Auxiliary verbs in English language- these are verbs that do not have their own lexical meaning, with the help of which various complex forms of the verb are formed. Auxiliary verbs include: to be, to have, to do, will (would), shall (should).

Auxiliary verbs themselves do not have lexical meaning, they only participate in the construction of complex forms, but note that the verbs to be, to have, to do can be used as semantic ones (in the meanings of “to be”, “to have”, “to do” ), in which case they will have a lexical meaning. The verb to be can also be used as a linking verb, and the verbs will (would), shall (should) can be used as modal verbs.

Auxiliary verb to be

The verb to be is the only verb that has special forms in different persons and numbers. It can be used as a linking verb, an auxiliary verb and a semantic verb. Read more about the forms of the verb to be (all forms are given in the form of tables and cards).

As a semantic verb, to be is used in the meaning of “to be”, “to be”:

Do you want to be our friend? - You want be our friend?

I have to be at home now. - I have to now be Houses.

Like a linking verb– in a compound predicate (consisting of to be + noun, adjective or pronoun) in the place where the verb “to be” or “to appear” can be used in Russian (in Russian it is usually omitted).

I am your friend. - I am your friend.

He is a doctor. - He is a doctor.

We are not rich. - We are not rich.

As an auxiliary the verb to be is used:

1. For the formation of all tenses Continuous and Perfect Continuous in the active (active) voice.

I am looking for someone. - I'm looking for someone.

We were expecting a better result. – We expected a better result.

I have been waiting for you for two hours. - I've been waiting for you for two hours.

2. For the formation of all forms.

The newspapers have been delivered. - The newspapers have been delivered.

The building is being constructed now. - The building is currently under construction.

Auxiliary verb to have

The verb to have can be used as semantic in his direct meaning“have”, “possess”:

I have a big family. - I have a big family.

I don't have time. - I have no time.

As an auxiliary, the verb to have is used to form all Perfect tenses:

You have done a lot of work. – You did a lot of work.

We had finished the task by two o’clock. – We completed the task before two o’clock.

I will have read the article by nine. – I will have read the article by nine o’clock.

Auxiliary verb to do

The verb to do is used as a semantic in the meaning of “to do”, “to engage in”:

Read more about the forms of the verb to do in the article.

He does what he wants. - He does what he wants.

Just do it! - Just Do It This!

As an auxiliary, the verb to do is used:

1. For the formation of interrogative and negative forms and all verbs, except auxiliary and.

Do do you understand me? - Do you understand me?

My sister doesn't trust her husband. – My sister doesn’t trust her husband.

Did did you see that? -Did you see this?

We didn't see anything. - We didn't see anything.

2. To form a negative form of the imperative mood.

Don't touch the button! - Don't touch the button!

Don't be late. - Do not be late.

3. To enhance the meaning of a verb in the form or in the affirmative form.

Why did you say I don’t know your sister? I do know her. - Why did you say that I don’t know your sister? I know her.

You don’t believe that I helped them, but I did help them. “You don’t believe that I helped them, but I really helped them.”

Auxiliary verb will (would)

The verb will (would) can be used both modal and auxiliary.

As an auxiliary it is used:

1. The verb will – to construct all forms of the future tense.

The winter will be cold. - The winter will be cold.

I will be walking with my dog ​​this evening. – I will walk the dog this evening.

2. The verb would – to construct forms of the future tense in the past (Future in the Past).

He said that the winter would be cold. - He said that the winter would be cold.

She said that she would be walking with her dog. She said she would be walking her dog.

Auxiliary verb shall (should)

1. The auxiliary verb shall is used to construct forms of the future tense (that is, instead of will) with the 1st person singular and plural:

I shall meet you at the gate. - I'll meet you at the gate.

We shall discuss it later. - We'll discuss this later.

2. The auxiliary verb should is used to construct forms of the future in the past (that is, instead of would) with the 1st person singular and plural:

I told him that I should meet him at the gate. “I told him I would meet him at the gate.”

They said that we should discuss it later. “They said we would discuss it later.”

In modern English, will and would are used in all these cases. Auxiliary (not modal, namely auxiliary) verbs shall, should can be found in books about good old England, films about Sherlock Holmes and Soviet English textbooks.

Numerous (auxiliary verbs) play an important role. With the help of these words, verb tenses are formed, except for the simplest affirmative form Simple Present and Past. Other language constructions, more complex, require their mandatory presence. Good exercise for foreign language learners - to restore missing additional words.

Auxiliary verbs in English serve double duty. Sometimes they are used as basic vocabulary units: “to be”, “to do”, “to have”. English speakers use them much more often to generalize actions and states than Russian speakers.

What are the auxiliary verbs in English?

Let us immediately note that auxiliary verbs in English- incorrect. The ending -ed, which is standard for regular ones, is not added to them. This fact reflects widespread and private use. Rarely used ones tend to change from incorrect to correct, which is recorded over time by dictionaries and official rules.

To be (am, are, is, was, were, been)

In Russian it is translated as “to be,” although it is rarely used in its basic meaning. But as it occurs more often than others. It also has a variety of word forms. IN singular present tense: am – 1st person, is – 3rd person. For the first and third person in the past – was. Also used:

• are – plural of the present tense;
• were – plural of past tense;
• being – gerund;
• been – Past Participle, or the third dictionary form in verb tables.

To be is used in the following cases:

• for the formation of Continuous Tense:
• for education various types Passive.

In Continuous it is substituted before the main action expressed by the gerund. Examples:

• I am speaking;
• She is reading;
• We are writing;
• I was listening;
• He was sitting;
• You were playing;
• They were studying.

To be also appears constantly in the passive. Helps you better understand how they are used auxiliary verbs in English table passive declensions:

To do (do, does, did)

This auxiliary verb is used in at least 6 different senses in English.

1. Interrogative or negative sentences in .

Do you visit your parents? - Do you visit your parents?

Does she play guitar? – does she play the guitar?

Did they study at university? – did they study at the university?

We don't know.

I didn't drink beer.

IN colloquial speech Abbreviations are widely used:

• d'you - from do you;
• don’t – from do not;
• doesn’t – from does not;
• didn’t – from did not.

“Does” is used exclusively in the 3rd person Present Indefinite singular (with the pronouns He, She, It or more complex subjects). “Did” - in Past Indefinite, for any person and number. These are placed before the main infinitives, without the particle to.

1. Negative form of the imperative mood.

Don't speak, please! – please stop talking!

1. Gives more meaning to a phrase, expresses strong feelings, an urgent invitation or an emotional request.

We do believe you - we believe you.

I did hear it - I (still) heard it.

Do help us! - help us!

Such emphasis can be replaced with the words surely, definitely, certainly, absolutely and please. To enhance the meaning of the statement, we also use the gerund “doing” for continuous actions. She was doing playing - she (still) played.

1. In short sentences expressing confirmation, negation or addition. Usually as an answer to a more complete question, when the context is already known to the speaker.

– Yes, he did.

– No, she doesn’t.

– They like football and so do we.

– You stay in London but we don’t.

1. In dividing questions (Simple Present and Past).

– He studies Russian, doesn’t he?

– She didn’t work, did she?

Here one part (before or after the decimal point) is negative, the other is affirmative.

1. Expresses satisfaction, sufficiency or suitability. To understand what a short phrase refers to, knowledge of the previous context is necessary.

– Will this do?

- That will do.

To have (have, has, had)

In addition to the basic meaning of “to have” and certain stable phrases, to have is used to form the perfect tense. All perfect constructions contain have, has (present or future) or had (past or as Past Participle).

Below is shown for clarity how to use auxiliary verbs in English, table with examples (everywhere Perfect):

Here the subject performs an active action.

In the Perfect Continuous the sentence structure changes:

Examples of passive verb inflections in the perfect were given above, in the section on “to be”.

“Has” is used only in the 3rd person singular present tense. “Had” is either Past Indefinite for all numbers and persons, or Past Participle.

Shall (should)

To form the future tense shall not even used in Britain anymore . In America, such use ceased much earlier. Now this one auxiliary verb in English left behind fewer functions.

1. When asking for advice or making a proposal.

– Where shall we buy drinks?

– Shall you visit us tomorrow?

1. In dividing questions (without let’s).

– I will call you, shall I?

1. Instruction, order, permission or prohibition.

– All students shall take places.

1. Assumption or intention.

They shall have done – differs from the neutral statement “They will have done” by the obligation to perform an action.

Should is used in several other situations.

1. When they give advice.

– You should come to the school.

1. Reminder of duty and responsibilities.

– We should send a letter to our friend.

1. Waiting and hope.

– I should have come later.

1. In a conditional unlikely sentence.

– If you should visit London...

Will (would)

With the help of will, the future tense of all verbal inflections is formed. Would is used in the "future in the past" tense and the subjunctive mood.

Also these auxiliary verbs in English express:

• intention or consent;
• order - You will say your friend...;
• polite request or question – Will you give them...

In addition, will can express persistence (with negation).

– The pencil will not write – the pencil (in no way) writes.

In turn, would is used when describing familiar events in the past: – She would always greet us. Also with persistent denial: – He would not listen to our advice.

Common abbreviations:

• will not – abbreviated as won’t;
• would not – abbreviated wouldn’t.

Bottom line

We discussed above auxiliary verbs in English. Studying a little theory is useful for their better and correct application. With a good knowledge of foreign speech, language constructions with them are already perceived automatically, and a person does not think about how exactly he speaks.

» Auxiliary verbs in English

Auxiliary verbs are not translated in English, but they perform an important function. It is the auxiliary verbs that tell us how to correctly translate a sentence. For example, the presence of the auxiliary verb do is sure sign interrogative or negative sentence. And the verb will tells us that the sentence is in the future tense.

To have general idea about English auxiliary verbs, take a look at the table. This table shows with examples how to use auxiliary verbs in English (the verbs to DO, WILL, to BE, to HAVE and WOULD).

For each auxiliary verb from this table there will be detailed analysis and many examples.

How many auxiliary verbs are there in English?

Let's look at what auxiliary verbs there are in English and what each of them means. There are five such verbs:

1. to be
2. to have
3. to do
4. will (would)
5. shall (should)

Particular attention should be paid to the first three (to be, to have, to do) of auxiliary verbs. There are several reasons for this:

• These verbs are used more often.
• They change according to their faces.
• They have abbreviated forms
• They are “two-faced” - they can be either an auxiliary verb or a semantic verb.

How do auxiliary verbs change by person?

The auxiliary verbs to be, to be and to have change according to persons. All present tense forms for these three verbs are collected in the table:

In the past tense, only the verb to be changes:

I, he, she, it - was
They, we, you - were

The auxiliary verbs to do and to have in the past tense will be did and had in all persons, respectively.
The verbs will, would, shall, should do not change by person.

Auxiliary verb to do.

To do is the most important of all auxiliary verbs in the English language. It serves to construct negative and interrogative sentences. For example, many people love cats and say about themselves:

I like cats.
I love cats.

But what if you don’t share this love? Everything must be denied:

I do not like cats.
I do not like cats.

That is, we put immediately after the subject the auxiliary verb do with the negative particle not and get instead affirmative proposal negation. Instead of don't for brevity they often write don't.

You can also easily construct a question that will allow you to identify avid cat lovers in a crowd of people:

Do do you like cats?
You love cats?

Simply put the auxiliary verb do before the subject and you get an interrogative sentence.

More examples of interrogative and negative sentences:

I don't know it.
I do not know that.

She didn't watch this cartoon.
She didn't watch this cartoon.

Do do you speak English?
Do you speak English?

But we must always remember that there is an exception to the general rule of constructing negative and interrogative English sentences. The verb do is not substituted in sentences containing modal verbs. Read more about the correct handling of modal verbs.

Auxiliary verb to have

As a rule, the verb have is translated directly - as a semantic verb. Its meaning is to have, to possess. If we talk about to have As an auxiliary verb, it is used to form complex temporary constructions, the names of which contain words such as Perfect/Perfect Continuous. These temporary structures, it must be said, are not the most common. And beginners can easily do without them. However, these are almost half of the English "times" and it is advisable to have an idea of ​​how they are formed.

For clarity, I will briefly explain what Perfect/Perfect Continuous is.

If the action you describe is typical:

• completion of the action (optional);
• the importance of the message for the interlocutor;
• the opportunity for the interlocutor to use a message about the action performed;

then it's Perfect.

If a sentence reports an action that occurs over a period of time, which is stated explicitly or implied, then it is a Perfect Continuous.

The predicate in such sentences is constructed according to one of the 3 formulas given in the table:

Each of these formulas contains the auxiliary verb to have. And instead of asterisks you need to substitute the infinitive of the main verb. But what is important is that if we want to put a sentence in the past or future tense, then we need to apply these tenses to the verb to have, and not to the main verb. That is, in the past tense we put had instead of have, and in the future – will have.

I haven't played this computer game before.
I have not played this computer game before (Present Perfect)

I have been playing this musical composition for two hours.
I've been playing this piece of music for two hours now (Present Perfect Continuous)

I have finished reading this book by 3 o’clock today.
Today by 3 o'clock I finished reading this book (Past Perfect)

I had been reading this book for 30 minutes when he called.
I had been reading this book for 30 minutes when he called (Past Perfect Continuous).

The verb have can also be used as a modal verb. Read about this in the article “Modal verb have to”.
Also, do not forget that the verb have changes according to persons - see the table at the beginning of the article.

Auxiliary verb to be

As a semantic verb, to be means “to be”, “to appear”. The fact is that an English sentence must always have both a subject and a predicate. In Russian we can say:

I am doctor.

As you can see, there is no predicate here, and when translating into English, we will have to cram some kind of verb into this sentence. In such situations, the verb to be is used. The correct translation of this sentence would be:

I am a doctor.

Literally this means “ I am a doctor.”

And so always, when a predicate is missing in a Russian sentence, when translating into English, we add the required form of the verb to be after the subject.

I am doctor.
I am a doctor.

She is a student.
She is a student.

They are idiots.
They are idiots.

To be is used as an auxiliary verb when constructing sentences that describe an action that requires a certain amount of time. These are the so-called Present/Past Continuous.

The following sentences are constructed according to a simple scheme:

Subject + Required form of to be + Main verb to which the particle –ing is added

We are watching a good film now.
We are looking interesting film Now.

They are loudly discussing the results of competitions.
They loudly discuss the results of the competition.

Tom was reading a magazine when the telephone rank.
Tom was reading a magazine when the phone rang.

By the way, if you’re not very good at navigating English times, read the answer to the main question English grammar“What is the difference between present indefinite and present continuous?” continuous

Auxiliary verb will

With this verb everything is simple. It is never used by itself, but as an auxiliary verb, it is used to form the future tense. Just use an auxiliary verb will after the subject and you get the future tense. For example:

Auxiliary verb would

Verb would used to construct sentences called future in the past. This is when the main clause is in the past tense, and the subordinate clause is in the future. In this case, in the subordinate clause to form the future tense, not will, but the auxiliary verb would is used. For example:

I knew that she would come here.
I knew she would come here.

You can read more about this verb in the article “Will and shall.” The rule for forming the future tense in English." .

Auxiliary verb shall/should

The main thing you need to know about these verbs is that they are not used in modern English. In case you have to read texts from the 19th century, remember that when translating shall is similar to will, and should is similar to would.

This lesson will cover a fairly difficult topic to remember, so you should concentrate as much as possible. Auxiliary verbs in English, the table of which will be presented below, are parts of speech that do not have individual meaning in terms of vocabulary, but act as assistants. Their main function is to help correctly compose a construction for a complex verb form. Verbs considered:

• to do,
• will (would),
• to be
• shall (should),
• to have.

We will look at the topic in detail so that you do not have any questions.

Why are auxiliary verbs needed?

Auxiliary verbs in English are used when there is a need to express gender, number or time period of an action. In this case, this part of speech is added.

It should be noted that some parts of speech from the topic under consideration can be used as semantic ones, these include: to be (to be), to have (to possess), to do (to do). In addition, in many cases, to be is used in construction as a connective, and the verbs shall (should) and will (would) are used as modals. The parts in question are universal assistant, but are not translated into Russian. When translating, no questions are even asked to them.

Examples:

• She is at the hospital now. - She's in the hospital now.
• She swims here every morning. – She swims here every morning.
• You were young and didn’t understand your father. – You were young and did not understand your father.

Example with a semantic verb:

• I'm a teacher. - I'am a teacher.

Verb to have

This part of speech can be used as a semantic verb in its main meaning.

For example,

• I don't have time. - I have no time.
• I have a big family. - I have a big family.

To form the Perfect of any tense, use this part of speech.

For example,

• I will have read the article by nine. – I will have read the article by nine o’clock.
• You have done a lot of work. – You did a lot of work.
• We had finished the task by two o’clock. – We completed the task before two o’clock.

Verb to be

The auxiliary verb that will be considered is the only one, having a special form in the singular, plural and persons. It can be used as a link, used as a semantic one, or used as an auxiliary part of speech in a construction.

As a semantic verb, this verb is used in the meaning of “to appear” and “to be.”

Examples of declarative sentences and those using questions:

• I have to be at home now. - I should be home now.
• Do you want to be our friend? – Do you want to be our friend?

As a linking verb, this part of speech is part of the predicate (this verb + attribute or character). In a sentence, it corresponds to the place where the verb “to be” should logically be located (as a rule, in Russian such omitted).

For example,

• He is a doctor. - He is a doctor.
• I am your friend. - I am your friend.

The verb to be as an auxiliary is used to form everything Continuous tenses and Perfect Continuous in the active voice.

For example,

• We were expecting a better result. -We expected a better result.
• I am looking for someone. - I'm looking for someone.
• I have been waiting for you for two hours. - I've been waiting for you for two hours.

Just like an auxiliary, this verb is used to form all forms of the passive (passive) voice.

For example,

• The building is being constructed now. - The building is currently under construction.
• The newspapers have been delivered. - The newspapers have been delivered.

Verb to do

As a semantic verb, this verb is used in the meaning of “to engage”, “to do”.

For example, Just do it! - Just do it! He does what he wants. - He does what he wants.

The verb to do is used as an auxiliary when the Present Simple form is formed and Past Simple all verbs, in addition to modal and auxiliary verbs. But this only applies to negative and interrogative sentences.

For example,

• Do you listen to me? -Are you listening to me?
• My sister doesn't trust her husband. – My sister doesn’t trust her husband.
• We didn't see anything. - We didn't see anything.

Also, as an auxiliary, this part of speech helps to form negative form imperative mood.

For example,

• Don't be late. - Do not be late.

In addition, this verb, acting as an auxiliary part of speech, enhances the meaning of the verb in the form of Present Simple or Past Simple, when the speaker proves his point of view.

For example,

• Why did you say I don’t know your sister? I do know her. - In connection with what, you said that I don’t know your sister? I know her.

Verb will (would)

This verb is used as an auxiliary and modal.

The auxiliary (will) is used to make up all forms of the future tense.

For example,

• The winter will be cold. - The winter will be cold.
• I will be walking with my dog ​​this evening. - I will walk the dog this evening.

Would is used when constructing a future form in the past.

For example,

• My friend told me he would watch this film at the weekends. My friend said that he would watch this film at the weekend.

Verb shall (should)

Modern English classifies the verb shall (should) only as modal, however, in textbooks published during the Soviet era one can find information that:

• Instead of will, the verb shall is used as an auxiliary when it is necessary to create a future tense construction with the 1st person singular and plural. For example, We shall talk about it. - We'll talk about this later.
• With the same parameters, but in order to create the form of the future tense in the past, the verb should can be used instead of would. Eg, I said that we should discuss it later. - I said we'll discuss this later..

In modern British language this verb is replaced by will and would. The verb shall (should) can be found in old English textbooks, old books and films in the original language.

English is not particularly rich in auxiliary verbs , however, one should keep in mind in what cases one or another verb is used. The main thing to do is to learn these verbs, in what cases and in what forms they are used. And do not confuse them with semantic ones, which carry lexical load in the constructed construction.

Auxiliary verbs in English table

To summarize the information, you can use the table below.

This concludes the analysis of the topic. We have explained the material to you clearly, now it’s up to you to learn all the rules and verbs. If you have any questions, review auxiliary verbs in English , presented in the table. This is a summary of the material.