This document discusses the uses of auxiliaries in the English language. It explains that auxiliaries are used to ask questions, give negative answers, indicate tense, and show emphasis. The document provides examples of how auxiliaries are used for asking questions, giving negative answers, short answers, emphasis, tag questions, expressing agreement, as verb substitutes, and for "echo" questions. It also includes a table that lists the auxiliaries used for different tenses.

1. Auxiliaries
In depth

2. Three Pillars
of Tense
What is the meaning of a
tense?
What are the auxiliaries
for that tense?
What time markers are used
with the tense?

3. Introduction
• Auxiliaries appear everywhere in English. Without
them, you couldn’t ask a question, give a negative
answer, or know what tense you’re listening to or
speaking. But auxiliaries are much more than that.
This presentation will show you some vital uses of
auxiliaries in English.

4. Table of Auxiliaries
Tense Auxiliaries
present do, does
present progressive is, am, are + gerund
past did
past progressive was, were + gerund
future will
present perfect have, has + participle
present perfect progressive have, has been + gerund
past perfect had + participle
past perfect progressive had been + gerund
modals can, may should, must, might, could, had better

5. Auxiliary Uses
Asking questions
Giving negative answers
Short answers
Emphasis
Tag questions
Expressing Agreement
Verb substitutes
“Echo” questions

6. Asking
Questions
• Every question contains an auxiliary except in
sentences in which the question word is the
subject of the answer.

7. Examples
• Where is Peter going?
• What time does Bob have lunch?
• Who will pick me up at the airport?
• Where did Mary go?
• Has Bob broken any traffic laws?
• When Peter arrived in Las Palmas, had he already learned English?
• Can you stop by my house after work?
• What has four wheels and flies? (no auxiliary because what is the subject)
• Who works on Sundays? (no auxiliary because who is the subject)

8. Giving
negative
answers
• Every negative sentence must contain an auxiliary.

9. Examples
• I am not going to Pamplona.
• I don’t work for free.
• I didn’t forget your birthday.
• I won’t be home for Christmas.
• I haven’t forgiven you for stealing my pudding.
• You shouldn’t wear a t-shirt at a funeral.

10. Short answers
• Short answers are used in place of longer
responses and use the auxiliary in place of the
original complement.

11. Examples
• Are you going to the party?
- No, I’m not.
• Did you hear about what happened in California?
- Yes, I did.
• Have you figured out how to use the expresso machine?
- No, I haven’t.
• Must you make so much noise when you eat?
- Yes, I must.

12. Emphasis
• We can add an auxiliary to affirmative sentences
to give emphasis. The grammar of this is only
obvious in the simple present and past tenses
because we don’t use auxiliaries in affirmative
sentences in those tenses.

13. Examples
• I don’t speak Spanish, but I do speak Russian.
• Why did you say I didn’t do my work? I did do my work!
The auxiliary wouldn’t normally appear in the first two examples.
They are there for emphasis. In all other tenses, the auxiliary
appears. The only difference is the vocal stress on the auxiliary:
• Don’t say that I won’t go to the party. I will go!

14. Tag questions
• Tag questions are used as questions of
confirmation on things we already think we have
the answer to. They follow a statement with a
comma and then the auxiliary + pronoun. If the
statement is affirmative, the tag question is
negative and vice versa.

15. Examples: Negative Tag Questions
• Bob is going to Madrid, isn’t he?
• Bestsy was doing the wash yesterday, wasn’t she?
• You expect to make a lot of money this year, don’t you?
• You bought a new car last year, didn’t you?
• You will find out about the meeting tomorrow, won’t you?
• Bob has forgotten about your birthday again, hasn’t he?
• You would like to go out for dinner on the weekend, wouldn’t you?

16. Examples: Affirmative Tag Questions
• Bob isn’t going to Madrid, is he?
• Bestsy wasn’t doing the wash yesterday, was she?
• You don’t expect to make a lot of money this year, do you?
• You didn’t buy a new car last year, did you?
• You won’t find out about the meeting tomorrow, will you?
• Bob hasn’t forgotten about your birthday again, has he?
• You wouldn’t like to go out for dinner on the weekend, would you?

17. Expressing
Agreement
There are three ways to agree with an affirmative or negative
statement:
• Subject Noun or Pronoun + affirmative auxiliary + too
(affirmative)
• Subject Noun or Pronoun + negative auxiliary + either (negative)
• So + auxiliary + subject noun pronoun (affirmative)
• Neither + auxiliary + subject noun or pronoun (negative)
• Me + too (affirmative) COLLOQUIAL
• Me + neither (negative) COLLOQUIAL

18. Examples: Using “too”
• Noun (or pronoun) + affirmative auxiliary + too (affirmative)
• Bob likes fish and I do, too. present
• Bob worked last night and Mary did, too. past
• I will go to the concert on Friday and Mary will, too. future
• Mary has already arrived and Bob has, too. present perfect
Always use the auxiliary that goes with the tense. Usually the tense will
appear in the sentence except in simple present and simple past affirmative
sentences.

19. Examples: Using “not either”
• Noun (or pronoun) + Auxiliary (negative) + either
• Bob isn't an engineer and Mary isn't either.
• Mary doesn't work in anesthesiology and Bob doesn't either.
• Bob wasn't at home last night and Mary wasn't either.
• Mary didn't take a vacation last year and Bob didn't either.
• Bob won't go to the office party this year and Mary won't either.
• Bob hasn't felt sick for a while and Mary hasn't either.
• Mary shouldn't drive at night and Bob shouldn't either.

20. Examples: Using “so”
• So + auxiliary + subject noun or pronoun (affirmative)
• You are eating pizza and so am I.
• Mary has to leave early and so does Bob.
• Mary found a cockroach in her pudding and so did Bob.
• Bob will receive an award at the ceremony and so will Mary.
• I can go to the museum today and so can Mary.

21. Examples: Using “neither”
• Neither + auxiliary (not negative!) + Noun (name, pronoun, etc.)
• I don’t have time and neither does Jill.
• My homework wasn’t done on time and neither was my friend’s.
• The TV won’t be delivered tomorrow and neither will the refrigertor.
• Tom hasn’t bought his Christmas presents yet and neither have I.
• I really can’t stand rap music and neither can my wife.

22. Examples: “Me too”
• Me + too
• - I’m going to the store today
- Me too!
• Me + neither
• - I didn’t go to the gym yesterday.
- Me neither!
• Note that this colloquial form is only used with the object pronoun
“me,” rarely with other object pronouns.

23. Verb
substitutes
It is possible to use an auxiliary in the second part of a
sentence joined by a connective (and, but, etc) or a comma
to stand for the entire action of the first part of the
sentence.

24. Examples
• If you don’t eat that cake, I will. (eat the cake)
• Bob grows vegetables in his garden, but Peter doesn’t.
• I can’t come to your house on Thursday to help you paint your
kitchen, but I can on Saturday.
• I haven’t stopped smoking yet, but maybe I should.

25. “Echo”
questions
An echo question is a question which echoes the previous
statement. It is frequently used to show surprise or to
prompt more information.

26. Examples
• - I think I’m going to quit my job and live off the land.
- You are?!
• - I won’t be here next week.
- You won’t?
• You should bring a heavy jacket if you’re going up north.
- I should? Why?
- The weather report says it’s going to be very cold.
• - I’m sorry but I can’t see you tomorrow.
- You can’t?
- No. I forgot I have an appointment with a doctor.