Auxiliary verb
an auxiliary verb is a verb used to add functional or grammatical meaning to the clause in which it appears – for example, to express tense, aspect, modality, voice,
emphasis, etc. Auxiliary verbs usually accompany a main verb, the main
verb providing the main semantic content of the clause in which it
appears.[1] An example is the verb have in the sentence I have finished my dinner – here the main verb is finish, and the auxiliary have helps to express the perfect aspect. Some sentences contain a chain of two or more auxiliary verbs. Auxiliary verbs are also called helping verbs, helper verbs, or (verbal) auxiliaries. They may be glossed with the abbreviation AUX.
Basic examples
Some sentences containing representative auxiliary verbs from
English, German, and French follow, with the auxiliary verb marked in
bold:
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- a. Do you want tea? – do is an auxiliary accompanying the main verb want, used here to form a question – see do-support.
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- b. He has given his all. – has is an auxiliary used in expressing the perfect aspect of give.
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- c. Das wurde mehrmals gesagt. – wurde "became" is an auxiliary used to build the passive voice in German.[2]
- That became many.times said = "That was said many times."
- c. Das wurde mehrmals gesagt. – wurde "became" is an auxiliary used to build the passive voice in German.[2]
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- d. Sie ist nach Hause gegangen. – ist "is" is an auxiliary used with movement verbs to build the perfect tense/aspect in German.[3]
- She is to home gone = "She went home/She has gone home."
- d. Sie ist nach Hause gegangen. – ist "is" is an auxiliary used with movement verbs to build the perfect tense/aspect in German.[3]
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- e. J'ai vu le soleil. – ai "have" is an auxiliary used to build the perfect/tense aspect in French.[4]
- I have seen the sun = "I have seen the sun/I saw the sun."
- e. J'ai vu le soleil. – ai "have" is an auxiliary used to build the perfect/tense aspect in French.[4]
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- f. Nous sommes aidés. – sommes "are" is an auxiliary used to build the passive voice in French.[5]
- We are helped = "We are being helped."
- f. Nous sommes aidés. – sommes "are" is an auxiliary used to build the passive voice in French.[5]
These auxiliaries help express a question, show tense/aspect, or form
passive voice. Auxiliaries like these typically appear with a full verb
that carries the main semantic content of the clause.
A list of auxiliaries in English
A list of verbs that (can) function as auxiliaries in English is as follows:[9]
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- be (am, are, is, was, were, being), can, could, dare*, do (does, did), have (has, had, having), may, might, must, need*, ought*, shall, should, will, would
- * The status of dare, need (not), and ought (to) is debatable;[10] and the use of these verbs as auxiliaries can vary across dialects of English.
If the negative forms can't, don't, won't, etc. are viewed as separate verbs (and not as contractions), then the number of auxiliaries increases. The verbs do and have can also function as full verbs or as light verbs, which can be a source of confusion about their status. The modal verbs (can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would, and dare, need and ought
when included) form a subclass of auxiliary verbs. Modal verbs are
defective insofar as they cannot be inflected, nor do they appear as
gerunds, infinitives, or participles.
The following table summarizes the auxiliary verbs in standard
English and the meaning contribution to the clauses in which they
appear. Many auxiliary verbs are listed more than once in the table
based upon discernible differences in use.
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Auxiliary verb Meaning contribution Example be1 copula (= linking verb) She is the boss. be2 progressive aspect He is sleeping. be3 passive voice They were seen. can1 deontic modality I can swim. can2 epistemic modality Such things can help. could1 deontic modality I could swim. could2 epistemic modality That could help. do do-support/emphasis You did not understand. have perfect aspect They have understood. may1 deontic modality May I stay? may2 epistemic modality That may take place. might epistemic modality We might give it a try. must1 deontic modality You must not mock me. must2 epistemic modality It must have rained. shall deontic modality You shall not pass. should1 deontic modality You should listen. should2 epistemic modality That should help. will epistemic modality We will eat pie. would epistemic modality Nothing would accomplish that.
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Deontic modality
expresses an ability, necessity, or obligation that is associated with
an agent subject. Epistemic modality expresses the speaker's assessment
of reality or likelihood of reality. Distinguishing between the two
types of modality can be difficult, since many sentences contain a modal
verb that allows both interpretations.
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