Transcription of The Auxiliary Verb
1 1 THE Auxiliary verb Recognize an Auxiliary verb when you see one. Every sentence must have a verb . To depict doable activities, writers use action verbs. To describe conditions, writers choose linking verbs. Sometimes an action or condition occurs just once bang! and it's over. N a t e s t u b b e d h i s t o e . He is m i s e r a b l e w i t h p a i n . Other times, the activity or condition continues over a long stretch of time, happens predictably, or occurs in relationship to other events.
2 In these instances, a single-word verb like stubbed or is cannot accurately describe what happened, so writers use multipart verb phrases to communicate what they mean. As many as four words can comprise a verb phrase. A main or base verb indicates the type of action or condition, and Auxiliary or helping verbs convey the other nuances that writers want to express. Read these three examples: S h e r y l e e s m a c k e d h e r l i p s a s r a s p b e r r y j e l l y d r i p p e d f r o m t h e d o n u t o n t o h e r w h i t e s h i r t.
3 S h e r y l e e is a l w a y s d r i p p i n g s o m e th i n g . S i n c e S h e r y l e e i s s u c h a k l u t z , s h e s h o u l d h a v e b e e n e a t i n g a c a k e d o n u t , w h i c h w o u l d n o t h a v e s t a i n e d h e r s h i r t . In the first sentence, smacked and dripped, single-word verbs, describe the quick actions of both Sherylee and the raspberry jelly. Since Sherylee has a pattern of messiness, is dripping communicates the frequency of her clumsiness.
4 The Auxiliary verbs that comprise should have been eating and would have stained express not only time relationships but also criticism of Sherylee's actions. 2 Below are the Auxiliary verbs. You can conjugate be, do, and have; the modal auxiliaries, however, never change form. BE DO HAVE am is are was were being been does do did has have had having MO D A L AU X I L I A R I E S [NE V E R CH A N G E FO R M] can, could, may, might, must, ought to, shall, should, will, would Understand the dual nature of be, do, and have.
5 Be, do, and have are both stand-alone verbs and Auxiliary verbs. When these verbs are Auxiliary , you will find them teamed with other verbs to complete the verb phrase. Compare these sentences: F r e d d y is envious of Beatrice s steaming bowl of squid eyeball stew. Is = linking verb . F r e d d y i s st u d y i n g Beatrice s steaming bowl of squid eyeball stew w i t h e n v y i n h i s e y e s . 3 Is = Auxiliary verb ; studying = present participle completing the verb phrase. We d i d o u r h o m e w o r k f o r M r s.
6 L o n g . Did = action verb . We re not slackers! We d i d p r e p a r e o u r h o m e w o r k f o r M r s . L o n g . Did = Auxiliary verb ; prepare = main verb completing the verb phrase. S e l e n a h a s t w e l v e o r a n g e g o l d f i s h i n h e r a q u a r i u m . Has = action verb . S e l e n a h a s b o u g h t a c a t f i s h t o h e l p k e e p t h e t a n k c l e a n . Has = Auxiliary verb ; bought = past participle completing the verb phrase. Form progressive tenses with the Auxiliary verb be.
7 All progressive tenses use a form of be. FO R M S O F BE am, is, are, was, were, being, been PR E S E N T PR O G R E S S I V E Present progressive follows this pattern: AM, IS, OR ARE + PR E S E N T PA R T I C I P L E Use the present progressive tense to convey an action or condition happening right now or frequently. I a m b a k i n g c h oc o l a t e-b r o c c o l i m u f f i n s t o d a y . Am = Auxiliary verb ; baking = present participle completing the verb phrase. A l e x i s s i t t i n g a t t h e k i t c h e n t a b l e , a n t i c i p a t i n g h i s f i r s t b i t e.
8 4 Is = Auxiliary verb ; sitting = present participle completing the verb phrase. A l e x m u s t w a i t a w h i l e l o n g e r b e c a u s e t h e m u f f i n s a r e c o o l i n g b y t h e w i n d o w . Are = Auxiliary verb ; cooling = present participle completing the verb phrase. I m p a t i e n t A l e x is a l w a y s w a i t i n g t o t a s t e w h a t e v e r I c o o k . Is = Auxiliary verb ; waiting = present participle completing the verb phrase. PA S T PR O G R E S S I V E Past progressive follows this pattern: WAS OR WERE + PR E S E N T PA R T I C I P L E Use the past progressive tense to show either 1) an action or condition that continued in the past or 2) an action or condition interrupted by another.
9 N a o m i w a s h o p i n g f o r a n A i n h e r o r g a n i c c h e m i s t r y c l a s s . Was = Auxiliary verb ; hoping = present participle completing the verb phrase. U n f o r t u n a t e l y , N a o m i ' s l a b r e p o r t s w e r e m i s s i n g t h e n u t r i t i o n a l d a t a o n c h o c o l a t e-b r o c c o l i m u f f i n s . Were = Auxiliary verb ; missing = present participle completing the verb phrase. W h i l e N a o m i w a s o b s e s s i n g a b o u t h e r g r a d e , J a s o n s h a r e d t h e d a t a t h a t s h e n e e d e d.
10 Was = Auxiliary verb ; obsessing = present participle completing the verb phrase. FU T U R E PR O G R E S S I V E future progressive looks like this: 5 WI L L + BE + PR E S E N T PA R T I C I P L E Use the future progressive tense to indicate an action that will continue in the future . I w i l l b e g r o w i n g b r o c c o l i i n t h e b a c k y a r d t h i s s p r i n g . Will, be = Auxiliary verbs; growing = present participle completing the verb phrase. S o o n , A l e x w i l l b e e a t i n g o r g a n i c c h o c o l a t e-b r o c c o l i m u f f i n s !
