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Helping Verbs and Verb Phrases

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Learn how helping verbs work with main verbs to form questions, negatives, and useful verb phrases.

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THE CURIOSI · EXPLORE & TRY

Explore the model, then test your understanding. Select each numbered stop to discover its role.

Sentence map: follow the labelled examples, then open each explanation below.

1Start with a statement

The simple present statement uses plays with Arun.

2Add the question helper

Does comes before Arun. The main verb returns to its base form, play.

3Make it negative

Put not after does and use play, not plays.

Say each example aloud. Explain which job each highlighted word or phrase does.

Choose one answer for each question, then check. Practice results stay on this page and do not change course completion.

1. Which question is correct? Does Arun play chess? Does Arun plays chess? Do Arun plays chess?

2. Which negative is correct? We did not went. We did not goes. We did not go.

3. In They are reading, the helping verb is… They are reading

Read the answer explanations

Keep a grammar notebook: save an example, your own sentence and one edit that makes the meaning clearer.