LESSON 88. —AUXILIARY VERBS

We have seen in our study that it takes more than one word to express certain tenses, modes, and other forms of the verb. We use have and had to form the perfect and past perfect tenses. We use shall and will to form the future tenses. We have used other words in the same way. These words which we have used to make different forms of the verb are themselves verbs, and when used in this way are called auxiliary verbs. Auxiliary means aiding.

An auxiliary verb is a verb used to express certain forms of other verbs.

The auxiliary verbs are have, shall, will, can, may, must, be, do.

Have and had are used to form the perfect and past perfect tenses.

Shall and will are used to form the future tense.

May, can, must, might, could, would, should, are used in potential verb phrases.

You may recite.

He could jump.

Am, is, are, were, been, are forms of the verb to be, and are used to form the passive voice, as well as the progressive form of the active voice.

I am loved.

He is walking.

We have been hurt.
They were singing.

Do and did are used in the emphatic forms of the active voice.

Exercise 1.-Name the auxiliary verbs:

1. He was swimming. We were rowing in a boat.
2. They must go at once. You may remain.

3. You have escaped injury. I am wounded.

4. We have studied. All our lessons have been learned.
5. You should be careful. You might be drowned.

6. They could not go.

7. You must stay here.

They had not finished their tasks.

You shall not leave the room.

8. My father is beloved by all. He is traveling.

9. You do not speak loud enough. Why did you laugh?
10. Why did you do that? You might have been thrown.

Exercise 1.Enlarge these sentences by adding adverbs to the verb:

1. If we work, we rest.

2. Men who live will die.

3. They worked all day.
4. The battle raged.

5. The winds howled around the house.

6. The frightened horse dashed up the street.

Exercise 2.Enlarge these sentences by adding infinitive modifiers to the verb:

3. The very heavens seemed

4. The stars appeared

5. Everybody rushed

6. Crowds remained

7. Nobody seemed

Exercise 3. Complete these sentences by adding phrases to modify the verb:

1. The children work

2. We should always sleep

3. We should take exercise

4. We should go

5. Let us work

6. Our friends were

7. The ladies were shown

8. The snow fell

Exercise 4. Enlarge these sentences by adding clauses to modify the verb:

1. We ate heartily

2. We caught several fish

3. The orator began

4. The guns were fixed

5. The game started

6. The birds flew

7. The flowers peep out of the ground

8. The train left

Exercise 5.

Complete these sentences by adding modi

fying words to the verb. Make each sentence as complete as possible.

1. An old decrepit man lives

2. Daniel Webster, the statesman, spoke
3. The two great battleships fought
4. The indignant elephant trumpeted
5. The Pennsylvania coal miners work

6. The noisy newspaper carriers were crying

7. The quarrelsome jay birds were chattering

8. Monkeys of every sort and size climbed

9. The storm, which had threatened all day, broke 10. The play, to which we had been invited, began 11. The buffalo in the park were seen

12. A great crowd of people commenced

Exercise 6.

Using these simple sentences as bases, expand each sentence by adding modifying words to the subject and to the predicate verb. Make each sentence as long as you can.

1. Moles live.

2. The gate flew open.
3. The crowd shouted.
4. Mr. Green was better.
5. The raindrops glisten.
6. The old man totters.
7. Monkeys chatter.
8. The oxen drink.

9. Napoleon led.

10. Jefferson Davis spoke.

11. The assassin fired.
12. The river froze.
13. The children run.
14. The earth trembled.
15. The mist rose.
16. Evangeline passed.
17. The oarsman arose.
18. The moss drooped.

LESSON 90. — EXERCISES ON THE USE OF VERBS

Exercise 1.

Complete the following sentences by us

ing transitive verbs, and an object to each, as, Ants teach

industry:

1. Henry Hudson

2. Eli Whitney

3. Morse

4. De Soto

5. Magellan

6. Beethoven

7. The Egyptians

8. The Huguenots

9. Pocahontas

10. The Esquimaux

11. Queen Anne

12. Napoleon

13. Wellington

14. Cornwallis

Exercise 2.

Complete the following sentences, using

intransitive verbs and an adverb, as, The baby sleeps soundly:

Exercise 3. Change the voice of each verb in the following sentences:

1. Napoleon crossed the Alps.
2. Cæsar was slain by Brutus.
3. Camels cross the desert.
4. Elephants carry heavy burdens.
5. Egypt is fertilized by the Nile.
6. The President shot a bear.
7. The people made him king.
8. Pottery is made by the Indians.

9. Gold was found by the miners.
10. The vessel was destroyed by the gale.
11. The horse was caught by the boys.
12. Savannah was captured by the British.
13. Love keeps out the cold better than a cloak.
14. He closed his store at six o'clock.

15. We cooked and ate our dinner in silence.

16. Everybody spoke his name at once.

17. The dreams of life are dispelled by death.

18. The good hate sin because they love virtue.
19. God made the country, but man made the town.
20. Charity covers a multitude of faults.

Exercise 4. In the following sentences tell whether the verbs are in the indicative or the subjunctive mode:

1. If God reigns, justice will be done.

2. One should do his duty, no matter how hard it be.
3. If it rains to-morrow, I cannot go riding.

4. If he is poor, he is honest.