AUXILIARIES AND MODALS

 Auxiliary verbs are those verbs which help other verbs to form their tense, mood or voice.

An Auxiliary verb is a helping verb because it helps the principal verb. Here is a complete list of auxiliary verbs:

Be     (is, am, are, was, were, being, been )       Will ( would)

Have (has, had )                                                Must 

Do     (does, did)                                                Ought to 

Can   (could)                                                     Used to 

May    (might)                                                   Need

Shall  (should)                                                   Dare

These verbs are also called Anomalous or Special Finites. They are anomalous in the sense that they are only verbs that can make question forms; can combine with n't in the negative can serve to make question tags or can stand for a whole verbal group in addition to statements.

The auxiliaries shall, will, can, may, must and ought are termed defective verbs because some part are wanting in them. They cannot be used in all moods and tenses.

Students should note that some of the auxiliary verb given above can also be used alone as full  verbs or principal verbs. If auxiliary verb stand alone in the sentence, it takes the position of of principal verb . the form of verb can be used as main verb.

               to be, to have, to need, to do and to dare.

                            Auxiliary                                                               Principal 

                       Mohan is taking tea.                                          Mohan is an honest boy.

                       He dare not say so.                                            He dared me to fight.

                      I have learnt my lesson.                                     I have a car.

Auxiliary verb are divided into two categories:

            (a) Primary Auxiliaries

            (b) Modal Auxiliaries

(a) Primary Auxiliaries are the forms of the verb:

     be, have and do

    Be           : Is, are, am, was, were, be, being, been.

   Have        : Has, have, had, having.

   Do            : Do, does, did, done, doing.

(b) Modal Auxiliary are: shall, should, will, would, can, could, may, might, must, dare, need, ought to, need to.

Primary Auxiliary help to form tenses, question, voice, negative, etc. when they are combined with the main verbs. These auxiliaries can be used alone and function as main verbs.

Modal Auxiliary are used along with main verbs. They are not used alone. Together with the main verbs that follow, the modal auxiliaries express the mode 'mode' and 'manner' of action denoted by the verbs. They express such ideas as  ability, possibility, probability, permission, obligation or duty, etc.