Questions tagged [auxiliary-verbs]
Use this tag if you are asking about the usage of Auxiliary/Helping Verbs. Auxiliary/Helping Verbs are verbs that are used with other full verbs to make the different tenses, voice or modality in a sentence.
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Why is "would" used in these "why would" phrases?
Why would you do this to me?
Why would a word for red come into being before a word for blue?
What is "would's" role in this sentence? Is this some kind of broken conditional? I've also ...
Optimistic
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Should it be "IS" or "ARE"? --- "The only thing we haven't seen ARE locusts."
This is from an article published on CNBC:
"The only thing we haven't seen are locusts, said CEO Jim McCann in an interview." CNBC-A rose is still a rose
The subject of the sentence is "...
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Why do you say "I arrived in" when you make it to a place?
As little sense it makes to me, I decided to just make peace using "I arrived in {city}", "I arrived at {place}" which to me makes it sound as if I were UPSed there.
However, that'...
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Is 'was' an auxiliary verb in 'All I could do was watch from outside'?
I found this sentence,
All I could do was watch from outside.
Looks like this sentence contains 2 verbs 'was' and 'watch' but 'was' is actually working as an auxiliary verb, right?
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would(=insistence)
He would leave the house in a muddle.
He insisted on leaving the house in a muddle.
What's the difference between the former sentence and the latter sentence?
(Here, would of the first sentence means ...
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may(=possibility) vs. can(=possibility)
There is generally a difference between can and may in the sense of 'possibility'. Notice, for example, that in We may see you tomorrow, can could not replace may without a considerable change in ...
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Should I use was or were: It _ the eyes
The whole sentence is : it wasn't the face that scared me, it _ the eyes. What do I use in the blank?
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may(=permission) and general permission which has already been given
Can is used to talk about permission that has already been given or refused, and about things that are allowed by rules or laws. May is not notmally used in this way.
(from Practical English Usage ...
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Do you ever put stress on the auxiliary verb in AUX + NOT?
Do you ever put stress on the auxiliary verbs in do not, may not, will not, should not, etc. without contracting them?
If we take a look at don't, can't, won't, shouldn't, for example, the n't part ...
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would have you believe
a. This man will have you believe that the moon doesn't exist.
b. This man would have you believe that the moon doesn't exist.
Which of the above mean
This man wants you to believe that the moon ...
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condescension and can
We can talk about modal auxiliary verbs in terms of such logical notions as ‘permission’ and ‘necessity’ but, this done, we still have to consider ways in which these notions become remoulded by the ...
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the meaning of 'I would have tried to do'
"It matters little," she said, softly. "To you, very little. Another idol has displaced me; and if it can cheer and comfort you in time to come, as I would have tried to do, I have no ...
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the meaning of modal auxiliary verb 'would'
He was very ill at that time, but he would go.
His income was still small, but she would marry him.
At last she put her arms round the top, as far as they would go.
Are these sentences all barely ...
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the meaning of will have p.p
When we want to indicate that we think a past situation (seen from a present viewpoint) is certain, we use will(or won't) have + past particle:
ex1) As you will have noticed, he has cut off his beard....
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will have said VS. would say
ex) I can't think why he was willing to say that it was my fault.
Now, for the purpose of making a sentence to have the same meaning of the example sentence, I would like to use modal auxiliary verb '...
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inversion without an auxiliary VS inversion with an auxiliary
I know that if a sentence has a negative connotation, inversion must have an auxiliary.
But if a sentence doesn't have a negative connotation, there is example №4a with an auxiliary and there are ...
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How to paraphrase 'would' in hypothetical situations and future reference?
I quote the following from two different sources:
1) a PDF file on 'would':
In hypothetical situations
You can use would to talk about unreal or hypothetical situations. These are situations that we ...
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What's the difference between "Was this supposed to be...” and “Wasn't this supposed to be…"?
Was this supposed to be ‘cupboard’ instead of ‘cupbard’?
Wasn’t this supposed to be ‘cupboard’ instead of ‘cupbard’?
I was asking about a spelling error and I was confused if I should use "was&...
user173525
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I knew I would enjoy the music. or I knew I should enjoy the music
I knew I would enjoy the music.
I knew I should enjoy the music.
Is there any difference between them?
My dictionary says 'should' is used in BrE in case of I or We though 'would' is used in AmE all ...
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Repeating HAVE twice in one sentence
I was wondering which one of these sentences is correct:
I am happy to have successfully completed the certification course by the Chamber of Commerce and acquired a certification in XYZ.
or
I am ...
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can, could, may or might?
I need to explain what a time capsule is or how to make one. Should I say: "a time capsule can / could / may / might be any kind of box: a metal box, a wooden box or a cardboard box ..." I ...
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were promoted vs were being promoted
I have to fill the following sentence with one suitable word.
The sentence is:
The proposed delistings are ..... promoted by the US interior Secretary to counter a growing feeling among the ...
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"as were" is it inverted or something else?
Dildos and other sexual aids are frequently mentioned in ancient
literature and depicted on pottery, while didactic sex manuals were
popular, as were more general advice books such as the Ars Amatoria
...
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a Good Teacher not only Teaches: is it Correct?
"A good teacher not only teaches students how to do well on tests; a good teacher fosters curiosity and excitement to learn in her students."
Is this sentence grammatically correct? I saw it ...
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Verb to be repetition in Yes/No questions
All,
Why don't we repeat is or are in questions starting with is or are (verb to be)? for example:
Is it (is) your glass?
Are you (are) taller than me?
How does it sound grammatically? Also, Does it ...
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What we're learning now *is/are* gerunds
Which auxiliary is to be used? Maybe both can be?
My research: I have already asked lots of questions like this one, but none of those have been able to make this specific question clear to me.
What ...
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Difference between "would" and "would have"
At his age the thought of travelling abroad alone would never ........... my mind.
cross
have crossed
Which one is correct? Are both possible here?
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how to use "not only, but also"
Tom plays the guitar very well. He is good at singing, too. In this case, which of the following would be correct?
Tom not only plays the guitar very well but also sings very well.
Tom doesn't only ...
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The more denim was washed, the softer it would get. (time aspect of 'would')
The more denim was washed, the softer it would get.
The the sentence describes the past or is it a subjnctive mood which describes 'present situation'?
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Would it be all right if we left/leave a little early? (left vs. leave)
Would it be all right if we left a little early?
Would it be all right if we leave a little early?
What's the difference between the two sentences?
The only difference is 'left' vs. 'leave'.
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George speaking/George is speaking
Why don't we use any auxiliary when answering phone calls? Would it be wrong if I used the auxiliary?
▪︎ Hello, George speaking.
▪︎ Hello, George is speaking.
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"Does .. have to" and "have .."?
Are there equally grammatically correct:
Does it have to be like it?
Has it to be like it?
And
Do you have a bottle of wine?
Have you a bottle of wine?
Note that I haven't used used "got"...
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Is there a difference between "has" and "is"?
In a English or American perspective of the difference because I sometimes have trouble making the difference is means a thing and has is owned but I sometimes have trouble making the difference
For ...
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In what ways does/do soils differ?
Today I found the following question in a question paper
In what ways does soils differ?
My understanding is that the subject here in this sentence is soils, which is plural.
If the subject is plural ...
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different meanings of "would"
Do the three would's have the same meaning in the following?
a. A: Who's ringing the doorbell? B: It'd (= would) be John.
b. I think my swimming pool would hold 20,000 gallons of water.
c. If I ...
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"would" indicating probability?
Does the "would" in the following examples have the same meaning? Some say "would" has the "probably" meaning, but I am not sure if it applies here. Do these sentences ...
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"By the time you finish, she 'would' be asleep"
"By the time you finish reading her a book, she would be asleep."
I understand that we can use "will" instead of "would", but I'm curious whether "would" can be ...
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Why there is 'were' not 'was in this sentence? [duplicate]
from
the BBC
Advanced learners often automatically invert the subject and auxiliary verb after a WH word clause, as if it were a question.
'It' is a third person singular pronoun, why does 'were' ...
user138449
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the number of auxiliary verbs after "as" and "so"
I'm interested how many auxiliary verbs can stand after "as" and "so". By "how many" I mean one (e.g. "would") or two (e.g. "would be") or three (e.g. ...
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Modal Verbs: Should We Use the Second Conditional to Refer to Events That Remain Possible (but Are Unlikely) in Past Tense?
My question relates to hypothetical situations in the past; however, I am looking at it from a narrative perspective, where the outcomes of past events are presented as uncertain.
Traditionally, to ...
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The entirety of my writing is being crossed off. "Has vs Does, "came more" vs "comes"
I wrote, "Jane Doe has not let the expectations of work. . ."
Instead, I was told to write, "Jane Doe does not let the expectations of work. . ."
Was what I wrote in error? Every ...
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Adding an "are" at the end of the sentence [duplicate]
I was reading The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation. I came across a sentence: "In serious writing, this must be followed no matter how strange or awkward the results."
My question: can ...
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Is the "know" in "Do you know" an infinitive?
Is the know in the sentence "Do you know where the mall is?" classified as a (bare) infinitive?
Is seems to, because the construction seems to be auxiliary verb + infinitive, much like "...
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When auxiliary verb can be dropped in questions
There are two questions:
When do our classes finish on Tuesday?
What makes him feel amazed?
I can't wrap my mind around why does the first question have "do" as an auxiliary verb, but the ...
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"Do" or "Does" with "any of X"? [closed]
Which is correct:
Do any of the ideas interest you?
Does any of the ideas interest you?
In one textbook, it gives 2 as an example sentence; however, in another one, I read something similar but it ...
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Clarification about this sentence
Then, over the course of a century or two, they (the aforementioned towns) emptied out (in much the same way as the Natchez Great Village was later to do [...]
As you might have guessed by the bold ...
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Why is BE without a main verb an auxiliary verb in a subjunctive sentence?
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 ...
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might or might have been beheaded
Which form should be used? Why? Both are about past situations.
In ancient China, you might be beheaded for a casual remark about the royal family.
In ancient China, you might have been beheaded for ...
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Jury is vs Jury are vs Jury has vs Jury has been [duplicate]
This question came in the Dhaka university admission test 2012-13
Q) Which of the following is correct?
(A) The jury are arguing among themselves.
(B) The jury is arguing among themselves.
(C) The ...
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By the time I get to Khulna this evening, I _____________ more than three hundred miles
This question came in the Dhaka university admission exam in 2013-14
Q) By the time I get to Khulna this evening, I _____________ more than three hundred miles.
(a) will driving
(b) will be driving
(c)...
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