Know your Auxiliary Verbs!

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Auxiliary verbs are conjugated depending on the subject of a sentence. Here are a few examples of auxiliary verbs:

Tom has lived in Boston for twenty years.
They didn't come to the party last night.
I was cooking dinner when you telephoned.
What are you doing tomorrow afternoon?

Knowing correct auxiliary verb usage is key to tense usage. Every tense takes an auxiliary form of the verb. There are three exceptions to this rule

1. Simple present positive: She works at a bank.
2. Simple past positive: He bought a new TV last week.
3. Positive imperative statements: Hurry up!

There are also a number of short forms that take ONLY the auxiliary form of the verb:

• Yes / No answer short forms
• : Do you live in England? - No, I don't.
  Has she been to Paris? - Yes, she has.
• Question tags:
• They enjoy learning English, don't they?
  He won't agree with me, will he?
• Positive agreement / inclusion:
• I went to the beach last weekend. - So did I.
  I'm working very hard at the moment. - So is she.
• Negative agreement / inclusion
• : They haven't worked here long. - Neither have I.
  We won't be able to come next week. - Neither will I.

Here is a quick overview of auxiliary verb usage:


DO / DOES

Used simple present question and negative forms:

What time does he get up?
They don't drive to work. They take the bus.


DID


Used in simple past question and negative forms:

When did they arrive yesterday?
He didn't finish his homework last week.


IS / ARE / AM


Used in present continuous and for the future with 'going to':

They are working hard at the moment.
She is going to study medicine at university.


WAS / WERE


Past continuous
:

I was watching TV when you arrived.
What were they doing while you were cooking dinner?


HAVE / HAS


Present perfect and present perfect continuous:

How long have you lived here?
I've been working since seven this morning.


HAD


Past perfect and past perfect continuous:

He had eaten by the time I arrived.
She had been studying for two hours when he finally telephoned.

WILL / WON'T

Future with 'will':

What will the weather be like tomorrow?
He won't understand.
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Test your Understanding of Auxiliary Verbs

1. He _____ come to school yesterday because he was ill.
2. She _____ been working in the garden since two this afternoon.
3. He _____ finished his homework by the time arrived.
4. I'm afraid I _____ be able to come to the party. I have to study.
5. You've visited London, _____ you?
6. They _____ going to attend a meeting in Chicago next week.
7. Why _____ you buy that?! It's ugly!
8. She _____ often go to the movies.
9. He _____ watching TV. He's doing his homework at the moment.
10. They _____ been playing tennis for two hours.
11. I don't like country music. - Neither _____ I.
12. They won't come to the party, _____ they?
13. Mom _____ been working for two hours when I telephoned.
14. I think they are fantastic! - So _____ she.
15. What _____ they doing?
16. Mary hasn't enjoyed herself so much for a long time. - Neither _____ I.
17. Mike _____ go on vacation last summer. He was too busy.
18. He's studying Russian this semester, _____ he?
19. I _____ just been to the bank.
20. How long _____ you been working for this company?