Why is BE without a main verb an auxiliary verb in a subjunctive sentence?

Question

Wiktionary says that an auxiliary verb accompanies a main verb.

MasterClass says that WERE is an auxiliary verb in the following sentence.

I wish you were more punctual.

Though there is no main verb why is the WERE an auxiliary verb?

Answer 1

I wish you were more punctual.

The opening section of this masterclass article is right that be can be an auxiliary verb, but it is not an auxiliary verb in this particular sentence: were is the subjunctive form of the main verb be.

I was ordered to take down the sign

The third example in the same section (above) is also explained incorrectly: it states that "was ordered" is an auxiliary verb, when in fact "was" is the auxiliary verb and "ordered" is the past participle form of the main verb.

Masterclass claims to provide classes by Salman Rushdie and other famous authors, but this page was written by 'Masterclass staff' whose English is, to put it bluntly, not very good. For example, there is a sentence that begins like this:

Mood refers to how a verb is meant to be intended...

the final word should probably be interpreted.