An auxiliary verb is a verb used to add functional or grammatical meaning to the clause in which it appears – for example, to express tense, aspect, modality, voice, emphasis, etc. Auxiliary verbs usually accompany a main verb, the main verb providing the main semantic content of the clause in which it appears. An example is the verb have in the sentence I have finished my dinner – here the main verb is finish, and the auxiliary have helps to express the perfect aspect. Some sentences contain a chain of two or more auxiliary verbs. Auxiliary verbs are also called helping verbs, helper verbs, or (verbal) auxiliaries. They may be glossed with the abbreviation .
Read more about Auxiliary Verb: Basic Examples, Traits of Auxiliary Verbs Across Languages, Auxiliary Verbs in English, Auxiliary Verbs Vs. Light Verbs, Multiple Auxiliaries
Famous quotes containing the word verb:
“The word is the Verb, and the Verb is God.”
—Victor Hugo (1802–1885)