Helping verbs, also known to their friends (they have a lot; they're so helpful) as auxiliary verbs, help the main verb show when the action happened; they can also help the verb ask questions.
How nice of them.
The main verb, plus one or more helping verbs, forms a verb phrase.
- am, are
- be, been, being
- did, do, does
- had, has, have
- is, was, were
- can, could
- may, might
- must, ought to
- shall, should
- will, would
*The word not is never a helping verb. When it comes to picking out helping verbs, it just gets in the way. Not is to a verb phrase what a speed bump is to a leafy residential street—especially when you're late for school.