Chapter 10
Auxiliaries
THEORY
4.1 What is an auxiliary?
An auxiliary (or helping verb) is a verb that combines with a main verb to express tense, aspect, mood, voice, negation, interrogation or emphasis. It "helps" the main verb but does not, by itself, carry the central meaning of the action.
| Type | Members | Core function |
|---|---|---|
| Primary auxiliaries | be, have, do | Form tenses, negatives, questions, passive, emphasis |
| Modal auxiliaries | can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, must, ought to | Express mood/attitude (ability, permission, obligation, etc.) |
| Semi-/marginal modals | need, dare, used to (and ought to) | Behave partly as modals, partly as main verbs |
Distinction from Chapter 9. A main verb carries the lexical meaning (She eats rice). The very same words be, have, do can be main verbs too (She has a car; He did his duty). They are auxiliaries only when they help another verb. Chapter 13 deals with the meanings of modals; this chapter focuses on form and function.
4.2 The primary auxiliary BE (am/is/are/was/were/being/been)
Forms: Present — am, is, are; Past — was, were; Participles — being (present), been (past). Uses as auxiliary: continuous tenses (be + -ing) and the passive voice (be + past participle).
- She is writing a letter. (present continuous)
- They were playing in the rain. (past continuous)
- The work is being done by the staff. (passive, continuous)
- The thief was arrested last night. (simple past passive)
- The bridge has been repaired. (perfect passive)
be as main verb (linking): She is a teacher. Here is is the main verb, not an auxiliary, but it still forms negatives and questions without do (She is not a teacher; Is she a teacher?).
4.3 The primary auxiliary HAVE (have/has/had)
Forms: Present — have, has; Past — had. Use as auxiliary: perfect tenses (have + past participle).
- I have finished my homework. (present perfect)
- She has gone to school. (present perfect, 3rd-person singular)
- They had left before I arrived. (past perfect)
- He has been working since morning. (present perfect continuous)
- By June we shall have completed the syllabus. (future perfect)
have as main verb = possess/experience: She has two brothers. In British English this main-verb have usually takes do in questions/negatives: Do you have a pen? / Does she have time?
4.4 The primary auxiliary DO (do/does/did) — auxiliary vs main verb
Forms: Present — do, does; Past — did. Uses as auxiliary: (i) to form negatives and questions in the simple present and simple past, (ii) for emphasis, (iii) as a substitute (pro-verb) in short answers and tags. After do/does/did the main verb is always the bare infinitive (base form).
- Do you like tea? — Yes, I do. (question + short answer)
- She does not play hockey. (negative; note play, never plays)
- They did not come yesterday. (negative; note come, never came)
- I do believe you! (emphatic do)
- He works harder than I do. (do as substitute for the main verb)
do as main verb = perform/carry out: She does her work neatly. When do is the main verb, questions/negatives still need the auxiliary do: Does she do her work? / She does not do her work. (two do's — first auxiliary, second main verb).
4.5 Forming negatives, questions, passives and emphasis — summary
| Function | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Negative (simple tenses) | do/does/did + not + base verb | He does not smoke. |
| Negative (other tenses) | be/have/modal + not | She is not coming; I have not eaten. |
| Question (simple tenses) | do/does/did + subject + base verb | Did they win? |
| Question (other tenses) | auxiliary + subject + … | Is she coming? Have you eaten? |
| Passive | be + past participle | The cake was eaten. |
| Emphasis | do/does/did + base verb (stressed) | I do hope so. |
4.6 Modal auxiliaries — overview
The modal auxiliaries are can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, must and ought to. They share these formal properties:
- They are followed by the bare infinitive (can go, not can to go) — except ought to, which keeps to.
- They take no -s in the third person singular (She can swim, not cans).
- They form negatives/questions without do (You must not; Can he?).
- They have no infinitive, no -ing and no -ed forms (defective verbs).
- She can speak French.
- You must obey the rules.
- He might arrive late.
- We ought to help the poor.
- Shall I open the window?
Meanings of the modals (ability, permission, obligation, probability, etc.) are treated fully in Chapter 13. Here we are concerned only with their formal behaviour as auxiliaries.
4.7 Semi-modals / marginal modals — dual behaviour
Need, dare, used to and ought to can behave both like modals and like ordinary verbs.
| Verb | As modal (no -s, bare infinitive, no do) | As main verb (takes do/-s, "to") |
|---|---|---|
| need | He need not go. | He does not need to go. / She needs a pen. |
| dare | How dare you speak? | He does not dare to speak. |
| used to | Used he to smoke? (formal) | Did he use to smoke? (usual) |
| ought to | You ought to apologise. / You oughtn't to lie. | — |
- You need not worry. (modal — bare infinitive, no do)
- Does she need to come? (main verb — with do and to)
- I dare not tell him. (modal)
- He did not dare to look back. (main verb)
- There used to be a temple here. (past habit/state)
used to always refers to the past; there is no "use to" form except after did (didn't use to, did you use to…?). Never write "used to" after did.
4.8 be + to, have to/has to/had to, be going to
| Structure | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| be + to (be to) | arrangement, instruction, command, destiny | You are to report at nine. |
| have/has/had to | external obligation/necessity (= must) | I have to finish this today. |
| be going to | intention or prediction (near future) | It is going to rain. |
- The President is to visit the city tomorrow. (arrangement)
- No one was to leave the hall. (instruction in the past)
- She has to wear a uniform. (obligation)
- We had to walk home in the rain. (past necessity)
- They are going to build a new school. (intention)
have to takes do in questions/negatives because here have is essentially a main-verb expression of obligation: Do you have to go? / She doesn't have to stay.
4.9 QUESTION TAGS
A question tag is a short question (auxiliary + subject pronoun) added to a statement to seek agreement or confirmation. The golden rules:
- Positive statement → negative tag; negative statement → positive tag.
- The tag uses the same auxiliary as the statement. If there is no auxiliary, supply do/does/did to match tense and number.
- The tag pronoun must agree with the subject (Ram → he, the girls → they).
- The negative tag is normally contracted (isn't, don't, won't, haven't).
- Words like never, no, nobody, hardly, scarcely, seldom, little, few make a statement negative, so they take a positive tag.
| Statement | Tag | Rule applied |
|---|---|---|
| You are coming, | aren't you? | + statement → − tag, same aux (are) |
| She doesn't drive, | does she? | − statement → + tag |
| They came late, | didn't they? | no aux → supply did (past) |
| He has finished, | hasn't he? | aux have |
| I am right, | aren't I? | special: am → aren't I |
| Open the door, | will you? | imperative → will you? |
| Let's go, | shall we? | let's → shall we? |
| Nobody phoned, | did they? | negative word → + tag, "they" for nobody |
| There is a problem, | isn't there? | "there" repeated in tag |
| Everyone enjoyed it, | didn't they? | everyone → they |
- You can swim, can't you?
- She won't mind, will she?
- We had met before, hadn't we?
- He hardly ever calls, does he? (hardly = negative → positive tag)
- Don't make a noise, will you? (negative imperative → still will you?)
4.10 Short answers and so/neither + auxiliary
In short answers we repeat only the auxiliary (or supply do/does/did), never the full verb: Are you ready? — Yes, I am. / Did they win? — No, they didn't.
To express agreement we use so + auxiliary + subject (positive) and neither/nor + auxiliary + subject (negative). Note the inversion (auxiliary before subject).
- I like coffee. — So do I.
- She can drive. — So can he.
- I don't smoke. — Neither do I.
- They haven't paid. — Nor have we.
- He was tired. — So was I.
Compare with "So I do / So he can" (no inversion) which means "that is true, indeed" — agreement that the statement is correct, not that it also applies to someone else.
4.11 Emphatic do
To emphasise an affirmative statement in the simple present or past, we add stressed do/does/did before the base verb. It also appears in emphatic imperatives.
- I do understand your problem.
- She does work hard, you know.
- We did warn you about the danger.
- Do sit down! (polite, emphatic invitation)
- He may be poor, but he does tell the truth.
COMMON EXAM ERRORS
| # | Wrong | Correct | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | You came, camen't you? | You came, didn't you? | No aux in statement → supply did; main verb is not negated. |
| 2 | She sings well, isn't she? | She sings well, doesn't she? | Simple present, no be → tag uses does. |
| 3 | I am late, amn't I? | I am late, aren't I? | The accepted tag for I am is aren't I? |
| 4 | He doesn't goes there. | He doesn't go there. | After does the verb stays in the base form. |
| 5 | They didn't came. | They didn't come. | After did the verb is the base form, not past. |
| 6 | Does she has a car? | Does she have a car? | After does use base have, not has. |
| 7 | He have finished. | He has finished. | Third-person singular subject takes has. |
| 8 | The students has gone. | The students have gone. | Plural subject takes have. |
| 9 | You don't like tea, do you not? | You don't like tea, do you? | Tag of a negative statement is positive and uncontracted. |
| 10 | Let's start, will we? | Let's start, shall we? | Let's takes shall we? |
| 11 | Open the window, don't you? | Open the window, will you? | Imperatives take will you? |
| 12 | Nobody came, didn't they? | Nobody came, did they? | Nobody is negative → positive tag. |
| 13 | He seldom errs, doesn't he? | He seldom errs, does he? | Seldom makes it negative → positive tag. |
| 14 | There is milk, isn't it? | There is milk, isn't there? | With there is/are the tag repeats there. |
| 15 | I was right, wasn't you? | I was right, wasn't I? | Tag pronoun must match the subject I. |
| 16 | The boys was playing. | The boys were playing. | Plural subject takes were. |
| 17 | If I was you, I would go. | If I were you, I would go. | Subjunctive were after unreal if. |
| 18 | She did her homework, did she? | She did her homework, didn't she? | Positive statement → negative tag. |
| 19 | You needn't to wait. | You needn't wait. | Modal need takes the bare infinitive. |
| 20 | He used to smoked. | He used to smoke. | Used to + base form of the verb. |
| 21 | Did you used to live here? | Did you use to live here? | After did use use to, not used to. |
| 22 | I like coffee. So I do. | I like coffee. So do I. | Agreement "me too" needs inversion: So do I. |
| 23 | I don't smoke. So do I. | I don't smoke. Neither do I. | Negative agreement uses neither/nor. |
| 24 | She can sing, can not she? | She can sing, can't she? | The tag should be the contracted can't she? |
| 25 | Everyone has left, hasn't he? | Everyone has left, haven't they? | Everyone takes they in the tag. |
EXAM TRICKS
- Tag mirror rule: flip the polarity. Positive sentence → negative tag; negative sentence → positive tag.
- Find the operator: the first auxiliary in the statement is the tag auxiliary. No auxiliary? Supply do/does/did to match tense and number.
- Hidden negatives (never, no, none, nobody, nothing, hardly, scarcely, barely, seldom, rarely, little, few) count as negative → use a positive tag. Distractor papers love these.
- "I am" → "aren't I?" Memorise it; amn't I is a classic trap (non-standard in writing).
- Imperative → will you? (or won't you? / would you? / can you?); Let's → shall we?
- There/it as subject: There is… isn't there?; It is… isn't it? Watch the swap trap (isn't it for there is is wrong).
- Indefinite pronouns (everyone, somebody, no one) → tag pronoun they.
- After do/does/did, modals, and "to" the verb is always the bare/base form — any inflected form (-s, -ed, went, goes) is the wrong option.
- have/has main verb in BrE takes do in questions/negatives (Do you have…?), so "Have you a pen?" options are old-fashioned and usually not the intended answer.
FREQUENTLY CONFUSED PAIRS
| Pair | Distinction | Example |
|---|---|---|
| do (auxiliary) vs do (main) | Aux helps form Q/neg/emphasis; main = perform. | Do you do yoga? |
| do vs make | Both can be main verbs; only do works as an auxiliary/pro-verb. Make never auxiliaries. | She does her work and makes tea. |
| have vs has | Number agreement: has with 3rd-sg, have elsewhere. | He has; they have. |
| was vs were | Number (sing./plur.) and subjunctive were for unreal conditions. | I was; we were; if I were you. |
| used to vs use to | used to normally; use to only after did. | I used to… / Did you use to…? |
| need (modal) vs need (main) | Modal: bare inf., no do; main: to + do/-s. | You need not go / You don't need to go. |
| dare (modal) vs dare (main) | Modal in Q/neg with bare inf.; main verb with to and do. | How dare you! / He doesn't dare to ask. |
EXCEPTIONS — Important, Rare & Advanced
- I am … aren't I? — The logically expected amn't I? is non-standard; standard English uses aren't I? (in very informal/dialectal speech, ain't I?).
- Imperative tags vary by tone: will you? / won't you? / would you? / can you? / could you? — Help me, won't you? (persuasive), Don't be late, will you?
- Let us (request) vs Let's (suggestion): Let's go, shall we? (suggestion) but Let us go, will you? (= allow us to go — a real request).
- There/here as dummy subject: There is a snag, isn't there?; There were many, weren't there?
- Non-finite clauses and exclamations take no tag: To err is human (no tag); What a day! (no tag).
- "It" for clauses/abstract subjects: To lie is wrong, isn't it?
- This/that → it; these/those → they in tags: This is yours, isn't it?; These are old, aren't they?
- Double negative caution: I don't think he is honest, is he? — the tag follows the inner clause, not the main verb.
- Polite "I'd rather / I'd better": You'd better leave, hadn't you? (better → had).
- Must (necessity) tag: usually needn't … ? in BrE, e.g. You must go, needn't you?; with "must" of deduction, mustn't is avoided in tags.
50 MCQs
Easy (1–15)
1. Choose the correct question tag: "You are coming with us, ____?"
(a) isn't it (b) are you (c) aren't you (d) don't you
Answer: (c) aren't you
Explanation: Positive statement with are → negative tag aren't you?
2. Fill in the blank: "She ____ not like spicy food."
(a) do (b) does (c) did (d) is
Answer: (b) does
Explanation: Third-person singular present negative takes does not.
3. "They ____ finished their work." (present perfect)
(a) has (b) have (c) had (d) having
Answer: (b) have
Explanation: Plural subject in the present perfect takes have + past participle.
4. Which auxiliary forms the passive in "The letter ____ written by Ram"?
(a) has (b) did (c) was (d) does
Answer: (c) was
Explanation: Passive = be + past participle; here was written.
5. Tag: "He plays cricket, ____?"
(a) isn't he (b) doesn't he (c) don't he (d) plays he
Answer: (b) doesn't he
Explanation: No auxiliary, simple present 3rd-sg → tag uses does.
6. "I am your friend, ____?"
(a) amn't I (b) am I (c) aren't I (d) isn't it
Answer: (c) aren't I
Explanation: The standard tag for I am is aren't I?
7. "Open the door, ____?"
(a) don't you (b) will you (c) shall you (d) do you
Answer: (b) will you
Explanation: Imperatives take the tag will you?
8. "Let's have some tea, ____?"
(a) will we (b) shall we (c) don't we (d) shall us
Answer: (b) shall we
Explanation: The suggestion let's takes shall we?
9. Short answer: "Did you call me?" — "Yes, I ____."
(a) called (b) do (c) did (d) was
Answer: (c) did
Explanation: Short answers repeat the auxiliary did.
10. "I like tea." — "____" (agreement)
(a) So I do (b) So do I (c) Neither do I (d) So am I
Answer: (b) So do I
Explanation: Positive agreement uses So + auxiliary + subject with inversion.
11. "She ____ gone to the market." (present perfect)
(a) have (b) has (c) had (d) is
Answer: (b) has
Explanation: Third-person singular present perfect takes has.
12. Which sentence shows emphatic do?
(a) I do my work daily. (b) Do you swim? (c) I do believe you. (d) She does not run.
Answer: (c) I do believe you.
Explanation: Stressed do + base verb adds emphasis to an affirmative.
13. "The boys ____ playing football." (past continuous)
(a) was (b) were (c) is (d) has
Answer: (b) were
Explanation: Plural subject in past continuous takes were + -ing.
14. "He doesn't smoke, ____?"
(a) does he (b) doesn't he (c) is he (d) do he
Answer: (a) does he
Explanation: Negative statement → positive tag does he?
15. "We ____ not come yesterday."
(a) does (b) do (c) did (d) had
Answer: (c) did
Explanation: Past simple negative takes did not + base verb.
Moderate (16–35)
16. "She has a car, ____?"
(a) has she (b) hasn't she (c) doesn't she (d) isn't she
Answer: (b) hasn't she
Explanation: When have = possess and is the operator, the tag repeats it: hasn't she? (BrE doesn't she? is also heard, but hasn't she? matches the operator given.)
17. "Nobody phoned while I was out, ____?"
(a) didn't they (b) did they (c) did he (d) didn't he
Answer: (b) did they
Explanation: Nobody is negative → positive tag, and the pronoun is they.
18. "There is little hope, ____?"
(a) isn't there (b) is there (c) isn't it (d) is it
Answer: (b) is there
Explanation: Little is negative in meaning → positive tag; there is repeated.
19. Choose the correct form: "Does she ____ a pen?"
(a) has (b) have (c) had (d) having
Answer: (b) have
Explanation: After the auxiliary does the verb is the base form have.
20. "You needn't ____ early."
(a) to come (b) coming (c) come (d) came
Answer: (c) come
Explanation: Modal need takes the bare infinitive.
21. "Did you ____ to live in Delhi?"
(a) used (b) use (c) using (d) uses
Answer: (b) use
Explanation: After did the form is use to, not used to.
22. "I don't enjoy crowds." — "____"
(a) So do I (b) Neither do I (c) So am I (d) Neither I do
Answer: (b) Neither do I
Explanation: Negative agreement uses Neither/Nor + aux + subject.
23. "He hardly ever helps, ____?"
(a) doesn't he (b) does he (c) is he (d) didn't he
Answer: (b) does he
Explanation: Hardly is negative → positive tag in the present simple.
24. Which is correct?
(a) He didn't went home. (b) He didn't go home. (c) He didn't goes home. (d) He don't go home.
Answer: (b) He didn't go home.
Explanation: After did the verb stays in the base form.
25. "You'd better apologise, ____?"
(a) hadn't you (b) wouldn't you (c) didn't you (d) shouldn't you
Answer: (a) hadn't you
Explanation: 'd better = had better, so the tag uses had.
26. "Let us go home now, ____?" (request for permission)
(a) shall we (b) will you (c) won't we (d) do we
Answer: (b) will you
Explanation: Let us as a real request (allow us) takes will you?, unlike the suggestion let's → shall we?
27. "These mangoes are sweet, ____?"
(a) isn't it (b) aren't they (c) aren't these (d) are they
Answer: (b) aren't they
Explanation: These becomes they; positive statement → negative tag.
28. "How ____ you speak to me like that!"
(a) dares (b) dare (c) daring (d) do dare
Answer: (b) dare
Explanation: Modal dare in this exclamatory question takes the bare infinitive, no -s.
29. "The Prime Minister ____ to address the nation tonight."
(a) is (b) has (c) does (d) had
Answer: (a) is
Explanation: be to (here is to) expresses an official arrangement.
30. "She ____ to wear a uniform at work."
(a) has (b) is (c) does (d) had been
Answer: (a) has
Explanation: have to (here has to) expresses obligation.
31. "I think it ____ to rain soon."
(a) is going (b) goes (c) has gone (d) will going
Answer: (a) is going
Explanation: be going to expresses a prediction based on present evidence.
32. "Everyone has signed the form, ____?"
(a) hasn't he (b) haven't they (c) didn't they (d) has he
Answer: (b) haven't they
Explanation: Everyone takes they in the tag; perfect tense uses have.
33. "I was not late, ____?"
(a) was I (b) wasn't I (c) were you (d) am I
Answer: (a) was I
Explanation: Negative statement with was → positive tag was I?
34. Identify the sentence with do as a main verb.
(a) Do you like it? (b) She does her homework. (c) I do hope so. (d) Does he know?
Answer: (b) She does her homework.
Explanation: Here does carries the lexical meaning "performs".
35. "He can drive, and ____."
(a) so I can (b) so can I (c) neither can I (d) so do I
Answer: (b) so can I
Explanation: Positive agreement: so + can + I (inversion).
Difficult (36–50)
36. "If I ____ you, I would accept the offer."
(a) was (b) were (c) am (d) had been
Answer: (b) were
Explanation: Subjunctive were is used for an unreal present condition.
37. "Scarcely had he arrived ____ the bell rang." (Choose the best continuation showing inversion)
(a) than (b) when (c) then (d) that
Answer: (b) when
Explanation: The negative adverb scarcely triggers inversion (had he) and pairs with when.
38. "You don't suppose he is guilty, ____?"
(a) do you (b) is he (c) don't you (d) isn't he
Answer: (a) do you
Explanation: With "I/you (don't) think/suppose…", the tag follows the main clause: negative don't suppose → positive do you?
39. "He need not have worried." This means:
(a) He was right to worry. (b) He worried, but it was unnecessary. (c) He did not worry. (d) He must worry.
Answer: (b) He worried, but it was unnecessary.
Explanation: needn't have + pp = an action was done though it was not necessary.
40. Choose the grammatically correct sentence.
(a) He dares not to oppose them. (b) He dare not oppose them. (c) He dares not opposes them. (d) He dare not to oppose them.
Answer: (b) He dare not oppose them.
Explanation: As a modal, dare takes no -s and is followed by the bare infinitive.
41. "Many a student ____ failed the test, ____?"
(a) have / haven't they (b) has / hasn't he (c) has / hasn't she (d) have / has he
Answer: (b) has / hasn't he
Explanation: Many a + singular noun takes a singular verb and singular tag pronoun.
42. "Neither of the answers ____ correct."
(a) are (b) is (c) were (d) have
Answer: (b) is
Explanation: Neither of takes a singular auxiliary in formal usage.
43. "I'd rather you ____ now."
(a) go (b) went (c) gone (d) will go
Answer: (b) went
Explanation: After 'd rather + subject, the past form expresses a present preference (subjunctive).
44. "To complete this by Monday is impossible, ____?"
(a) isn't it (b) doesn't it (c) is it (d) aren't they
Answer: (a) isn't it
Explanation: An infinitive/clause subject is referred to by it; positive → negative tag.
45. Which sentence is correct in British English?
(a) Have you a ticket? (b) Do you have a ticket? (c) Does you have a ticket? (d) Has you a ticket?
Answer: (b) Do you have a ticket?
Explanation: In modern BrE, main-verb have normally takes do in questions.
46. "You used to play the violin, ____?"
(a) used you (b) didn't you (c) usedn't you (d) did you
Answer: (b) didn't you
Explanation: The usual tag for used to is didn't you? (the rare usedn't you? is archaic).
47. "Hardly anyone objected, ____?"
(a) didn't they (b) did they (c) didn't he (d) did anyone
Answer: (b) did they
Explanation: Hardly makes the clause negative → positive tag; anyone → they.
48. Identify the error: "She doesn't have to attends the meeting."
(a) doesn't (b) have (c) to (d) attends
Answer: (d) attends
Explanation: After to the verb is the base form attend, not attends.
49. "Not only ____ he insult me, but he also lied."
(a) does (b) did (c) had (d) was
Answer: (b) did
Explanation: The fronted negative not only forces inversion with did (past, matching insult/lied).
50. "There were no objections, ____?"
(a) weren't there (b) were there (c) wasn't there (d) was there
Answer: (b) were there
Explanation: No objections is negative → positive tag; plural were and dummy there.