What are Helping Verbs?
Helping verbs (also called auxiliary verbs) work alongside main verbs to create verb phrases. They provide information about tense, mood, voice, and emphasis.
Common Helping Verbs:
* Be: am, is, are, was, were, been, being
* Have: has, have, had, having
* Do: do, does, did, doing
* Will: will, would
* Shall: shall, should
* Can: can, could
* May: may, might
* Must: must
Examples:
* I am walking to the store. (Helping verb "am" + main verb "walking")
* She has finished her homework. (Helping verb "has" + main verb "finished")
* They will be playing basketball. (Helping verbs "will" + "be" + main verb "playing")
* I could have gone to the party. (Helping verbs "could" + "have" + main verb "gone")
Important Notes:
* Some sentences don't have helping verbs. For example, "He runs" only has a main verb.
* Some words can be both helping verbs and main verbs, like "be," "have," and "do." Look at the whole verb phrase to determine their function.
* There are other helping verbs in specific contexts (e.g., "ought to", "used to").
Practice:
To solidify your understanding, try identifying the helping verbs in these sentences:
1. I might have forgotten my keys.
2. She was playing the piano beautifully.
3. He should be arriving soon.
4. We could have gone to the movies.
Let me know if you'd like more examples or have any other questions!