What are Helping Verbs?
Helping verbs (also called auxiliary verbs) are used with main verbs to help form different tenses, voices, moods, and questions in English.
They do not carry full meaning on their own but support the main verb in a sentence.
For example:
She is writing a letter.
(“is” helps the main verb “writing”)
Common Helping Verbs
Some commonly used helping verbs are:
Present form: is, am, are
Past form: was, were
Other auxiliaries (used with actions): have, has, had, do, does, did, will, shall, etc.
But in this lesson, we will focus on “is, am, are, was, were”.
1. Helping Verbs: Is, Am, Are :
These are used in the present tense to show what is happening now or what is currently true.
| Helping Verb | Used With |
|---|---|
| is | He, She, It, Singular noun (e.g. Riya) |
| am | Only with “I” |
| are | You, We, They, Plural nouns (e.g. Dogs) |
Examples:
I am reading a book.
She is cooking dinner.
They are playing football.
It is raining outside.
Use these helping verbs with -ing form of the verb to show an action happening right now.
2. Helping Verbs: Was, Were (Past Tense)
These are used in the past tense to show what was happening earlier or what was true in the past.
| Helping Verb | Used With |
|---|---|
| was | I, He, She, It, Singular noun |
| were | You, We, They, Plural nouns |
Examples:
I was sleeping at 10 PM.
He was watching TV.
They were playing cricket.
We were going to school.
These are often used with -ing form of the main verb to show continuous action in the past.
3. Use Without Main Verb
Sometimes “is, am, are, was, were” are used alone (without a main verb), especially in short answers or identity statements.
Examples:
She is a doctor.
I am your friend.
They are tired.
He was my teacher.
We were happy.
Here, the helping verb acts like the main verb and connects the subject to information (called “predicate”).
4. Negative Sentences
Helping verbs are also used to make negative sentences by adding “not”.
Examples:
I am not hungry.
He is not working.
They are not ready.
She was not feeling well.
We were not playing.
5. Interrogative Sentences (Questions)
To ask questions, we bring the helping verb before the subject.
Examples:
Are you coming?
Is she your sister?
Am I late?
Was he angry?
Were they absent?
This is a key rule for forming correct English questions.
Helping verbs like is, am, are, was, were are small but very important for building correct English sentences. They help form the present and past continuous tenses, describe states and identity, and are essential in making negative and interrogative sentences. Without these verbs, communication in English would be incomplete or confusing.
Mastering their use will greatly improve your grammar, sentence formation, and confidence in both writing and speaking English.