Auxiliary Verbs

Auxiliary Verbs are the verbs be, do, have, will when they are followed by another verb (the full verb) in order to form a question, a negative sentence, a compound tense or the passive.

The verb "to be"

The verb be can be used as an auxiliary and a full verb. As an auxiliary we use this verb for compound tenses and the passive voice. Note that be is an irregular verb:

Simple Present:

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

Simple Past:

I/he/she/it was, we/you/they were

Past Participle:

been

You can tell that in the following sentences be is an auxiliary because it is followed by another verb (the full verb). (For progressive forms use the "-ing" form of the full verb; for passive voice, use the past participle of the full verb.)
Progressive Forms

Present Progressive:

He is playing football.

Past Progressive:

He was playing football.

Present Perfect Progressive:

He has been playing football.

Past Perfect Progressive:

He had been playing football.

Passive

Simple Present/Past:

The house is/was built.

Present/Past Perfect:

The house has/had been built.

Future I:

The house will be built.

"be" as a full verb
The verb be can also be a full verb. In this case, it's not followed by another verb. If be is used as a full verb, we do not need an auxiliary in negative sentences or questions.

positive sentence:

They are fifteen years old.

negative sentence:

They are not fifteen years old.

question:

Are they fifteen years old?

The verb "have"

The verb have, too, can be used both as an auxiliary and as a full verb. As an auxiliary we use this verb to form compound tenses in active and passive voice. (Use the past participle of the full verb.)
Compound Tenses - Active Voice

Present Perfect Simple:

He has played football.

Past Perfect Simple:

He had played football.

Present Perfect Progressive:

He has been playing football.

Past Perfect Progressive:

He had been playing football.

Compound Tenses - Passive Voice

Present/Past Perfect:

The house has/had been built.

Note that have is an irregular verb, too:

Simple Present:

I/we/you/they have, he/she/it has

Simple Past:

I/he/she/it/we/you/they had

Past Participle:

had

"have" in positive sentences
As a full verb have indicates possession. In British English, however, we usually use have got (have being the auxiliary, got the full verb).

full verb:

I have a car.

auxiliary verb:

I have got a car.

"have" in negative sentences and questions
When we use have as a full verb, we must use the auxiliary do in negative sentences and questions. If we use have got, however, we do not need another auxiliary.

have as a full verb:

I do not have a car.

Do I have a car?

have as an auxiliary verb:

I have not got a car.

Have I got a car?

The verb "will"

The verb will can only be used as an auxiliary. We use it to form the future tenses.
The auxiliary verb "will"

Future I:

He will not play football.

Future II:

He will have played football.

The verb will remains the same for all forms (no "s" for 3rd person singular). The short form for negative sentences is won't.'

Examples:

I will, he will

I will not = I won't

The verb "do"

The verb do can be both an auxiliary and a full verb. As an auxiliary we use do in negative sentences and questions for most verbs (except not for be, will, have got and modal verbs) in Simple Present and Simple Past. (Use the infinitive of the full verb.)
The auxiliary "do" in negative sentences

Simple Present:

He does not play football.

Simple Past:

He did not play football.

The auxiliary "do" in questions

Simple Present:

Does he play football?

Simple Past:

Did he play football?

The verb do is irregular:

Simple Present:

I/we/you/they do, he/she/it does

Simple Past:

I/he/she/it/we/you/they did

The full verb "do"
As a full verb we use do in certain expressions. If we want to form negative sentences or questions using do as a full verb, we need another do as an auxiliary.

positive sentence:

She does her homework every day.

negative sentence:

She doesn't do her homework every day.

question:

Does she do her homework every day?

Sentences without the auxiliary "do"

In the following cases, the auxiliary do is not used in negative sentences/questions:
the full verb is "be"

Example:

I am not angry. / Are you okay?

the sentence already contains another auxiliary (e.g. have, be, will)

Example:

They are not sleeping. / Have you heard that?

the sentence contains a modal verb (can, may, must, need, ought to, shall, should)

Example:

We need not wait. / Can you repeat that, please?

the question asks for the subject of the sentence

Example:

Who sings that song?

Irregular verbs

Infinitive	Simple Past	Past Participle
alight	alighted, alit	alighted, alit
arise	arose	arisen
awake	awoke, awaked	awoken, awaked
be	was, were	been
bear	bore	borne, born
beat	beat	beaten, beat
become	became	become
beget	begot	begotten
begin	began	begun
bend	bent	bent
bereave	bereaved, bereft	bereaved, bereft
beseech	besought, beseeched	besought, beseeched
bet	bet, betted	bet, betted
bid	bade, bid	bidden, bid, bade
bide	bade, bided	bided
bind	bound	bound
bite	bit	bitten
bleed	bled	bled
bless	blessed, blest	blessed, blest
blow	blew	blown
break	broke	broken
breed	bred	bred
bring	brought	brought
broadcast	broadcast, broadcasted	broadcast, broadcasted
build	built	built
burn	burnt, burned	burnt, burned
burst	burst	burst
bust	bust, busted	bust, busted
buy	bought	bought
can	could	(kein Participle)
cast	cast	cast
catch	caught	caught
choose	chose	chosen
cleave	cleft, cleaved, clove	cleft, cleaved, cloven
cling	clung	clung
clothe	clothed, clad	clothed, clad
come	came	come
cost	cost	cost
creep	crept	crept
crow	crowed	crew, crowed
cut	cut	cut
deal	dealt	dealt
dig	dug	dug
do	did	done
draw	drew	drawn
dream	dreamt, dreamed	dreamt, dreamed
drink	drank	drunk
drive	drove	driven
dwell	dwelt, dwelled	dwelt, dwelled
eat	ate	eaten
fall	fell	fallen
feed	fed	fed
feel	felt	felt
fight	fought	fought
find	found	found
flee	fled	fled
fling	flung	flung
fly	flew	flown
forbid	forbad, forbade	forbid, forbidden
forecast	forecast, forecasted	forecast, forecasted
forget	forgot	forgotten
forsake	forsook	forsaken
freeze	froze	frozen
geld	gelded, gelt	gelded, gelt
get	got	got, gotten
gild	gilded, gilt	gilded, gilt
give	gave	given
gnaw	gnawed	gnawed, gnawn
go	went	gone
grind	ground	ground
grip	gripped, gript	gripped, gript
grow	grew	grown
hang	hung	hung
have	had	had
hear	heard	heard
heave	heaved, hove	heaved, hove
hew	hewed	hewed, hewn
hide	hid	hidden, hid
hit	hit	hit
hold	held	held
hurt	hurt	hurt
keep	kept	kept
kneel	knelt, kneeled	knelt, kneeled
knit	knitted, knit	knitted, knit
know	knew	known
lay	laid	laid
lead	led	led
lean	leant, leaned	leant, leaned
leap	leapt, leaped	leapt, leaped
learn	learnt, learned	learnt, learned
leave	left	left
lend	lent	lent
let	let	let
lie	lay	lain
light	lit, lighted	lit, lighted
lose	lost	lost
make	made	made
may	might	(kein Participle)
mean	meant	meant
meet	met	met
melt	melted	molten, melted
mow	mowed	mown, mowed
pay	paid	paid
pen	pent, penned	pent, penned
plead	pled, pleaded	pled, pleaded
prove	proved	proven, proved
put	put	put
quit	quit, quitted	quit, quitted
read	read	read
rid	rid, ridded	rid, ridded
ride	rode	ridden
ring	rang	rung
rise	rose	risen
run	ran	run
saw	sawed	sawn, sawed
say	said	said
see	saw	seen
seek	sought	sought
sell	sold	sold
send	sent	sent
set	set	set
sew	sewed	sewn, sewed
shake	shook	shaken
shall	should	(kein Participle)
shear	sheared	shorn, sheared
shed	shed	shed
shine	shone	shone
shit	shit, shitted, shat	shit, shitted, shat
shoe	shod, shoed	shod, shoed
shoot	shot	shot
show	showed	shown, showed
shred	shred, shredded	shred, shredded
shrink	shrank, shrunk	shrunk
shut	shut	shut
sing	sang	sung
sink	sank	sunk
sit	sat	sat
slay	slew	slain
sleep	slept	slept
slide	slid	slid
sling	slung	slung
slink	slunk	slunk
slit	slit	slit
smell	smelt, smelled	smelt, smelled
smite	smote	smitten
sow	sowed	sown, sowed
speak	spoke	spoken
speed	sped, speeded	sped, speeded
spell	spelt, spelled	spelt, spelled
spend	spent	spent
spill	spilt, spilled	spilt, spilled
spin	spun	spun
spit	spat	spat
split	split	split
spoil	spoilt, spoiled	spoilt, spoiled
spread	spread	spread
spring	sprang, sprung	sprung
stand	stood	stood
steal	stole	stolen
stick	stuck	stuck
sting	stung	stung
stink	stank, stunk	stunk
stride	strode	stridden
strike	struck	struck
string	strung	strung
strive	strove	striven
swear	swore	sworn
sweat	sweat, sweated	sweat, sweated
sweep	swept	swept
swell	swelled	swollen, swelled
swim	swam	swum
swing	swung	swung
take	took	taken
teach	taught	taught
tear	tore	torn
telecast	telecast, telecasted	telecast, telecasted
tell	told	told
think	thought	thought
throw	threw	thrown
thrust	thrust	thrust
tread	trod	trodden
understand	understood	understood
wake	woke, waked	woken, waked
wear	wore	worn
weave	wove	woven
wed	wed, wedded	wed, wedded
weep	wept	wept
wet	wet, wetted	wet, wetted
win	won	won
wind	wound	wound
wring	wrung	wrung
write	wrote	written

Regular verbs list

accept add admire admit advise afford agree alert

allow amuse analyse announce annoy answer apologise appear

applaud appreciate approve argue arrange arrest arrive ask

attach attack attempt attend attract avoid

 

back bake balance ban bang bare bat bathe battle beam

beg behave belong bleach bless blind blink blot blush boast

boil bolt bomb book bore borrow bounce bow box brake

brake branch breathe bruise brush bubble bump burn bury buzz

 

calculate call camp care carry carve cause challenge change charge chase cheat check cheer chew

choke chop claim clap clean clear clip close coach coil collect colour comb command communicate

compare compete complain complete concentrate concern confess confuse connect consider consist contain continue copy correct

cough count cover crack crash crawl cross crush cry cure curl curve cycle

 

dam damage dance dare decay deceive decide decorate delay delight

deliver depend describe desert deserve destroy detect develop disagree disappear

disapprove disarm discover dislike divide double doubt drag drain dream

dress drip drop drown drum dry dust

 

earn educate embarrass employ empty encourage

end enjoy enter entertain escape examine

excite excuse exercise exist expand expect

explain explode extend

 

face fade fail fancy fasten fax fear fence

fetch file fill film fire fit fix flap

flash float flood flow flower fold follow fool

force form found frame frighten fry

 

gather gaze glow glue

grab grate grease greet

grin grip groan guarantee

guard guess guide

 

hammer hand handle hang happen harass

harm hate haunt head heal heap

heat help hook hop hope hover

hug hum hunt hurry

 

identify ignore imagine impress improve include

increase influence inform inject injure instruct

intend interest interfere interrupt introduce invent

invite irritate itch

 

jail jam

jog join

joke judge

juggle jump

 

kick kill

kiss kneel

knit knock

knot

 

label land last laugh launch

learn level license lick lie

lighten like list listen live

load lock long look love

 

man manage march mark marry match mate

matter measure meddle melt memorise mend mess up

milk mine miss mix moan moor mourn

move muddle mug multiply murder

 

nail name

need nest

nod note

notice number

 

obey object observe

obtain occur offend

offer open order

overflow owe own

 

pack paddle paint park part pass paste pat pause peck pedal peel peep perform

permit phone pick pinch pine place plan plant play please plug point poke polish

pop possess post pour practise pray preach precede prefer prepare present preserve press pretend

prevent prick print produce program promise protect provide pull pump punch puncture punish push

 

question

queue

 

race radiate rain raise reach realise receive recognise record reduce reflect

refuse regret reign reject rejoice relax release rely remain remember remind

remove repair repeat replace reply report reproduce request rescue retire return

rhyme rinse risk rob rock roll rot rub ruin rule rush

 

sack sail satisfy save saw scare scatter scold scorch scrape scratch scream screw scribble scrub seal search separate serve settle shade share shave shelter

shiver shock shop shrug sigh sign signal sin sip ski skip slap slip slow smash smell smile smoke snatch sneeze sniff snore snow soak

soothe sound spare spark sparkle spell spill spoil spot spray sprout squash squeak squeal squeeze stain stamp stare start stay steer step stir stitch

stop store strap strengthen stretch strip stroke stuff subtract succeed suck suffer suggest suit supply support suppose surprise surround suspect suspend switch

 

talk tame tap taste tease telephone tempt terrify test thank

thaw tick tickle tie time tip tire touch tour tow

trace trade train transport trap travel treat tremble trick trip

trot trouble trust try tug tumble turn twist type

 

undress unfasten

unite unlock

unpack untidy

use

 

vanish

visit

 

wail wait walk wander want warm warn wash

waste watch water wave weigh welcome whine whip

whirl whisper whistle wink wipe wish wobble wonder

work worry wrap wreck wrestle wriggle

 

x-ray

 

yawn

yell

 

zip

zoom

What is a verb?

A verb is often defined as a word which shows action or state of being. The verb is the heart of a sentence - every sentence must have a verb. Recognizing the verb is often the most important step in understanding the meaning of a sentence. In the sentence The dog bit the man, bit is the verb and the word which shows the action of the sentence.  In the sentence The man is sitting on a chair, even though the action doesn't show much activity, sitting is the verb of the sentence.  In the sentence She is a smart girl, there is no action but a state of being expressed by the verb is. The word be is different from other verbs in many ways but can still be thought of as a verb.

Unlike most of the other parts of speech, verbs change their form.  Sometimes endings are added (learn - learned) and sometimes the word itself becomes different (teach-taught).  The different forms of verbs show different meanings related to such things as tense (past, present, future), person (first person, second person, third person), number (singular, plural) and voice (active, passive). Verbs are also often accompanied by verb-like words called modals (may, could, should, etc.) and auxiliaries(do, have, will, etc.)  to give them different meanings.

One of the most important things about verbs is their relationship to time.  Verbs tell if something has already happened, if it will happen later, or if it is happening now.  For things happening now, we use the present tense of a verb; for something that has already happened, we use the past tense; and for something that will happen later, we use the future tense.  Some examples of verbs  in each tense are in the chart below:
 

Present	Past	Future
look	looked	will look
move	moved	will move
talk	talked	will talk

Verbs like those in the chart above that form the past tense by adding -d or -ed are called regular verbs.  Some of the most common verbs are not regular and the different forms of the verb must be learned.  Some examples of such irregular verbs are in the chart below:
 

Present	Past	Future
see	saw	will see
hear	heard	will hear
speak	spoke	will speak

The charts above show the simple tenses of the verbs.  There are also progressive or continuous forms which show that the action takes place over a period of time, and perfect forms which show completion of the action.  These forms will be discussed more in other lessons, but a few examples are given in the chart below:
 

Present Continuous	Present Perfect
is looking	has looked
is speaking	has spoken
is talking	has talked

Simple present tense verbs have a special form for the third person singular. Singular means "one" and plural means "more than one."  Person is used here to show who or what does the action and can have the following forms:
    1st person or the self (I, we)
    2nd person or the person spoken to (you)
    3rd person or a person not present (he, she, it, they)
The third person singular forms are represented by the pronouns he, she, it.  The chart below shows how the third person singular verb form changes:
 

Singular		Plural
1st Person (I)	see hear come	1st Person (we)	see hear come
2nd Person (you)	see hear come	2nd Person (you)	see hear come
3rd Person (he, she, it)	sees hears comes	3rd Person (they)	see hear come

A verb must "agree" with its subject. Subject-verb agreement generally means that  the third person singular verb form must be used with a third person subject in the simple present tense. The  word be - the most irregular and also most common verb in English - has different forms for each person and even for the simple past tense.  The forms of the word be are given in the chart below:
 

Number	Person	Present	Past	Future
Singular	1st (I)	am	was	will be
	2nd (you)	are	were	will be
	3rd (he, she, it)	is	was	will be
Plural	1st (we)	are	were	will be
	2nd (you)	are	were	will be
	3rd (they)	are	were	will be

Usually a subject comes before a verb and an object may come after it.  The subject is what does the action of the verb and the object is what receives the action.  In the sentence Bob ate a humburger, Bob is the subject or the one who did the eating and the hamburger is the object or what got eaten.  A verb which has an object is called a transitive verb and some examples are throw, buy, hit, love.  A verb which has no object is called an intransitive verb and some examples are go, come, walk, listen.

As you can see in the charts above, verbs are often made up of more than one word. The future forms, for example, use the word will and the perfect forms use the word have.  These words are called helping or auxiliary verbs.  The word be can serve as an auxiliary and will and shall are also auxiliary forms. The chart below shows two other verbs which can also be used as auxiliaries:
 

Number	Person	Present	Past
Singular	1st (I)	have do	had did
	2nd (you)	have do	had did
	3rd (he, she, it)	has does	had did
Plural	1st (we)	have do	had did
	2nd (you)	have do	had did
	3rd (they)	have do	had did

There is a type of auxiliary verb called a modal which changes the meaning of a verb in different ways.  Words like can, should, would, may, might, and must are modals and are covered in other lessons.