Auxiliary verb with no main verb
An auxiliary verb can only appear alone when a main verb (or a clause containing a main verb) is understood in the context:
A: Does she play the clarinet?
B: Yes, She does. (Yes, she plays the clarinet.)
A: It hasn’t snowed at all this year, has it?
B: No, it hasn’t. (No, it hasn’t snowed.)
Be, do and have as main verbs
Be, do and have can be used as auxiliary verbs or as main verbs.
Compare
| as a main verb | as an auxiliary verb | |
| be | She’s a professional photographer. | He’s thinking of moving to New Zealand. |
| do | I need to do some work this evening. | Do you like Thai food, Jim? |
| have | The children have lunch at twelve o’clock. | We haven’t been to the cinema for ages. |
Warning:
Remember, when do and have are main verbs, we must use auxiliary do to make questions and negatives:
A:
What does Janet do?
B:
She’s a teacher.
Not: What does Janet?
I don’t have a car. I only have a bike.
See also:
§ Verbs: basic forms
Modal verbs
The main modal verbs are:
| can | may | must | should | would |
| could | might | shall | will |
Modal verbs have meanings connected with degrees of certainty and necessity:
We ’ll be there around 7.30. (speaker is quite certain)
A new window could cost around £500. (speaker is less certain)
I must ring the tax office. (speaker considers this very necessary)
Semi-modal verbs have some meanings related to the main modal verbs. The semi-modal verbs are dare, need, ought to, used to.
See also:
§ Modality: introduction
§ Dare
§ Need
§ Ought to
§ Used to
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