Main Verbs and Helping Verbs

Remember

A verb may be a single word or a group of words.

(multiple worded verb)

Examples •Matt throws a football.

•Taylor dances with her friend.

But...

•Often a verb is made up of two or more words.2

Like this...• Devin is throwing a

football.

• Shakira is dancing with her friend.

• Devin has been throwing a football.

• Shakira might have danced with her friend.

So remember this..

When there are two or more words in the verb, the last word is the main verb.

And... The other words are helping verbs.

Che

ck th

is o

ut•Forms of the verbs be, have, and do are the most commonly used helping verbs.

But also... they can be used as main verbs too.

Furthermore...

Other helping verbs can be used with main verbs.

One

mor

e th

ing.

..

The main verb and its helping verbs are not always together. They may be separated by other parts of the sentence.

Examples...• The children are not eating their dinner.

• Jordan has never liked snacks.

• Did the teenagers make popcorn today?

• We couldn’t find the recipe.

Just notice...

That not and the ending n’t are not verbs.

In questions, one or more words often come between the helping verb and the main verb.