Practice
Auxiliary verbs exercise: use do, be, and have accurately
Sign in to saveA short word can carry the grammar of a whole sentence. Do, be, and have help English verbs make questions, negatives, and different tenses.
Choose do, be, or have when a sentence needs a helping verb.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
Does Lina work on Saturdays? /dʌz ˈliːnə wɜːk ɒn ˈsætədeɪz/
The short answer
Use do for many present and past simple questions or negatives, be before an -ing form or a past participle in passive sentences, and have before a past participle in perfect forms.
Does Lina work on Saturdays?
Why it works: Does makes a present simple question, so work stays in its base form.
5 more examples
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Do your neighbours speak English at work?
Do begins a present simple question with a plural subject.
Not this:Do your
neighbours speaksEnglish at work? What changes: After do, use the base verb speak, not speaks. -
Maya is waiting outside the library.
Is plus waiting shows an action in progress now.
Not this:
Maya waitingoutside the library. What changes: The -ing form needs the helping verb is in this sentence. -
We have finished the report.
Have plus finished forms the present perfect.
Not this:We
have finishthe report. What changes: Use the past participle finished after have. -
The parcels were delivered before noon.
Were plus delivered makes a passive sentence about the parcels.
Not this:The parcels
were deliverbefore noon. What changes: Use the past participle delivered after were. -
He does not drive to college.
Does not makes a present simple negative with one person.
Not this:He
does not drivesto college. What changes: Drive stays in the base form after does not.
Read the full guide
When you see a blank before a verb, look at the form after the blank. An -ing form often needs be. A past participle may need have, or it may need be when the sentence is passive. A base verb in a simple question or negative often needs do.
Find the main verb first
A helper works with a main verb. Find the action word first, then look at its form. The form often tells you which helper you need.
They are packing their bags.
Packing ends in -ing, so it needs are with the plural subject they.
She has packed her bag.
Packed is a past participle, so has can introduce a present perfect form.
Which word is the main verb in We do not agree?
Agree is the main verb. Do makes the sentence negative.
Use do for simple questions and negatives
Use do or does to ask many present simple questions. Use do not or does not to make a present simple negative. The main verb remains in its base form after the helper.
Do they need more time?
They is plural, so use do and the base verb need.
Rafi does not eat meat.
Rafi is one person, so use does not, followed by eat rather than eats.
Choose the correct form: Does Ana likes coffee or Does Ana like coffee?
Use Does Ana like coffee? Like is the base verb after does.
Use be before an -ing form
Use am, is, or are with an -ing form for an action happening now or around now. Match be to the subject: am with I, is with a singular subject, and are with you, we, or they.
I am looking for my keys.
Looking is an -ing form, and I takes am.
The children are drawing posters.
The children is plural, so use are before drawing.
Which helper fits She __ speaking to a client: is or has?
Use is because speaking is an -ing form.
Use have with a past participle
Use have or has with a past participle to connect a past action to the present. Many regular past participles end in -ed, but common irregular forms include done, seen, and written.
I have seen that film before.
Seen is the past participle of see, so have can form a present perfect sentence.
Nora has written the email.
Nora is singular, so has comes before the past participle written.
Choose the correct form: We have went or We have gone?
Use We have gone. Gone is the past participle after have.
Recognize be in passive sentences
A passive sentence uses be plus a past participle. It focuses on the person or thing affected by an action. The person who did the action may be unknown or unnecessary.
The room is cleaned every evening.
The room receives the action, so is cleaned is passive.
The tickets were checked at the entrance.
Were matches the plural noun tickets, and checked is the past participle.
Which sentence is passive: The staff serve lunch or Lunch is served at one?
Lunch is served at one is passive because lunch receives the action.
Before you go
Remember this
Use do and does with a base verb for many present simple questions and negatives. Use be with an -ing form for an action in progress and with a past participle for a passive sentence. Use have or has with a past participle for a perfect form. Check the subject and the verb form after the helper.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Auxiliary verbs exercise: use do, be, and have accurately"
What is an auxiliary verb in English?
An auxiliary verb is a helping verb that adds grammar information to a main verb. In Maya is waiting outside the library, is helps form the action in progress waiting.
Do your neighbours speak English at work?
When do I use do and does?
Use do with I, you, we, and they, and use does with he, she, it, or one person in many present simple questions and negatives. Do your neighbours speak English at work? uses do with a plural subject.
Do your neighbours speaks English at work?
Why does the verb lose s after does?
Does already shows the singular present form, so the main verb returns to its base form. He does not drive to college is correct; does not drives repeats the grammar marking.
Maya is waiting outside the library.
How do I choose between be and have?
Choose be before an -ing form for an action in progress and before a past participle in a passive sentence. Choose have or has before a past participle in a perfect form, as in We have finished the report.
Maya waiting outside the library.
Can be and have be main verbs too?
Yes. In She is tired, is describes a state. In I have a bicycle, have means own. They are auxiliaries when they help another verb, such as is waiting or has written.
We have finished the report.