23 Helping Verbs (Auxiliary Verbs) in English Grammar: List, Types & Examples

In English grammar, helping verbs are used alongside main verbs to express tense, form questions, create negatives, or indicate voice and mood. There are 23 helping verbs in English, including familiar forms like is, have, do, and modal verbs such as can, should, and might. In this guide, you’ll learn how helping verbs work, how they differ from main verbs, and how to use them correctly in various sentence structures.

What Are Helping Verbs (Auxiliary Verbs)?

Helping verbs, also known as auxiliary verbs, are verbs that come before a main verb to assist with tense, voice, mood, or question formation. They don’t carry the main action in a sentence but help express when or how something happens.

For example:

• She has written a letter. (has helps form the present perfect tense)
• They are working on the assignment. (are helps form the present continuous)
• Did you call him? (did helps form a question in the past tense)

In each case, the helping verb supports the main verb and allows the sentence to express time, possibility, or structure. English uses both primary helping verbs (like be, do, and have) and modal helping verbs (like can, should, or might), which we’ll explore in the next section.

Types of Helping Verbs

Helping verbs fall into two main categories: primary helping verbs and modal helping verbs. Both types work with the main verb, but they serve different functions in a sentence.

Primary Helping Verbs (Be, Do, Have)

These three verbs help form different tenses, questions, negatives, and passive constructions.

Be

Used to form continuous (progressive) tenses and the passive voice.

• Continuous:
  – She is reading a book.
  – They were waiting at the station.
• Passive voice:
  – The project was completed on time.
  – The letters are being mailed now.

Have

Used to form perfect tenses.

• Present Perfect:
  – I have eaten lunch.
• Past Perfect:
  – She had left before we arrived.

Do

Used in questions, negatives, and emphasis (mostly in present and past simple).

• Question:
  – Do you like chocolate?
• Negative:
  – He did not attend the meeting.
• Emphasis:
  – I do understand your concern.

These primary helping verbs can also be used as main verbs, depending on context (e.g., I have a bike, She is a teacher), but here they assist another verb.

Modal Helping Verbs (Can, Should, Might, etc.)

Modal verbs are a type of helping verb that express ability, possibility, necessity, permission, or intention. They always appear before the base form of the main verb and do not change form based on subject or tense.

Here are common modal helping verbs and how they are used:

Can / Could – express ability or possibility

• She can solve complex math problems without a calculator.
• We could meet earlier if the schedule changes.

May / Might – express possibility or permission

• You may leave after completing the form.
• It might rain before sunset.

Shall / Should – express suggestions, advice, or obligation

• Shall we go for a walk after dinner?
• You should update your resume before applying.

Will / Would – express future actions, offers, or imagined situations

• He will present the report tomorrow.
• I would help if I had the time.

Must – expresses necessity or strong obligation

• All visitors must wear a badge while on site.

Each modal adds meaning to the sentence beyond time—it shows intent, expectation, or level of certainty. Unlike primary helping verbs, modals are never used alone and don’t take –ing or –ed forms.

List of 23 Helping Verbs in English

English has 23 commonly used helping verbs, divided into primary helping verbs and modal helping verbs. Below is a complete list, grouped by type.

Primary Helping Verbs

These are used to form tenses, questions, negatives, and passive structures.

• be – am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been
• have – have, has, had
• do – do, does, did

Modal Helping Verbs

These add meaning related to ability, necessity, permission, possibility, or intention.

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

Each helping verb works with a main verb and cannot stand alone. Some, like be and have, are also used as main verbs depending on context, but when they assist another verb, they act as auxiliaries.

Helping Verb Examples in Sentences

The best way to recognize a helping verb is to see how it supports a main verb in real sentences. Below are examples using both primary and modal helping verbs, across different tenses and sentence types.

Primary Helping Verbs in Sentences

• Be:
  – The students are reviewing their notes for the exam.
  – The documents were signed yesterday. (passive)
• Have:
  – She has completed all her assignments.
  – We had left before the show even started.
• Do:
  – Do you know the answer? (question)
  – He did not agree with the decision. (negative)
  – I do enjoy reading historical fiction. (emphasis)

Modal Helping Verbs in Sentences

• Can: She can speak three languages fluently.
• Could: They could visit the museum after lunch.
• May: You may borrow this book if you return it tomorrow.
• Might: They might cancel the event due to rain.
• Shall: Shall we continue this discussion tomorrow?
• Should: You should bring a jacket—it’s getting colder.
• Will: I will call you once I’m finished.
• Would: I would travel more if I had more time off.
• Must: All employees must follow safety procedures.

Semi-Modal Helping Verbs in English

In addition to the core modal verbs like can, should, and must, English also uses semi-modal helping verbs. These verbs function like modals—they help the main verb express necessity, possibility, or habit—but they follow slightly different grammar rules.

Common Semi-Modal Verbs

• ought to – expresses advice or recommendation
• have to – expresses necessity or obligation
• need to – expresses necessity
• used to – describes past habits or states

Examples of Semi-Modals in Sentences

• You ought to take a break.
• I have to submit the report by 5 p.m.
• She needs to leave early today.
• They used to live in Boston.

Unlike core modals, these verbs are often followed by “to” + base verb, and they may change form depending on tense (has to, needed to). While not always listed with traditional helping verbs, they play a similar role and are common in both spoken and written English.

Helping Verbs vs. Main Verbs

A helping verb works alongside a main verb, but they do different things in a sentence. The main verb shows what the subject is doing or experiencing—it’s the core action or state. The helping verb, on the other hand, adds meaning by showing tense, forming questions, making negatives, or shifting voice.

For example:

• She is reading a novel.
  – is is the helping verb; reading is the main verb.
• They have finished their homework.
  – have is the helping verb; finished is the main verb.

In these examples, the helping verb sets the timing or structure of the sentence, while the main verb tells us what the subject is actually doing.

Sometimes, a verb like be, do, or have can function as either helping or main, depending on how it’s used:

• Helping verb: We are working on the project.
• Main verb: We are ready for the presentation.

If there’s only one verb in the sentence, it’s almost always the main verb. If there’s a second verb in base or participle form, the first one is usually a helping verb.

Helping Verbs in Questions and Negatives

Helping verbs are essential when forming questions and negative statements in English. Without them, it’s not possible to ask proper questions in most tenses or to build negative forms correctly.

In questions, the helping verb usually comes before the subject:

• Do you like spicy food?
• Is she coming to the meeting?
• Have they finished the assignment?
• Will you join us later?

In negatives, the helping verb supports the word not:

• She does not eat meat.
• We are not attending the event.
• He has not replied yet.
• They might not agree with the proposal.

Even when the main verb is simple, we often need a helping verb like do, does, or did to form the negative or the question. This structure helps maintain correct grammar, especially in the simple present and simple past tenses.

Helping Verbs in Passive Voice

Helping verbs are a key part of forming the passive voice in English. In a passive sentence, the focus shifts from who is doing the action to what is being done. The structure always includes a form of “be” followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Structure:

be (in the correct tense) + past participle (V3)

Examples:

• The email was sent this morning.
• These forms are completed by the applicant.
• The project is being reviewed by the manager.
• All the documents have been approved.

In each case, the helping verb (was, are, is being, have been) helps form the passive construction, and the main verb (sent, completed, reviewed, approved) remains in its past participle form.

Helping verbs like is, was, are, were, being, and been make passive voice possible across different tenses and contexts.

Helping Verbs with Emphasis

In some cases, helping verbs are used not for tense or structure, but to add emphasis to a statement. This is most common with the verb do (and its forms does and did), especially in the simple present or simple past tense.

This use is called emphatic and is often used to:

• Correct someone
• Express surprise
• Show strong emotion or insistence

Examples:

• I do understand your point. (stressing that you really understand)
• He does enjoy classical music. (correcting a false assumption)
• She did call you yesterday. (emphasizing that it happened)

Although the verb do isn’t needed grammatically in these sentences, it’s added for tone. The main verb follows in its base form, just as it would in a question or negative.

This is a subtle but useful way to give your sentences more emotion, clarity, or corrective power—especially in spoken English.

FAQs About Helping Verbs