory is one thing—applying them correctly in real sentences is what truly builds fluency. Below are different types of exercises to help you master the use of be, do, have and modal auxiliaries across tenses, sentence types, and contexts. Try them out and check your answers afterward.

Exercise 1. Fill in the Blanks with the Correct Auxiliary Verb

Instructions: Complete each sentence with the correct form of be, do, or have.

1. She _______ not come to class yesterday.

2. We _______ studying for the exam right now.

3. I _______ finished all my homework.

4. _______ they like spicy food?

5. He _______ never been to London.

6. What _______ you doing when I called?

7. They _______ arrived yet.

Exercise  2. Rewrite the Sentences – Make Them Negative

Instructions: Rewrite each sentence as a negative using the correct auxiliary verb.

1. She plays the piano. → _______________________

2. They have seen the movie. → _______________________

3. He is working late tonight. → _______________________

4. We were talking on the phone. → _______________________

5. You did the right thing. → _______________________

Exercise 3. Choose the Correct Auxiliary Verb

Instructions: Select the correct auxiliary verb to complete the sentence.

1. _______ you ever tried Indian food?
   A. Do  B. Have  C. Did

2. He _______ playing video games when I arrived.
   A. is  B. does  C. has

3. We _______ not believe what we heard.
   A. did  B. have  C. are

4. _______ she working this weekend?
   A. Has  B. Was  C. Is

5. I _______ never seen snow before.
   A. am  B. do  C. have

Answer Key

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These exercises aim to reinforce accuracy, flexibility, and fluency in how you use auxiliary verbs. For best results, review your mistakes and return to the grammar explanation sections above as needed.

III. Crack the IELTS Exam With Confidence

Hopefully, the article about auxiliary verbs provided by PREP above has helped you understand more deeply the meaning and usage of this grammatical item. If you need a confidence boost, PREP’s real-time practice and expert feedback will help you achieve your target band score. 

• IELTS preparation full course: Score Big in IELTS With Our Expert Tips!