Identify main verbs and helping verbs

  • Verbs are action words that describe what a person, animal, or thing does. They can also express a state of being.

  • The main verb (also called the principal verb) expresses the main action or state of being in a sentence.
  • It tells what the subject is doing or what is happening.

Examples:

  • In the sentence The cat sleeps, sleeps is the main verb.
  • In She reads a book, reads is the main verb.

  • Helping verbs (also known as auxiliary verbs) are verbs that help the main verb express a tense, mood, or voice.
  • They come before the main verb and provide additional meaning.

Common Helping Verbs: am, is, are, was, were, has, have, had, will, shall, can, could, may, might, must.

Examples:

  • In the sentence She is running, is is the helping verb, and running is the main verb.
  • In They have finished their homework, have is the helping verb, and finished is the main verb.

  • To find the main verb: Ask, “What is the subject doing?”
  • To find the helping verbs: Look for verbs that come before the main verb and provide extra information.

Example:

  • In the sentence He has been playing soccer,
  • has and been are helping verbs,
  • playing is the main verb.

  • Read sentences and underline the main verbs. Circle the helping verbs.
  • Example: In They are eating lunch, are (helping) and eating (main) should be identified.

  • Main verbs express the main action or state of being.
  • Helping verbs assist the main verb by adding information about tense or mood.
  • Identifying both helps improve understanding of sentence structure and verb usage.

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