English Grammar | SPOCA | Auxiliary Verbs

English Grammar / SPOCA

 Auxiliary Verbs

An auxiliary verb is ‘helping’ verb used to indicate the tense, voice, mood, and aspect, of the Main Verb. 

Auxiliary verbs or ‘helping’ verbs or simply auxiliaries are three types:

1. Primary auxiliary verbs: be, have which are used to construct compound tenses.

A) BE is a primary auxiliary and it is used to make:

_ The present continuous tense: 

1. I am typing. (SP)
2. They are writing their weekly report. (SPO)

_ The past continuous tense: 

1.  We were all camping in Paris. (SPA)
2.  She was volunteering in Africa in 2009. (SPA(A))

_ The passive voice: 

1.  Those items were sold out in two days! (SP(A))
2.  He was arrested two days ago. (SP(A))

B) HAVE is also a primary auxiliary and is used to make 

_ present perfect tense: 

1. Yesterday, Grandpa has got the first vaccine shot in our village. (SPO(A))
2. John and Anna have done their grammar exercises already. (SPO(A))

_ past perfect tense: 

1.  Leila had already showered the baby when we arrived. (SP(A)O(A))
2.  She definitely had not expected that when she resigned. (S(A)PO(A) 

 _ She | definitely | had not expected | that | when she resigned. 

     S       A)            P                       O               (A)

_ [(She) (definitely) had not expected (that) (when she resigned.))]

       NP-S VP-P Adv.P-(A)               NP-O finite wh-adverbial Clause-(A)

2. supporting auxiliary verbs: do / does / did which is used to form:

_ negatives: 

1. She definitely does not like vaccines. (S(A)PO)

_ questions: 

1. Do you like quince and mutton? (PSO)

_ emphasis: 

1. Our Moroccan guest did like mushrooms, didn’t she? (SPO, PS)

NOTE: the above Auxiliaries be, have, do are also Main Verbs.

3. Modal auxiliary verbs, usually called modal verbs, allow us to talk about actions of the main verb as possible, doubtful, or necessary: 

_ She will see her dentist on Monday. 

_ She could see her dentist on Monday.

_ She may see her dentist on Monday. 

_ She must see her dentist on Monday.

4. The table below shows that a VERB PHRASE consists of one MAIN / LEXICAL VERB alone AND it may consist of one main verb and one AUXILIARY or a combination of AUXILIARIES:

({Aux} {Aux} {Aux} {Aux} V)   

_ which means that a VP can run thus: Modal + HAVE + BE1 + BE2 + Head verb

NOTE: _ VP = a Main Verb with 4 auxiliaries is possible but rare.