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Detailed Explanation of Main Verbs and Helping Verbs 🔍

What Are Main Verbs? ✍️

Main verbs are the most important verbs in a sentence. They show the action or state of being. The main verb tells us what the subject is doing or what is happening.

Examples of main verbs:

  • She runs every morning.
  • They eat lunch at noon.
  • He feels happy today.

In these sentences, “runs,” “eat,” and “feels” are the main verbs because they tell us what the subject is doing or how they are feeling.

What Are Helping Verbs? 🤝

Helping verbs, also called auxiliary verbs, work with the main verb to make different tenses or moods. They help show when something is happening (like past, present, or future) or if it is a possibility, necessity, or permission.

Common helping verbs include: is, am, are, was, were, have, has, had, do, does, did, will, would, shall, should, can, could, may, might, must.

Examples of helping verbs in sentences:

  • She is running fast. (helping verb “is” helps the main verb “running“)
  • They have eaten already. (helping verb “have” helps “eaten“)
  • He will go to school tomorrow. (helping verb “will” helps “go“)

How to Identify Main Verbs and Helping Verbs 🕵️‍♂️

  1. Find the verb in the sentence.
  2. Ask what action or state is happening — that is usually the main verb.
  3. If there is a verb that comes before the main verb and helps show tense or mood, that is the helping verb.

Example:

She is watching TV.

  • “watching” is the main verb (the action)
  • “is” is the helping verb (shows present continuous tense)

The Role of Helping Verbs in Forming Tenses and Moods ⏳🎭

Helping verbs are important because they help us talk about:

  • Tenses: When something happens.
    • Present: She is singing.
    • Past: They were playing.
    • Future: He will arrive soon.
  • Mood: How the action is expressed.
    • Possibility: She might come.
    • Necessity: You must finish your work.
    • Permission: You can go outside.

Summary Tips for Key Stage 2 Students 🎓

  • Always look for the verb that shows the main action or being — that’s your main verb.
  • Look for any extra verbs before the main verb — those are usually helping verbs.
  • Remember helping verbs help to tell when or how the action happens.
  • Practice by finding verbs in sentences and asking yourself “Is this the action, or is it helping the action?”

By understanding main verbs and helping verbs, you will write and read sentences more clearly and confidently! 💡

20 Examination-Style Questions on Main Verbs and Helping Verbs with Answers 📝

Here are 20 questions designed to help Year 6 students practise identifying main verbs and helping verbs in different sentence types. These questions are perfect for Key Stage 2 learners preparing for English assessments on verbs.

Questions ❓

  1. In the sentence “She is running fast,” which word is the helping verb and which is the main verb?
  2. Identify the main verb in this sentence: “They have finished their homework.”
  3. Find the helping verb in the sentence: “He will go to the park tomorrow.”
  4. In the sentence “We are playing football,” what is the main verb?
  5. Does the sentence “You should listen carefully” have a helping verb? If yes, what is it?
  6. Circle the main verb in this sentence: “The dog barks loudly.”
  7. Identify the helping verb: “I am eating my lunch.”
  8. What is the main verb in the sentence “She can swim very well”?
  9. In the sentence “They were watching a movie,” find the helping verb.
  10. What is the main verb in “He has kept his promise”?
  11. Does the sentence “We do like ice cream” include a helping verb? If yes, what is it?
  12. Find the main verb in the sentence “The birds are singing.”
  13. Identify the helping verb in “You must be tired after the game.”
  14. In the sentence “I did complete the task,” what is the helping verb?
  15. What is the main verb in the sentence “She wants to read that book”?
  16. Is there a helping verb in “They might come to the party”? If yes, what is it?
  17. Find the main verb in “He always walks to school.”
  18. Identify the helping verb and main verb in “We have been waiting for an hour.”
  19. In “You could win the race,” what is the helping verb?
  20. What is the main verb in the sentence “The sun shines brightly”?

Answers ✅

  1. Helping verb: is; Main verb: running
  2. Main verb: finished
  3. Helping verb: will
  4. Main verb: playing
  5. Yes, helping verb: should
  6. Main verb: barks
  7. Helping verb: am
  8. Main verb: swim
  9. Helping verb: were
  10. Main verb: kept
  11. Yes, helping verb: do
  12. Main verb: singing
  13. Helping verb: must
  14. Helping verb: did
  15. Main verb: wants
  16. Yes, helping verb: might
  17. Main verb: walks
  18. Helping verbs: have been; Main verb: waiting
  19. Helping verb: could
  20. Main verb: shines

These questions and answers will help you become confident in finding main verbs and helping verbs in sentences. Remember, helping verbs help the main verb by showing tense, possibility, or necessity, while the main verb tells what action or state is happening. Keep practising, and you’ll do great in your English assessments! 🌟

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