Continuando con el English tense system, podemos afirmar que en inglés existen 3 tipos de verbos (types of verbs):
1.- Auxiliary verbs
2.- Modal auxiliary verbs
3.- Full verbs
1.- Auxiliary verbs
Los verbos do, be y have se usan como verbos auxiliares para formar diferentes tiempos verbales (tenses).1.1 Do
- Do es un verbo auxiliar que se usa para formar las formas negativas e interrogativas (negative and question forms) del Present Simple. La forma de este verbo auxiliar en pasado es Did y se utiliza en el Past Simple.
Some examples:
|
|
Present Simple |
Past Simple |
|
Negative |
I don't want to go there. |
She didn't go out yesterday, sorry.
|
|
|
He doesn't eat meat. He's vegetarian.
|
Hopefully I didn't break my arm.
|
|
Question |
Do you like cheese? |
Did they know it, John? |
|
|
Does she play the piano?
|
Didn't you play the violin, the guitar and other instruments?
|
- Do solo se usa en la forma afirmativa (affirmative sentences) para enfatizar la acción de un verbo:
Some examples:
| Present Simple | Past Simple | |
| I'm not lazy. I do study hard. | I did try to contact you last Friday, but you were unavailable, as they told me. |
- Do también se utiliza en las denominadas tag questions (preguntas coletillas) y las short answers (respuestas cortas). Some examples:
| Present Simple | Past Simple |
| You think it'll be enough, don't you? | Who took my car last night? Susan did. |
- Be como auxiliar + present participle (-ing), se utiliza para formar tiempos continuos (continuous tenses). Some examples:
Raymond is recording an album.
I'll be leaving soon, sorry.
It's rainning, take an umbrella.
- Be + past participle (-ed, etc.) se utiliza para formar las oraciones pasivas (passive sentences). Some examples:
English is spoken all over the world.
My house is being renovated, so I'll stay at the hotel.
1.3. Have
- Have como auxiliar + past participle (-ed, etc.) se utiliza para formar tiempos perfectos (perfect tenses). Some examples:
I've never been to India.
She have lived in India for 20 years.
Will you have finished by next monday?
2.- Modal auxiliary verbs
Los verbos modales auxiliares (modal auxiliary verbs) son auxiliares porque 'ayudan' a otros verbos, pero a diferencia de do, be y have, tienen su propio significado. Pueden expresar certeza (certainty), habilidad (ability), posibilidad (possibility), consejo (advice), etc.Los modal auxiliary verbs son: can, could, may, might, will, would, shall, should, must, ought, need. Los iremos viendo poco a poco... Some examples:
She can't play the drums. (ability)
He must beat least forty. (certainty)
It might snow this evening. (possibility)
It might snow this evening. (possibility)
You should eat less. (advice)
