A helping verb (also called auxiliary verb) is added to a main verb to indicate tense and sometimes mood and voice. A helping verb and a main verb constitute a verb phrase. The principal helping verbs are the various forms of the verbs he (am, is, are, was, were, been, being), have (has, had, having), and do (does, did).

I am going.

I will go.

I should have gone.

I should have been gone.

The order was given.

Other helping verbs are shall, will, may, can, must, ought, might, should, would, and could. (See also modal auxiliaries.)

To express the past tense with the helping verb do in questions and negative statements, put only do in the past tense. Do not change the main verb.

When a form of be, do, or have is used as a helping verb in the present tense, it is the only part of the verb that indicates person and number.

The package you sent has just arrived. Does it look like what you wanted? The dispatcher is waiting for a reply

 

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