we introduced the distinction between a main verb such as believe,
eat, love, and an auxiliary verb such as can, may, might, will.
We said that a main verb can occur alone in a sentence:
Caroline eats pizza.
whereas an auxiliary verb such as will cannot occur alone:
*Caroline will pizza.
An auxiliary verb always occurs with a main verb:
Caroline will eat pizza.
Auxiliary verbs are sometimes called helping verbs, because they ‘help’the main verb in some way. For instance, in Caroline will eat pizza, the auxiliary verb will expresses prediction.
Modal auxiliaries
The modal auxiliary verbs (or ‘modals’) are:
can shall
could should
may will
might would
must
Here are examples of the modals in use:
We can visit the park if the weather’s fine.
She could sense that something was wrong.
Susan may be late tomorrow morning.
I might see you again before I leave.
You must try a little harder.
I shall speak to him on his return.
David should join the army.
The play will open on 17 March.
I would love a game of tennis.
The modals have corresponding negative forms:
can can’t/cannot
could couldn’t
may mayn’t (British English – rare)
might mightn’t
must mustn’t
shall shan’t (British English – rare)
should shouldn’t
will won’t
would wouldn’t
Traditional grammars made a very sharp distinction between shall and will. They recommended that shall should be used to express
future time with I as subject (‘I shall arrive at six’), and that will should be used with all other subjects
(‘He will arrive at six.’). The reverse was recommended when expressing intention: ‘I will work hard’, but ‘He shall work
hard’.
In fact, these distinctions no longer apply in common
use, if they ever did apply.
The word shall has more or less disappeared from American
English, and there is evidence that it is also in decline in British English,except perhaps in the most formal contexts. Will is the preferred form in both varieties.
The meanings of modal auxiliaries
The modal auxiliary verbs express a very wide range of meanings. The principal meanings are:
Permission: You may go in now.
You can have a piece of chocolate.
Obligation: You must complete both sides of the form.
Ability: David can play the guitar.
My grandfather could dance the Charleston.
Prediction: I will be home at seven.
We shall write as soon as possible.
Probability or This may be your last chance.
Possibility:
The passive auxiliary be
The passive auxiliary be is used to form a passive sentence :
Passive: The play was written by Tom Stoppard.
Compare:
Active: Tom Stoppard wrote the play.
The passive auxiliary is followed by the -ed form of a verb.
The verb get is sometimes used as a passive auxiliary:
It started to rain as I left the house, and I got soaked.
At the end of the film, the villain gets shot by the police.
The progressive auxiliary be
As the name suggests, the progressive auxiliary be is used to denote
action in progress:
Paul is learning French.
It also has a past form:
Paul was learning French.
A progressive auxiliary is followed by the -ing form of a verb .
The perfective auxiliary have
The perfective auxiliary is have:
Peter has injured his foot.
Caroline has finished her dissertation.
We had discussed the matter in 1996.
I had met Mr Callaghan before.
The perfective auxiliary is followed by the -ed form of a verb
Auxiliary do
The auxiliary verb do has three main uses:
1 In forming questions:
Do you like Robert?
Did you enjoy the match?
Does your father use a computer?
2 In forming negative statements, with not:
I do not want it.
She did not graduate.
Simon does not eat cheese.
3 In negative imperatives, with not:
Do not touch that.
Do not move.
In informal use, do not is often contracted to don’t:
Don’t touch that.
Don’t move.
Semi-auxiliaries
Semi-auxiliaries are multi-word auxiliary verbs, including:
be about to happen to seem to
be going to have to tend to
be supposed to mean to used to
Like the other auxiliaries, semi-auxiliaries occur before a main verb:
The meeting is about to start.
David is going to retire at the end of August.
MPs are supposed to declare their financial interests.
Paul’s car broke down so he had to walk.
Ottoman art tends to be very stylized.
eat, love, and an auxiliary verb such as can, may, might, will.
We said that a main verb can occur alone in a sentence:
Caroline eats pizza.
whereas an auxiliary verb such as will cannot occur alone:
*Caroline will pizza.
An auxiliary verb always occurs with a main verb:
Caroline will eat pizza.
Auxiliary verbs are sometimes called helping verbs, because they ‘help’the main verb in some way. For instance, in Caroline will eat pizza, the auxiliary verb will expresses prediction.
Modal auxiliaries
The modal auxiliary verbs (or ‘modals’) are:
can shall
could should
may will
might would
must
Here are examples of the modals in use:
We can visit the park if the weather’s fine.
She could sense that something was wrong.
Susan may be late tomorrow morning.
I might see you again before I leave.
You must try a little harder.
I shall speak to him on his return.
David should join the army.
The play will open on 17 March.
I would love a game of tennis.
The modals have corresponding negative forms:
can can’t/cannot
could couldn’t
may mayn’t (British English – rare)
might mightn’t
must mustn’t
shall shan’t (British English – rare)
should shouldn’t
will won’t
would wouldn’t
Traditional grammars made a very sharp distinction between shall and will. They recommended that shall should be used to express
future time with I as subject (‘I shall arrive at six’), and that will should be used with all other subjects
(‘He will arrive at six.’). The reverse was recommended when expressing intention: ‘I will work hard’, but ‘He shall work
hard’.
In fact, these distinctions no longer apply in common
use, if they ever did apply.
The word shall has more or less disappeared from American
English, and there is evidence that it is also in decline in British English,except perhaps in the most formal contexts. Will is the preferred form in both varieties.
The meanings of modal auxiliaries
The modal auxiliary verbs express a very wide range of meanings. The principal meanings are:
Permission: You may go in now.
You can have a piece of chocolate.
Obligation: You must complete both sides of the form.
Ability: David can play the guitar.
My grandfather could dance the Charleston.
Prediction: I will be home at seven.
We shall write as soon as possible.
Probability or This may be your last chance.
Possibility:
The passive auxiliary be
The passive auxiliary be is used to form a passive sentence :
Passive: The play was written by Tom Stoppard.
Compare:
Active: Tom Stoppard wrote the play.
The passive auxiliary is followed by the -ed form of a verb.
The verb get is sometimes used as a passive auxiliary:
It started to rain as I left the house, and I got soaked.
At the end of the film, the villain gets shot by the police.
The progressive auxiliary be
As the name suggests, the progressive auxiliary be is used to denote
action in progress:
Paul is learning French.
It also has a past form:
Paul was learning French.
A progressive auxiliary is followed by the -ing form of a verb .
The perfective auxiliary have
The perfective auxiliary is have:
Peter has injured his foot.
Caroline has finished her dissertation.
We had discussed the matter in 1996.
I had met Mr Callaghan before.
The perfective auxiliary is followed by the -ed form of a verb
Auxiliary do
The auxiliary verb do has three main uses:
1 In forming questions:
Do you like Robert?
Did you enjoy the match?
Does your father use a computer?
2 In forming negative statements, with not:
I do not want it.
She did not graduate.
Simon does not eat cheese.
3 In negative imperatives, with not:
Do not touch that.
Do not move.
In informal use, do not is often contracted to don’t:
Don’t touch that.
Don’t move.
Semi-auxiliaries
Semi-auxiliaries are multi-word auxiliary verbs, including:
be about to happen to seem to
be going to have to tend to
be supposed to mean to used to
Like the other auxiliaries, semi-auxiliaries occur before a main verb:
The meeting is about to start.
David is going to retire at the end of August.
MPs are supposed to declare their financial interests.
Paul’s car broke down so he had to walk.
Ottoman art tends to be very stylized.
