auxiliary verb

[ awg-zil-yuh-ree vurb, -zil-uh- ]

noun

, Grammar.

1. a verb used before and together with certain forms of other verbs, such as infinitives or participles, to express distinctions of tense, duration, possibility, obligation, etc., as in I am listening, We have spoken, They can see, Did you go?

auxiliary verb

noun

1. a verb used to indicate the tense, voice, mood, etc, of another verb where this is not indicated by inflection, such as English will in he will go, was in he was eating and he was eaten, do in I do like you, etc

auxiliary verb

1. A “helping” verb that modifies the main verb, as in “Gail can win,” “Gail did win,” “Gail could have won.” A question often begins with an auxiliary verb: “ Did Gail win?” “ Could Gail lose?” The various forms of the verbs can , have , is , and does frequently act as auxiliaries.

Word History and Origins

Origin of auxiliary verb¹

First recorded in 1755–65

Example Sentences

From the difficulty of retaining a right discrimination of tense seems to have proceeded the active auxiliary verb.

From Project Gutenberg

Cpi is a sort of auxiliary verb; incepi is emphatic; hence cpi has an infinitive, incipere a substantive, for its object.

From Project Gutenberg

Sudah is classed as an adverb, but its most common use is to serve as a kind of auxiliary verb in forming the past tenses.

From Project Gutenberg

A pluperfect is similarly formed with the past tense of the auxiliary verb.

From Project Gutenberg

When two co-ordinate verbs are of the same tense and mood the auxiliary verb should apply to both.

From Project Gutenberg