Auxiliary verbs in English language are not translated, but perform an important function. It is the auxiliary verbs that tell us how to translate the sentence correctly. For example, the presence of the auxiliary verb do is a sure sign of an 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 examples of how to use auxiliary verbs in English (verbs to DO, WILL, to BE, to HAVE and WOULD).

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

How many auxiliary verbs are there in English?

Let's see what auxiliary verbs are in English and what each of them stands for. 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) auxiliary verbs. There are several reasons for this:

• These verbs are used more often.
• They change in faces.
• They are abbreviated
• They are "two-faced" - they can be both an auxiliary verb and a semantic one.

How do auxiliary verbs change by person?

Auxiliary verbs to be, to be and to have change by person. All forms of the present tense 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, respectively, will be did and had in all persons.
The verbs will, would, shall, should do not change by person.

Auxiliary verb to do.

To do is the most important of all the auxiliary verbs in the English language. It is used 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 do not 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 a negative particle not and we get a negation instead of an affirmative sentence. Instead of do not often written for brevity don't.

You can just as easily construct a question that will allow you to figure out inveterate cat ladies in a crowd of people:

Do do you like cats?
You love cats?

Just put the auxiliary verb do before the subject and 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 did not watch this cartoon.

Do do you speak English?
You speak English?

But you must always remember that general rule construction of negative and interrogative English sentences is an exception. 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, in the name of which there are words such as Perfect / Perfect Continuous. These temporary structures, it must be said, are not the most common. And beginners can do without them. However, this is almost half of the English "tenses" and it is desirable 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 characterized by:

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

then it's Perfect.

If the sentence reports an action that takes place over a period of time, which is indicated explicitly or implied, then this is Perfect Continuous.

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

Each of these formulas has an auxiliary verb to have. And instead of asterisks, you need to substitute the infinitive of the main verb. But what is important, if we want to put the 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, instead of have, we put had, 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 have been playing this piece of music for two hours now (Present Perfect Continuous)

I have finished reading this book by 3 o'clock today.
I finished reading this book by 3 o'clock today (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 it in the article "Modal verb have to".
Also, do not forget that the verb have changes by person - see the table at the beginning of the article.

Auxiliary verb to be

As a semantic verb, to be has the meaning "to be", "to be". The point is that in English sentence There must always be 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.

It literally means " I am a doctor.”

And so it is always, when a predicate is omitted in a Russian sentence when translated into English, we add the necessary 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.

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

Such proposals are built according to a simple scheme:

Subject + Required form to be + Main verb with –ing added

We are watching a good film now.
We are watching an interesting movie 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 are not familiar with English tenses, read the answer to the main question of English grammar “What is the difference between present indefinite and present continuous?”continuous

Auxiliary verb will

With this verb, everything is simple. By itself, it is never used, but as an auxiliary verb, it is used to form the future tense. Just put an auxiliary verb will after the subject and 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 sentence is in the past tense, and the subordinate clause is in the future. In this case, in subordinate clause to form the future tense, not will is used, but the auxiliary verb would. 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 the formation of the future tense in English. .

Auxiliary verb shall/should

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

Auxiliary verbs (auxiliary verbs) are helper verbs. They express different grammatical meanings. Auxiliary verbs are very important because they show tense, number, person and voice. They are used together with semantic verbs that express the action itself.

What are the auxiliary verbs in English?

First of all, of course, to be, to have and to do, which are used almost everywhere, as well as modal verbs: can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, ought to, will and would.

To be, to do and to have differ from other auxiliary verbs in that they can also be used in a sentence as semantic verbs.

Let's take a closer look at the verbs to be, to do and to have. (O modal verbs we will cover in a separate article).

Auxiliary verb TO BE

How and where is it used?

Auxiliary to be is used both in affirmative and interrogative and negative sentences in the Continuous tenses, as well as in the formation of all tenses in the passive voice.

Form features:

In the table below you can see all forms of the verb to be in Present Simple. It is these forms that are involved in the formation of the Present Continuous time.

The forms of the verb to be in Past Simple can be found in the table below. It is these forms that are involved in the formation of the Past Continuous. The negative form is also formed by adding a particle not.

In interrogative sentences, the verb to be is used before the subject. In short answers to general questions (= questions that can be answered with "Yes" or "No") - after the subject. This applies to both Present Simple and Past Simple (and, accordingly, Present Continuous and Past Continuous).

For example:

—Is he writing a letter now?

-Yes, he is./ No, he isn't.

—was he doing his homework at 6 p. m. yesterday?

-Yes, he was./ No, he wasn't.

NB: in a short affirmative answer, the full form of the verb to be is used (are, was etc.), and in a short negative answer, as a rule, it is abbreviated (aren't, wasn't etc.).

negative form imperative mood formed with the help do not (don't), i.e., as a general rule.

For example:

Don't be sad. = Don't be sad.

Also to be participates in the formation of tenses in the passive voice.

For example:

The dinner is being served now.

The book was read yesterday.

AuxiliaryTO DO

How and where is it used?

Auxiliary to do used in interrogative and negative sentences, in short answers to general questions, as well as in affirmative sentences to reinforce emotional coloring statements in tenses present Simple and Past Simple.

Form features:

AT present Simple the verb has one form for pronouns I / you / we / they and another form for He /She / It in both affirmative and negative sentences. The negative form is formed by adding a particle not. In the table below you can see what forms the verb to do has in Present Simple.

In interrogative sentences, the verb to do (in the appropriate form) is used before the subject in both Present Simple and Past Simple. In short answers to general questions - after the subject.

—Do you work long hours?

— Yes, I do. / no, I don't.

-did he tell you about it?

— Yes, he did. / No, he didn't.

Also to do used to enhance the emotional coloring in affirmative sentences. In such sentences, after to do, the first form of the semantic verb is used (infinitive without the particle ‘to’).

For example:

I do love yoga! = I really/really love yoga!

He does appreciate it! = He really appreciates it!

We did try help! = We really tried to help!

In such sentences, it is very important to focus on the verb to do(= to say it louder and in a higher voice than usual).

Auxiliary verb TO HAVE

How and where is it used?

Auxiliary tohave used in affirmative, interrogative and negative sentences, as well as in short answers to general questions in group tenses perfect.

Form features:

Consider how the verb is used in the Present Perfect and Past Perfect tenses.

In time Present Perfect verb to have has one form for pronouns I / you / we / they and another form for pronouns he / she / it. The negative form is formed by adding a particle not.

NB: it is important to remember that if the verb have used as semantic in Present Simple time, then negation is built by adding a particle not to the auxiliary verb do, not have.

For example:

She doesn't have anytime.

However, if the sentence uses the construction have got, then negation is built according to the rule described in the table above. For example: She hasn't got a car.

In the Past Perfect tense, the form of the verb to have is the same for all persons and numbers. The negative form is also formed by adding a particle not.

In interrogative sentences, the verb to have is used before the subject in both Present Perfect and Past Perfect. In short answers to general questions - after the subject.

For example:

-has she bought a car yet?

-Yes, she / No, she hasnt.

—Had he made dinner before 6 p.m.?

Yes, he had./ No, he hadn't.

List of auxiliary verbs: to be, to have, to do, shall (should), will (would) . They help in the formation of complex verb forms and take part in the formation of its tenses.

For auxiliary verbs no intrinsic value, there is only grammar. They are:

2. Take part in education.

3. Used in education.

4. Change shape depending on time, number, person.

5. Used with significant verbs.

To be (to be), to have (to have), to do (to do) are also used as semantic verbs with independent meaning.

Semantic.

1. Designate a process, action or state.

2. They are used as a simple predicate.

3. Have complete lexical meaning.

my sister likes classical music. My sister loves classical music.

Auxiliary.

1. Do not carry independent meaning.

2. Can be used with meaningful verbs.

I have already been to Russia. – I have already been to Russia.

Do you remember my friend Ann? Do you remember my friend Anya?

Auxiliary verb to be

The verb helps to describe the state of the object, what it is, where it is now, where it was and where it will be.

I am a musician. - I'm a musician. (The verb to be is not translated here). This is a sentence without a semantic verb. Its absence is made up for by the state verb to be. It is also called linking verb.

In English, a verb is an integral part of a sentence that cannot be omitted. Therefore, when there is no action, the verb to be is used in the required form.

my brother is a very intelligent man. My brother is a very smart man.

We are good basketball players. We are good basketball players.

Tom is in Spain now. Tom is in Spain now.

my husband will come tomorrow. My husband will arrive tomorrow.

They will be playing football from 2 till 3 o'clock tomorrow. They will play football from 2 to 3 o'clock tomorrow.

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

Auxiliary verbs in English 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 a lexical meaning, they only participate in the construction complex shapes, but note that the verbs to be, to have, to do can be used as semantic (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.

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) in.

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 to be our friend?

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

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 be” can be used in Russian (in Russian it is usually omitted).

I am your friend. - I'm your friend.

He is a doctor. - He is a doctor.

We are not rich. We are not rich.

as a helper, the verb to be is used:

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

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

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

I have been waiting for you for two hours. “I have been waiting for you for two hours.

2. For the formation of all forms.

The newspapers have been delevered. - Newspapers have been delivered.

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

Auxiliary verb to have

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

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

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

as a helper, the verb to have is used to form all Perfect tenses:

You have done a lot of work. - You've done a lot of work.

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

I will have to 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 "do", "engage":

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 is!

as a helper, 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 does not trust her husband.

Did you see that? – Did you see it?

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

2. For the formation of 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 the 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 I don't know your sister. I do 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)

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

as a helper it is used:

1. The verb will - to build all forms of the future tense.

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 build forms of the future tense in the past (Future in the Past).

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

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

Auxiliary verb shall (should)

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

I shall meet you at the gate. “I will meet you at the gate.

We shall discuss it later. – We will discuss this later.

2. The auxiliary verb should is used to build future forms in the past (that is, instead of would) with 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.

A verb is a part of speech that displays action, described in the offer. This structure of this rule is relevant for, but not for English. AT international language verb can be both semantic and auxiliary. Thanks to this technique, grammar becomes easier, and sentences are built much faster. What are auxiliary verbs in English, how to arrange and modify them correctly?

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Introduction

The complexity of the English language lies in in large numbers temporary forms on the basis of which it is built.

Times in turn formed by auxiliary verbs, which have an indefinite form, and are modified depending on the pronoun that stands before them.

In other words, it is a pointer that shows us who is doing something and when. For accuracy of understanding, below is a table of auxiliary in English, and after it a clear decoding of all the nuances is given.

The table highlights three groups, each of which has a present, past and future (present, past, future). For each individual group, you need to use a specific auxiliary verb, which changes depending on the time in which we use it.

Present, Past, Future Indefinite

A tense group that allows us to describe daily events that occur regularly or periodically. Examples are the following: I work in a factory, we walk in the park in the evenings, and so on. In the times of the Indefinite group, the most simple and short sentences English, which are accessible and understandable to a Russian-speaking person. Well, now let's look at what an auxiliary verb in this category is and how it should be used.

To Do literally translates as "to do", but in the group of tenses Indefinite acts as the very indicator of time and pronoun in question. In the sentences of the affirmative form of the present tense, he is not put, but if you need to ask a question or refute something, then his participation is mandatory. For the present the word forms Do and Does are used, depending on the pronoun:

• Do is used for I, You, We, They (I, you, we, they);
• Does - for He, She, It (he, she, it or that).

You can consider both options with examples in interrogative sentences with Do: “Do you play piano? “Do you play the piano?” or “Does he live in Chicago? Does he live in Chicago?

Similar examples can be seen in negatives: “We do not play football. – We do not play football”, “She does not like potatoes. She doesn't like potatoes.

This is the basic rule for Do and Does, which allows you to competently and clearly build the most used sentences in English. These forms of the auxiliary verb tell us the pronoun in question, as well as the tense in which the main action takes place.

The verb form Do in the Past Indefinite form is Did. In this case, he same for all pronouns, and is used only in interrogative and negative sentences. It sounds something like this: “Did you go to school yesterday? - Did you go to school yesterday?", which may be followed by a negative answer "I did not go to school yesterday - I did not go to school yesterday." It turns out that in cases where the verb Did is placed in a sentence, we can automatically attribute it to the past tense. Moreover, it immediately becomes clear that we are talking about a question or a negative answer to it.

As for the future tense, here for all pronouns, and for all forms, whether it be affirmative, interrogative or negative, we use the word Will. It does not change depending on the pronoun, so learning this rule will be very simple. Let's look at the usage with an example:

• She will go to the park tomorrow - She will go to the park tomorrow.
• Will she go to the park tomorrow? Will she go to the park tomorrow?
• She will not go to the park tomorrow - She will not go to the park tomorrow.

Attention! In the future definite tense, the auxiliary verb Shall also takes place. It is used only in combination with the pronoun "I" in all forms of the sentence. However, in recent times it was rarely used, thereby simplifying the scheme for a given time. You can hear the phrase “I shall” only from a resident of the UK, but all the rest English-speaking countries say "I will".

Present, Past, Future Continuous

The tenses of the Continuous category, which translates as "long", indicate an unfinished action.

It may be happening at the moment, it may be unfinished in the past or in the future. In the Russian version, such statements sound like: “I read yesterday”, “She swims in the pool”, “We will play checkers tomorrow”, etc.

As in the case of Do, for the previous group of tenses, there is an auxiliary verb form here, indicating the duration and incompleteness of the action.

To be- a verb, the literal translation of which sounds like "to be." Based on its semantic load, it follows that it belongs to times with an incomplete meaning. To understand how it works, it is enough to literally translate the simplest sentence with his participation: "To be reading - to be a reader." Like the forms of the verb Do, the varieties of To Be vary with pronouns and tense.

• Am (I) - am.
• You, We, They (you, we, they) - are.
• He, She, It (he, she it) - is.

This scheme is used for the present indefinite time. For example, consider short statements with its use: “I am dancing - I am dancing”, “They are drawing - they are drawing”, “She is watching TV - she is watching TV”. The verb to be in the above forms is used in positive, interrogative and negative sentences and is a "calling card" unfinished action.

For the past tense of this category, the rule is slightly simplified. Offers with to be can be divided into two groups, the first of which is - singular, the second is plural:

• I, He, She, It (I, he, she, it) - was.
• We, You, They (we, you, they) - were.

Now examples with the following words: “She was cooking - she cooked”, “We were swimming - we swam”.

When it comes to the future unfinished tense, the scheme becomes even simpler. For all pronouns, we use be with the prefix will, and we get the following: "I (He) will be running - I (he) will (et) run."

Advice! In the tenses of the Continuous group, all semantic verb forms have the ending -ing. It is assigned to them regardless of the pronoun, as well as in the past tense, present and future.

Present, Past, Future Perfect

This grammatical category is used to describe a clearly completed case. In the present tense, a past action that has a result at the moment is characterized in a similar way.

As for the past and the future, such forms are used extremely rarely. They indicate a fully completed action that preceded another, incomplete, in the past or in the future. We propose to consider how such a grammatical structure is formed.

The auxiliary verb Have is an integral part of the entire Perfect section. It also has its forms, depending on time and pronoun, and it is thanks to them that we identify what is happening. Let's start, as always, with a real and brief scheme for using To Have:

• I, You, We, They (I, you, we, they) - have.
• He, She, It (he, she, it) - has.

Let's give examples in which this grammatical phrase occurs: “He has gone - he left”, “We have done that - we did it”. present Perfect- a very common occurrence in everyday English speech, since it is this grammatical structure that perfectly reflects everyday events.

In the past tense of this category, people speak and write extremely rarely. The structure of the sentence itself is simple and clear, it is based on the verb form Had, which is the same for all pronouns: "Train had left - the train left." Similar simplicity is also characteristic of the future form, where the auxiliary verb looks like Will Have, for example: "She will have receive a letter - she will receive a letter."

Important! In the tenses of the Perfect group, all semantic verbs, even in the future, are put in the past form. In the table of irregular verbs, this is the third column, and for all others, the ending -ed is used. Even in those cases when the form Had or Will Have is used, as if already indicating the time, the semantic verb must always remain in the past tense.

Types of auxiliary verbs in English

Learning English - Auxiliary Verbs

Conclusion

We briefly examined the main grammatical forms of the English language, on the basis of which speech is built. For many, it was previously a mystery why there are two verbs with different meanings in the sentence, how to translate and comprehend this. Knowing when to use Do and Does, Have and Has, as well as a number of other auxiliary words, makes it much easier for any English-speaking citizen to understand.