1. What Are Verbs?

• Verbs are action words or state-of-being words in a sentence. They tell us what the subject does or what state it is in.

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2. Main Verbs:

• The main verb is the most important verb in a sentence. It shows the primary action or state of being.
• Examples:
• “She runs every morning.” (Main verb: runs)
• “They are happy.” (Main verb: are)

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3. Helping Verbs:

• Helping verbs (also known as auxiliary verbs) work with the main verb to create a verb phrase. They add more meaning to the main verb, such as tense or mood.
• Common helping verbs include:
• Forms of “to be”: am, is, are, was, were
• Forms of “to have”: has, have, had
• Forms of “to do”: do, does, did
• Other helping verbs: can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would

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4. Examples of Helping Verbs:

• “She is running in the park.”
• (Helping verb: is; Main verb: running)
• “They have finished their homework.”
• (Helping verb: have; Main verb: finished)
• “He can swim very well.”
• (Helping verb: can; Main verb: swim)

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5. Identifying Main and Helping Verbs:

• To identify main and helping verbs, look for the action in the sentence:
• Main Verb: Ask, “What is the action?”
• Helping Verb(s): Look for any verbs that come before the main verb and help express its meaning.

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6. Practice Identifying:

• Read sentences and underline the main verb and circle the helping verbs.
• Example Sentences:
• “She has been studying for the test.”
  • Main verb: studying
  • Helping verbs: has, been
• “We will go to the park tomorrow.”
  • Main verb: go
  • Helping verb: will

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7. Common Mistakes to Avoid:

• Confusing helping verbs with main verbs. Remember that helping verbs always work with a main verb to complete the meaning.
• Forgetting that the main verb can also be a form of “to be,” such as “am,” “is,” or “are” when they indicate action (e.g., “He is happy”).