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English–I

Notes

Notes Helping verbs are also called “auxiliary verbs”.

Primary helping verbs (3 verbs)

These are the verbs be, do, and have. Note that we can use these three verbs as helping verbs or as
main verbs. On this page we talk about them as helping verbs. We use them in the following
cases:
• be
to make continuous tenses (He is watching TV.)
to make the passive (Small fish are eaten by big fish.)
• have
to make perfect tenses (I have finished my homework.)
• do
to make negatives (I do not like you.)
to ask questions (Do you want some coffee?)
to show emphasis (I do want you to pass your exam.)
to stand for a main verb in some constructions (He speaks faster than she does.)

Modal helping verbs (10 verbs)
We use modal helping verbs to “modify” the meaning of the main verb in some way. A modal
helping verb expresses necessity or possibility, and changes the main verb in that sense. These
are the modal verbs:
• can, could
• may, might
• will, would,

• shall, should
• must

• ought to
Here are examples using modal verbs:
• I can’t speak Chinese.

• John may arrive late.
• Would you like a cup of coffee?
• You should see a doctor.

• I really must go now.

Semi-modal verbs (3 verbs)

The following verbs are often called “semi-modals” because they are partly like modal helping
verbs and partly like main verbs:

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