Mastering Auxiliary Verbs in English: A Complete Guide with Examples

Learn primary and modal auxiliary verbs with simple examples. Boost your English fluency with this easy guide covering verbs like can, could, may, must, and more!

Mastering Auxiliary Verbs in English: A Complete Guide with Examples

📘 Mastering Auxiliary Verbs in English

🔹 What Are Auxiliary Verbs?

Auxiliary verbs (or “helping verbs”) work with main verbs to form tenses, voices, moods, or questions. They help express nuances like time, possibility, necessity, or emphasis.

There are two main types:
Primary auxiliaries:
  • be (am, is, are, was, were, been, being)
  • have (has, have, had)
  • do (do, does, did)
Modal auxiliaries (modal verbs):

can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, must, ought to, need, dare, etc.

Primary Auxiliaries
1️⃣ BE (am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been)
  • She is reading a book now.
  • They are watching a movie tonight.
  • I was born in India.
  • The work was done yesterday.
  • We were excited about the trip.
2️⃣ HAVE (have, has, had)
  • I have eaten breakfast already.
  • She has visited Paris twice.
  • They have completed the project.
  • He had left before I arrived.
  • We have studied hard for the exam.
3️⃣ DO (do, does, did)
  • Do you play the guitar?
  • She does not like coffee.
  • Did they call you?
  • I do believe in you.
  • Does he work here?
Modal Auxiliaries
4️⃣ CAN
  • She can speak Spanish.
  • Can you help me, please?
  • We can go tomorrow.
  • I can’t hear you.
  • Dogs can learn tricks quickly.
5️⃣ COULD
  • When I was young, I could climb trees easily.
  • Could you open the window?
  • It could rain tonight.
  • We could try a new restaurant.
  • He couldn’t find his keys.
6️⃣ MAY
  • May I come in?
  • You may start the exam now.
  • She may visit us next week.
  • They may be late.
  • It may be difficult, but it’s worth trying.
7️⃣ MIGHT
  • He might call you later.
  • We might go hiking this weekend.
  • I might need your help.
  • It might not work as planned.
  • She might know the answer.
8️⃣ SHALL
  • Shall we dance?
  • What shall I do next?
  • Shall I call you tomorrow?
  • We shall overcome these problems.
  • Shall we start the meeting?
9️⃣ SHOULD
  • You should eat more vegetables.
  • He should be here by now.
  • We should leave early.
  • They shouldn’t do that.
  • Should I bring an umbrella?
🔟 WILL
  • I will call you tonight.
  • She will travel next month.
  • Will you join us?
  • They will be happy to hear this.
  • He will always remember you.
1️⃣1️⃣ WOULD
  • Would you like some coffee?
  • I would go if I could.
  • She would help if you asked.
  • Would they mind waiting?
  • He wouldn’t agree with that.
1️⃣2️⃣ MUST
  • You must finish your homework.
  • They must leave now.
  • He must be the new manager.
  • We mustn’t waste time.
  • Must I attend the meeting?
1️⃣3️⃣ OUGHT TO
  • You ought to see a doctor.
  • He ought to study harder.
  • They ought to arrive by noon.
  • We ought to respect each other.
  • She ought to tell the truth.

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