Auxillary Verb and Past Tense

Question

Hi all,I understand that when an auxiliary verb is use, the auxiliary takes the main action of that sentence (i.e. did you go? or does he go?). However, "was" is an auxiliary verb also but we can say, in past tense, "I was insulted" instead of "I was insult". I am just trying to differentiate about this. Thanks.

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

But we can say, in past tense, "I was insulted" instead of "I was insult".

I was insulted. (Correct. This is the passive voice.)
I was insult. (Not correct.)

They insulted me. (active voice)
I was insulted by them. (passive voice)

CalifJim · Answer

Khai TranI understand that when an auxiliary verb is used, the auxiliary takes the main action of that sentence ....

"the auxiliary takes the main action"? I wouldn't say that. The action that you talk about is conveyed by the main verb of the verb phrase, not by the auxiliary verb.

The auxiliary indicates something about the tense of the verb, not about its meaning.

Khai Tran"was" is an auxiliary verb also but we can say, in past tense, "I was insulted" instead of "I was insult".

Yes, we say "was insulted", not "was insult". That's correct.

Each main verb has a set of basic forms. The most important are Infinitive, Past, Present Participle, and Past Participle. For example, take, took, taking, taken. Another example is bring, brought, bringing, brought. And another is insult, insulted, insulting, insulted.

1. The auxiliaries do, does, did, and all the modal verbs (can, could, will, would, ...) go with the infinitive form.

do take, does bring, did insult, can take, will bring, ....

2. The auxiliaries have, has, and had go with the past participle form.

have taken, had brought, has insulted, had seen, has gone, ....

3. The auxiliaries am, is, are, was, and were can go with the present participle form or with the past participle form. The combination with the present participle creates the continuous tenses; the combination with the past participle creates the passive tenses. These auxiliaries never go with the infinitive form. (That's why was insult is wrong.)

I am taking, he was going, they are bringing, we were insulting, ....
I am taken, it is taken, they were brought, it was seen, ....

4. There are no auxiliaries that go with the past form.
________________________

When you learn the auxiliaries, you must learn which form of the main verb goes with them.

CJ

AlpheccaStars · Answer

As CJ says, the modal auxiliaries are not inflected, and they are used with the infinitive (base) form. Here are some examples:

He may insult me, but I don't care.
He might insult me, and I will insult him, too.
He could insult me, but he does not know any insulting words.
He ought to insult me. I insulted him yesterday.
He can insult me if he wants to.

Auxillary Verb and Past Tense

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions