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What are the 23 helping verbs?

There are actually 12 helping verbs in English, not 23. Here they are, categorized by their function:

Primary Helping Verbs:

* Be: am, is, are, was, were, being, been

* Have: has, have, had, having

* Do: do, does, did

Modal Helping Verbs:

* Can: could

* May: might

* Will: would, shall, should

* Must

These helping verbs work alongside main verbs to create different verb tenses, moods, and voices. They help express ideas like:

* Tense: Present perfect (have/has + past participle), past progressive (was/were + present participle)

* Mood: Possibility (may), obligation (must), ability (can)

* Voice: Passive voice (be + past participle)

Remember, the helping verb always comes *before* the main verb in a verb phrase.

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