Identify main verbs and helping verbs
Key Notes
1. Main Verbs
- The main verb is the most important verb in a sentence, showing the action or state of being.
- Action verbs: These describe what the subject is doing. Examples: run, jump, eat, write.
- Linking verbs: These connect the subject with a word that describes it. Common linking verbs are “am,” “is,” “are,” “was,” “were,” “seem,” and “become.” Example: She is happy.
- The main verb can stand alone in a sentence. Example: She runs every day.
2. Helping Verbs (Auxiliary Verbs)
- Helping verbs are used with main verbs to form questions, negatives, or to show tense, aspect, or mood.
- Common helping verbs include: am, is, are, was, were, has, have, had, will, shall, can, could, may, might, must, should, would.
- Helping verbs support the main verb to clarify the action. Example: She has been running for an hour.
3. Identifying Main Verbs and Helping Verbs
- To identify the main verb, ask, “What is the subject doing?”
- To identify a helping verb, look for words that help the main verb express more about the action or time. The helping verb often comes before the main verb.
- Example: “They will be going to the park.”
- “Will” and “be” are helping verbs, and “going” is the main verb.
4. Common Combinations of Helping Verbs
- A sentence can have more than one helping verb.
- Example: “She has been reading a book.”
- “Has” and “been” are helping verbs, and “reading” is the main verb.
5. Practice Example Sentences
- She can swim. (can = helping verb, swim = main verb)
- They have finished their homework. (have = helping verb, finished = main verb)
- I was running late. (was = helping verb, running = main verb)
Let’s practice!
