Helping Verbs - A2 Grammar Rules and Exercises

Exercises

Explanation

We use auxiliary verbs to:

build different tenses
form questions
make negative sentences
talk about future plans
express ability, permission, obligation, or possibility (with modal verbs)

Auxiliary verbs usually come before the main verb.

Primary Helping (Auxiliary) Verbs

Verb	Function	Example
be (am / is / are / was / were)	shows actions in progress	She is writing an email.
have (have / has / had)	shows completed actions	They have eaten lunch.
do (do / does / did)	questions and negatives	Did you enjoy the trip?

Note: We do not use do/does with the verb to be or with modal verbs.

Examples in Sentences

I am learning English.
He has finished his homework.
We did not understand the question.
Do they play tennis after school?
The students were waiting for the teacher.

Making Questions

We place do / does / did before the subject:

Do you have a pencil?
Does she travel often?
Did you hear the news?

Making Negatives

We add not after the auxiliary verb:

I am not late.
She does not (doesn't) like spicy food.
They have not (haven't) visited us.
He did not (didn't) call yesterday.

Modal Auxiliary Verbs

Modal verbs also help the main verb. They do not change form and are always followed by the base form of a verb.

Modal	Function	Example
can	ability / permission	I can drive.
should	advice	You should drink more water.
must	strong obligation	You must wear a seatbelt.
will	future plans	We will meet tomorrow.
may	polite permission / possibility	You may enter the room.

Helpful Tips

Auxiliary verbs support the main verb, they do not stand alone.
Use do / does / did for most questions and negatives.
Modal verbs never add -s, -ed, or -ing.
After a modal verb, always use the base form:
He can sings. → He can sing.

With auxiliary verbs, your sentences become more clear, correct, and expressive. They help you talk about time, questions, plans, and possibilities in English.