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Modal Auxiliaries (Helping Verbs)

What are Modal Auxiliaries?

Modal Auxiliaries are also called, helping verbs. So what does this really mean? As their name suggests, they help the main verb in a sentence by extending the meaning of the verb. They add detail to how time is conveyed in a sentence. As a result, helping verbs are used to create the most complicated verb tenses in English: the progressive and the perfect aspects. These verbs also function to convey complicated shades of meaning like expectation, permission, probability, potential, obligation, and direction.

Progressive - Modal Auxiliaries

When the main verb in a sentence ends in –ing, the progressive aspect is often being used. This aspect is used to convey the notion that an action is occurring in an ongoing fashion. The forms of the helping verb to be (am, is, are, was, and were) are used to create this aspect. The following sentences are examples of helping verbs being used to express this action:

• I am renting my guest house to my neighbor.
• Steve is starting a new personal training business for the elderly.
• Christopher and Bernadette are moving to Baton Rouge.
• It was raining when we got to Portland.
• The presidential candidates were debating in Philadelphia.

Perfect Aspects

There are three different forms of the perfect aspect in English: past perfect, present perfect, and future perfect. The standard perfect aspect is used to explain an action that is/was/will be in a state of progress and is/was/will be completed before a particular time. However, the perfect aspect can also be used in the continuous form to show actions that are in a state of progress but are ongoing. Forms of the verb to have (has, have, and had) and will and won’t are often used to create the various perfect aspects. The perfect aspect is subdivided into past perfect, present perfect, and future perfect. The following sentences demonstrate how helping verbs are used to create these aspects:

• She had stolen the car already by then. (past perfect)
• I had been dreaming about you when you called. (past perfect continuous)
• What will we do now that Barbara is gone?(future perfect)
• Jennifer won’t be going to the dinner. (future perfect)
• Dave has been working on the task all day. (present perfect continuous)
• Have you worked here long? (present perfect)

7th Grade: Grammar Lab Assignment

Your mission, if you choose to accept it, will be to:

• Explain what Modal Auxiliaries in Present means.
• Provide examples 5 sample sentence with the modal auxiliary in parenthesis and after the sentence, indicate the verb string.

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