Helping Verbs in English and Its Uses

Learning about helping verbs is important for government teaching exam aspirants because it enables them to develop a strong foundation in English grammar and language proficiency. Government teaching exams often include questions related to grammar and language usage. Understanding helping verbs allows aspirants to accurately identify and correct verb-related errors, construct grammatically correct sentences, and effectively communicate ideas in written and spoken English.

Moreover, as government teachers, they will be responsible for teaching English to students, and a solid understanding of helping verbs will enable them to explain and guide students in using these verbs correctly. Mastery of helping verbs enhances the overall language competence of aspirants and boosts their chances of success in government teaching exams. Read the following article for detailed information on the Helping Verbs.

Define Helping Verbs in English

Helping verbs, also known as auxiliary verbs, are a category of verbs in English that are used in conjunction with the main verb to provide additional information about tense, mood, voice, aspect, and other grammatical features. They “help” or support the main verb in a sentence, adding meaning and nuance to the overall message being conveyed.

Helping verbs do not function as the main verb in a sentence but work alongside it to express various shades of meaning. They can change the verb’s tense, indicate the possibility or necessity of action, form questions and negatives, express modality or attitude, and more.

Examples of helping verbs in English include “be” (am, is, are, was, were, being, been), “do” (do, does, did), “have” (have, has, had), “will,” “shall,” “would,” “can,” “could,” “should,” and “must,” among others.

Helping verbs play an important role in constructing grammatically correct and meaningful sentences, allowing for precise communication and expressing various nuances of language.

Helping Verbs in English and Its Uses

In the following table, some common helping verbs in English are listed with their purpose and examples. This will help the candidates understand how helping verbs assist the main verb in a sentence by providing additional information about tense, mood, voice, and aspect. Helping verbs do not have standalone meanings but instead, work in conjunction with the main verb to express various shades of meaning. Check out the table below.

List of Helping Verbs in English
Helping Verb	Purpose	Examples
Be – am, is, are, was, were, being, been	Expressing continuous tenses Forming the passive voice	“I am studying for the exam.” “The book was written by Jane.”
Do – do, does, did	Forming questions and negatives in the present simple Adding emphasis	“Do you like ice cream?” “I do enjoy playing the piano.”
Have – have, has, had	Expressing possession Forming perfect tenses	“She has a new car.” “I have finished my homework.”
Will	Expressing future actions Forming the future tense	“I will meet you tomorrow.” “They will go on vacation next week.”
Shall	Expressing suggestions or offers Forming the future tense in formal contexts	“Shall we go to the movies?” “I shall be there at 6 p.m.”
Would	Expressing hypothetical or polite requests Indicating a habitual action in the past	“Would you like some tea?” “When I was younger, I would go swimming every day.”
Can	Expressing ability or possibility Seeking or giving permission	“I can swim.” “Can I borrow your pen?”
Could	Expressing past ability or possibility Indicating a polite request or suggestion	“He could speak five languages.” “Could you please pass the salt?”
Should	Expressing advice or obligation Indicating expectation or probability	“You should exercise regularly.” “She should be here by now.”
Must	Expressing necessity or obligation Indicating strong probability	“I must finish this report.” “It must be raining outside.”

Helping Verbs for Each Tense in English

It is important to note that not all tenses have specific helping verbs. Some tenses use the main verb itself with an auxiliary verb or adverb to express the desired meaning. Additionally, modal verbs like can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would, and ought to are also considered helping verbs in various contexts. Here is a brief list of helping verbs or auxiliary verbs given below in the table.

Helping Verbs for Each Tense in English
Tense	Helping Verb
Present Tense	Am, is, are, do, does
Past Tense	Was, were, did
Future Tense	Will, Shall
Present Continuous Tense	Am, is, are
Past Continuous Tense	Was, were
Future Continuous Tense	Will be, Shall be
Present Perfect Tense	Have, has
Past Perfect Tense	Had
Future Perfect Tense	Will have, Shall have
Present Perfect Continuous Tense	Have been, has been
Past Perfect Continuous Tense	Had been
Future Perfect Continuous Tense	Will have been, Shall have been

Why are Helping Verbs in English Important?

The candidates must understand the importance of the Helping verbs to be able to use these helping verbs with more efficiency. Here are some of the reasons why helping verbs in English are important.

Expressing Tense

Helping verbs assist in expressing the various tenses in English. They indicate whether an action is happening in the present, past, or future. For example, in the sentence “She is studying,” the helping verb “is” indicates the present continuous tense.

Forming Questions and Negatives

Helping verbs are used to form questions and negatives in English. By combining the helping verb with the subject and the main verb, we can create interrogative and negative sentences. For example, in the question “Do you like ice cream?”, the helping verb “do” is used to form the question.

Creating Emphasis

Helping verbs can be used to add emphasis to a statement. By using the helping verb “do” before the main verb, we can place emphasis on the action. For example, “I do love chocolate” emphasizes the strong feeling of love for chocolate.

Expressing Modality

Helping verbs are used to convey modality, which expresses the speaker’s attitude, possibility, obligation, or probability regarding an action. For example, “You should exercise regularly” expresses advice or obligation, while “It might rain tomorrow” expresses the possibility of rain.

Constructing Passive Voice

Helping verbs are essential in constructing the passive voice, where the subject of the sentence receives the action rather than performing it. The helping verb “be” is combined with the past participle of the main verb to form passive voice sentences. For example, “The book was written by Jane” is a passive-voice sentence.

Indicating Ability and Permission

Helping verbs such as “can,” “could,” “may,” and “might” are used to express abilities and permissions. They indicate what someone is capable of doing or whether they have permission to perform an action. For example, “I can swim” expresses the ability to swim, and “Can I borrow your pen?” seeks permission to borrow a pen.

Conclusion

A thorough understanding of helping verbs is indispensable for aspirants preparing for government teaching exams in India. Proficiency in English grammar and language is vital, as these exams often include questions related to grammar and language usage. Helping verbs, also known as auxiliary verbs, play a pivotal role in constructing grammatically correct and meaningful sentences, allowing for precise communication and expression of various nuances of language.

Moreover, as future government teachers responsible for imparting English language skills to students, a solid grasp of helping verbs will enable them to effectively guide and educate their students in the correct usage of these verbs. Mastery of helping verbs not only enhances language competence but also significantly increases the chances of success in government teaching exams, ultimately contributing to the quality of education in India’s classrooms.