A verb is a part of speech that displays the action, described in the proposal. This structure of this rule is relevant for, but not for English. In an international language, a verb can be either semantic or auxiliary. Thanks to this technique, grammar becomes simpler, and sentences are built much faster. What are auxiliary verbs in English, how to place and modify them correctly?
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Introduction
The whole complexity of the English language lies in the large number of tense forms on the basis of which it is built.
Times, in turn, are formed using auxiliary verbs, which have an indefinite form, and are modified depending on the pronoun that precedes them.
In other words, it is a signpost that shows us who is doing something and when. For accurate understanding, below is a table of auxiliary aids in English, and after it a clear explanation 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 tense in which we use it.
Present, Past, Future Indefinite
A group of tenses that allows us to describe daily events that occur regularly or periodically. An example is the following: I work in a factory, we walk in the park in the evenings, etc. During the time of the Indefinite group, the most simple and short sayings English language that is accessible and understandable to a Russian-speaking person. Well, now let’s look at what an auxiliary verb is in this category 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. It is not used in sentences of the affirmative form of the present tense, but if you need to ask a question or refute something, then its participation is mandatory. For the present time 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 this).
You can consider both options using 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 don’t play football. – We don’t 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 correctly and clearly construct the most commonly used sentences in English. These forms of the auxiliary verb tell us the pronoun in question, as well as the time in which the main action takes place.
The verb form of Do in the Past Indefinite form is Did. In this case he same for all pronouns, but 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?”, to which a negative answer may follow: “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 used 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, be it affirmative, interrogative or negative, we use the word Will. It does not change depending on the pronoun, so learning this rule will be quite simple. Let's look at the usage with a clear 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! The auxiliary verb Shall also takes place in the future definite tense. It is used only in combination with the pronoun "I" in all sentence forms. However, recently it has become rarely used, thereby simplifying the scheme for this time. You can only hear the phrase “I shall” from a resident of the UK, but all other English-speaking countries say “I will”.
Present, Past, Future Continuous
Continuous tenses, which translates as “long” indicate an unfinished action.
It can occur at the moment, it can be unfinished in the past or in the future. In the Russian version, such statements sound like: “I read yesterday,” “She is swimming 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, 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 incomplete meaning. To understand how this works, it is enough to literally translate the simplest sentence with his participation: “To be reading - to be reading.” Like the forms of the verb Do, varieties of To Be vary based on 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, we can consider short statements using it: “I am dancing”, “They are drawing”, “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. Sentences 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 the result is: “I (He) will be running - I (he) will run.”
Advice! In Continuous tenses, all semantic verb forms have the ending –ing. It is attributed 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 task. 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 future, such forms are used extremely rarely. They indicate a fully completed action that was preceded by another, unfinished one, 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 own forms, depending on tense and pronoun, and it is thanks to them that we identify what is happening. Let's start, as always, with the present and a brief diagram for using To Have:
- I, You, We, They (I, you, we, they) – have.
- He, She, It (he, she, it) – has.
Let us 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.
People speak and write extremely rarely in the past tense of this category. 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 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 Perfect tenses, 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 cases where the form Had or Will Have is used, as if indicating time, the semantic verb must invariably remain in the past tense.
Types of auxiliary verbs in English
Learning English - auxiliary verbs
Conclusion
We briefly examined the basic grammatical forms of the English language, on the basis of which speech is built. For many, it was previously a mystery why there were two verbs with different meanings in the sentence, and how to translate and comprehend this. Having learned when to use Do and Does, Have and Has, as well as a number of other auxiliary words, it becomes much easier to understand any English-speaking citizen.
Auxiliary verbs in English cause difficulties for all students without exception. This is primarily due to the fact that the structures of our native language that are familiar to us do not work, and the imposed system is alien and incomprehensible. However, as the most successful translators say, to learn to speak a foreign language well, you need to understand how native speakers think. We'll figure out.
What are they needed for
Auxiliary verbs, as their name clearly implies, help with the grammatical design of speech. These are “assistants” that indicate categories - such as time, number, person, voice, etc. It is important to understand that in this function they do not indicate an action, which, for example, in Russian is the main characteristic of a verb.
Let's take the question, “Do you like oranges?” as an example? Please note that in Russian, in speech, only intonation indicates that this sentence is a question. That is, if you pronounce it evenly, the interlocutor will decide that this is a statement. What else can we say about the grammatical formatting of the example? The pronoun “you” and the form of the verb “love” tell us that we are addressing one specific person in the present tense. The form of the verb is important for us: we do not use the main one - “to love”, but specifically select the grammatically correct one.
This question is translated into English as follows: “Do you like oranges?” And from the first word - the auxiliary verb - we can determine that:
- it is a question (in English only questions begin with a verb);
- we are interested in action in the present tense;
- we certainly do not refer to “him” or “her”, since in this case the verb would take the form does.
All subsequent words do not carry a grammatical load, only a semantic one. Notice how the grammar is “spread out” throughout the Russian sentence and is densely concentrated in one English word, which we do not even mention when translating. That is, the exact understanding of our speech directly depends on which auxiliary verbs are used in a sentence.
Verb to do
The auxiliary verbs do and does are most often used to construct questions and negatives in the present simple tense. The form depends on the subject of the sentence - if it is “he”, “she” or “it” (scientifically speaking, 3rd person singular), then the form does is used (and the main action verb is deprived of the ending -s/-es), in all in other cases the basic do form is used.
Did forms questions and negatives in the simple past tense. Its form does not change depending on the subject.
Affirmative sentences also sometimes use different forms of do as auxiliary verbs - in order to emphasize something, to emphasize an action, imperative or adverb, etc. For example, passionately proving your love for porridge, you can say: “I do like porridge, is it so unbelievable?"
Verb to have
And its other forms - has and had - are most often used as auxiliaries to express action in specific English tense categories: Perfect and Perfect Continuous, expressing the “perfection” of the action. Thus, have and has express the present tense, and in combination with will - the future; had is used if the action happened in the past.
In addition, have and its forms followed by the infinitive particle to express the need to perform an action and have a similar meaning to the modal and auxiliary verb must.
Verb to be
To be is one of the most common auxiliary verbs in English tenses. It has a very wide range of shapes.
Thus, to express the present simple tense (Present Simple) in questions and negations, depending on the subject of the sentence, am (for the first person singular - “I”), is (for the third person singular - “he”) are used. she", "it") or "are" (second person and all plural persons). Don't forget that in sentences like "I am a doctor" - the verb to be (in the form am) is semantic, not auxiliary; in this case, it can independently be used to construct questions and denials.
If the action is happening at the moment, that is, the Present Continuous tense is used, the forms am/is/are are also used (in all types of sentences), and the semantic verb takes on the ending -ing.
Questions and negations in the past simple tense (Past Simple) are constructed using the forms was (for the singular) and were (for the plural, including you), and will is used to express actions in the future in all types of sentences.
Another form of the verb in question - been - is part of the auxiliary construction of the group of so-called perfect continuous tenses (Perfect Continuous Tense) and, in combination with the main verb with the ending -ing, expresses precisely this duration. This group of tenses traditionally causes big problems for English language learners, but the theoretical description of grammar sounds more complicated than it actually is: “I have been learning English my whole life and still have no clue on how to deal with the Tense System!” “I’ve been studying English all my life, but I still don’t fully understand the tense system.”
All forms of the verb to be also help express the passive voice - the choice depends on the time in which a particular action occurs.
Other auxiliary verbs
The verbs must, should, can, could, may, might, ought and others are also known as modal auxiliaries and are used to express the necessity, possibility or permission of some action. For the most part, they do not change either over time or depending on the subject of the story.
Notes from beginning linguists
All famous linguists once began to study a foreign language. Success depends on many factors, including understanding the subtle nuances that often make understanding a foreign system easier. We consider it necessary to mention the following factors:
- If a question begins with an auxiliary word (rather than an interrogative such as "What..." or "When..."), the answer to it can be a simple monosyllabic "yes" or "no", and to maintain literacy in style, so called Perfect English, you can add the appropriate pronoun and the same verb that came at the beginning. "Does Anna like porridge?" - "Yes (she does)." Pay attention to the form - it may need to be negative if you use no in your answer.
- In order to avoid misunderstandings, it is necessary to remember that all auxiliary verbs in English (except modal ones) can also be semantic. At the same time, you should not be frightened or puzzled by the double representation of any word in a sentence, as, for example, in the question: “Do you do cleaning every day?” - “Do you clean every day?” - in the first case, the verb do is auxiliary, and in the second it is semantic.
It is worth noting that the system of auxiliary verbs in English is so complex that even native speakers sometimes make mistakes when using them. However, students should be diligent and study this topic deeply in order to be able to accurately convey the necessary information and correctly understand the interlocutor.
The function of which is to convey additional grammatical and semantic information in combination with a semantic verb. In this case, the auxiliary verb completely or partially loses its main lexical meaning. Auxiliary verbs participate in the formation of various aspectual and tense forms. Typically, auxiliary verbs do not form a separate class, but are ordinary verbs that are not used in their main meaning. In Indo-European languages these are most often the verbs ‘to be’ and ‘to have’.
- Ich habe das Buch gelesen - I read this book (Perfekt).
- Ich hatte davon nicht gewusst! - I didn’t know about it (Plusquamperfekt).
- Ich bin nicht hingegangen - I didn’t go there (Perfekt).
- Ich war dort noch nie gewesen. - I’ve never been there before (Plusquamperfekt).
Auxiliary werden(become, become) is used to form the simple future tense (Futurum I or simply Futurum) and the passive voice (Passiv), as well as to form the subjunctive mood (Konjunktiv) of other verbs:
- Ich werde das Buch lesen - I will read this book (Futurum).
- Ich würde das Buch lesen - I would read this book (Konjunktiv).
- Das Buch wurde noch nicht gelesen - The book has not yet been read (Passiv).
In more complex cases, several auxiliary verbs can be used simultaneously. For example, in the past future tense (Futurum II) or when using the passive voice (Passiv) with the past or simple future tense (Futurum):
- Morgen werde ich das Buch gelesen haben! - Tomorrow I will read this book (Futurum II).
- Das Buch wird bald gelesen werden - This book will be read soon (Futurum Passiv).
- Das Buch ist immer noch nicht gelesen worden! - The book has not been read yet! (Perfect Passiv).
- Das Buch war immer noch nicht gelesen worden - The book has not yet been read (Plusquamperfekt Passiv).
- Das Buch wird bald gelesen worden sein - This book will be read soon (Futurum II Passiv).
In colloquial speech, the verb is sometimes used as an auxiliary verb to describe a continuous action in the present tense tun(to do), and the verb sein used in a form different from the standard rules to form the past or future tense:
- Tust du noch rauchen? - Do you still smoke? (instead of: Rauchst du noch?)
- Schlafen tu’ ich nicht mehr - I’m no longer sleeping (instead of: Ich schlafe nicht mehr).
- Ich war telefonieren - I talked on the phone (instead of: Ich habe telefoniert).
- Ich bin mal essen - I will (go) to eat now (instead of: Ich werde essen).
see also
Literature
- Akhmanova O. S. Dictionary of linguistic terms. M., 1966. - p.89
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See what “Auxiliary verb” is in other dictionaries:
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AUXILIARY, oh, oh. Auxiliary, additional. V. squad. Auxiliary sections of science. V. verb (in grammar: semi-nominal or copular). Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 … Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary
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 lexical meaning, they only participate in the construction of complex forms, but note that the verbs to be, to have, to do can be used as semantic ones (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 verbs.
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).
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 be our friend?
I have to be at home now. - I have to now be Houses.
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 appear” can be used in Russian (in Russian it is usually omitted).
I am your friend. - I am your friend.
He is a doctor. - He is a doctor.
We are not rich. - We are not rich.
As an auxiliary the verb to be is used:
1. For the formation of all tenses Continuous and Perfect Continuous in the active (active) voice.
I am looking for someone. - I'm looking for someone.
We were expecting a better result. – We expected a better result.
I have been waiting for you for two hours. - I've been waiting for you for two hours.
2. For the formation of all forms.
The newspapers have been delivered. - The newspapers have been delivered.
The building is being constructed now. - The building is currently under construction.
Auxiliary verb to have
The verb to have can be used as semantic in its 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 an auxiliary, the verb to have is used to form all Perfect tenses:
You have done a lot of work. – You did a lot of work.
We had finished the task by two o’clock. – We completed the task before two o’clock.
I will have 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 “to do”, “to engage in”:
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!
As an auxiliary, 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 doesn’t trust her husband.
Did did you see that? -Did you see this?
We didn't see anything. - We didn't see anything.
2. To form 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 a 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 that I don’t know your sister? I 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)
The verb will (would) can be used both modal and auxiliary.
As an auxiliary it is used:
1. The verb will – to construct all forms of the future tense.
The 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 construct forms of the future tense in the past (Future in the Past).
He said that the winter would be cold. - He said that the winter would be cold.
She said that she would be walking with her dog. She said she would be walking her dog.
Auxiliary verb shall (should)
1. The auxiliary verb shall is used to construct forms of the future tense (that is, instead of will) with the 1st person singular and plural:
I shall meet you at the gate. - I'll meet you at the gate.
We shall discuss it later. - We'll discuss this later.
2. The auxiliary verb should is used to construct forms of the future in the past (that is, instead of would) with the 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.
