All Auxiliary Verbs List with Examples

Auxiliary verbs help main verbs express tense, questions, negatives, possibility, ability, obligation, and other grammatical meanings. A clear auxiliary verbs list makes it easier to see how be, have, do, and modal auxiliaries work in English.

This article provides a complete auxiliary verbs list, including the forms of be, have, and do, core modal auxiliaries, semi-modals, common functions, sentence examples, and longer verb phrases.

Complete Auxiliary Verbs List

The main auxiliary verbs can be grouped into primary auxiliaries, modal auxiliaries, and semi-modal expressions.

The three primary auxiliary verbs are:

• be
• have
• do

The core modal auxiliaries include:

• can
• could
• may
• might
• will
• would
• shall
• should
• must

Forms of Be as an Auxiliary Verb

The verb be has several forms:

• be
• am
• is
• are
• was
• were
• being
• been

As an auxiliary, be commonly helps form continuous verb phrases.

Examples:

She is reading.

They are playing.

Noah was sleeping.

We were studying.

Mia has been waiting.

The forms of be can also help form passive structures.

Examples:

The window was broken.

The room is being cleaned.

The cake was baked this morning.

In these examples, the form of be supports the main verb.

Forms of Have as an Auxiliary Verb

The auxiliary have has three main forms:

• have
• has
• had

It helps form perfect verb phrases.

Examples:

They have finished the work.

Mia has eaten lunch.

We had left before noon.

Noah has written a story.

The usual pattern is:

have / has / had + past participle

Examples:

have finished

has written

had eaten

Forms of Do as an Auxiliary Verb

The auxiliary do has three main forms:

• do
• does
• did

It commonly helps form questions, negatives, and emphasis.

Questions

Do you like apples?

Does Mia play football?

Did they finish the work?

In these questions, do, does, and did support the main verb.

Negatives

She does not like milk.

We do not need help.

Noah did not arrive early.

Here, the auxiliary combines with not to form the negative.

Emphasis

I do like this book.

She does want to help.

They did finish the project.

In these sentences, do, does, or did adds emphasis.

Modal Auxiliary Verbs List

Modal auxiliaries add meanings such as ability, possibility, permission, prediction, advice, and obligation.

Examples:

Mia can swim.

We may leave early.

You should study.

They will arrive soon.

Noah must finish his work.

She might join us later.

The modal auxiliary comes before the main verb.

Semi-Modal Verbs

Semi-modals share some features with modal auxiliaries but also behave like ordinary verbs in some structures.

Common examples include:

• have to
• be able to
• need
• dare
• used to

Examples:

We have to leave now.

Mia is able to swim.

You need to finish the work.

He used to live nearby.

Semi-modals should be kept separate from the core modal auxiliary list because their grammar is not identical.

Auxiliary Verbs by Function

Auxiliary verbs can also be grouped by the job they perform.

For example:

She is reading.
Continuous

They have finished.
Perfect

Do you like apples?
Question

Noah can swim.
Ability

You should rest.
Advice

Primary vs Modal Auxiliary Verbs

Primary and modal auxiliaries both help main verbs, but they behave differently.

Primary auxiliaries change form.

Examples:

is, are, was, were

have, has, had

do, does, did

By contrast, core modal auxiliaries do not normally take ordinary person endings such as -s.

Correct:

She can swim.

Incorrect:

She cans swim.

Auxiliary Verbs in Sentences

The following examples show auxiliary verbs working with main verbs.

The auxiliary supports the verb phrase, while the main verb carries the central action or state.

Auxiliary Verbs in Longer Verb Phrases

A verb phrase can contain more than one auxiliary before the main verb.

For example:

They may have finished.

Auxiliaries:

• may
• have

Main verb:

• finished

Another example:

She might have been waiting.

Auxiliaries:

• might
• have
• been

Main verb:

• waiting

One more:

Noah could have been sleeping.

Auxiliaries:

• could
• have
• been

Main verb:

• sleeping

Even when several auxiliaries appear, the verb phrase still centers on one main verb.

When Be, Have, and Do Are Main Verbs Instead

The words be, have, and do are not always auxiliary verbs.

Their role depends on the sentence.

Be

She is happy.

Here, is functions as the main linking verb.

Compare:

She is running.

Here:

is = auxiliary

running = main verb

Have

I have a bicycle.

Here, have is the main verb.

Compare:

I have finished my work.

Here:

have = auxiliary

finished = main verb

Do

I do my homework after dinner.

Here, do is the main verb.

Compare:

Do you like English?

Here:

do = auxiliary

like = main verb

Therefore, a word should be classified by its function in the sentence rather than by the word alone.

Common Mistakes With Auxiliary Verbs

For example:

She is running.

Here, is is an auxiliary.

However:

She is happy.

Here, is is the main linking verb.

Similarly:

I have finished the work.

Here, have is auxiliary.

By contrast:

I have a bicycle.

Here, have is the main verb.

FAQs

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