Verb Phrases for English Language Learners

This is the second of two courses designed to be simple to learn English for Chinese students.

This article explains verb phrases. Although these include a main verb, helping verbs and modal verbs, this article focuses on understanding verb phrases and exercises to help improve that understanding.

Verb Phrases

A verb phrase ends with a verb and may have other ‘helping’ verbs before this main verb

  • the boy kicks the ball
  • main verb: to kick
  • helping verb : x
  • the boy is kicking the ball
  • main verb: to kick
  • helping verb: is

Verb overview

A verb is a word used to express an action, a feeling or a state of being (see verbs page)

  • She is riding a bike
  • He kicks the ball
  • We learn English

verb tense

  • present simple
  • I work today
  • past simple
  • I worked yesterday
  • future simple
  • I will work tomorrow

Present

  • Present Simple: – I walk to the park every day.
  • Present Continuous: – I am walking to the park right now.
  • Present Perfect: – I have walked to the park many times.
  • Present Perfect Continuous: I have been walking to the park for hours.

Past

  • Past Simple: – Yesterday, I walked to the park.
  • Past Continuous: – While it was raining, I was walking to the park.
  • Past Perfect: – By the time I arrived, I had walked to the park.
  • Past Perfect Continuous: – I had been walking to the park when it started raining.

Future

  • Future Simple: – Tomorrow, I will walk to the park.
  • Future Continuous: –  At 3 pm tomorrow, I will be walking to the park.
  • Future Perfect: –  By this time next year, I will have walked to the park 100 times.
  • Future Perfect Continuous: -By the end of the week, I will have been walking to the park for seven days straight.

Main Verb

  • The main verb is the key action or state of being in a sentence.
  • It expresses the primary action that the subject is doing or the state of being that the subject is in.
  • It stands alone as the primary verb that conveys the main meaning of the sentence.

She runs every morning.

They were happy.

The cat slept peacefully

main verb = to walk

  • I walk to the park every day.
  • – I am walking to the park right now.
  • I have walked to the park many times.
  • I have been walking to the park for hours.
  • Yesterday, I walked to the park.
  • While it was raining, I was walking to the park.
  •  By the time I arrived, I had walked to the park.
  • I had been walking to the park when it started raining.
  •  Tomorrow, I will walk to the park.
  • At 3 pm tomorrow, I will be walking to the park.
  • By this time next year, I will have walked to the park 100 times.
  • By the end of the week, I will have been walking to the park for seven days straight.

Helping verbs

  • assist / support the main verb in a sentence
  • providing additional information about the action or
  • indicate tense, mood, etc.
  • The boy should kick the ball – helping (should) + main verb (kick)
  • the helping verb ‘helps’ the main verb
  • The cat had slept peacefully.
    • (The helping verb “had” supports the main verb “slept.”)
  • She is running every morning.
    • (The helping verb “is” is supporting the main verb “running.”)
  • They have been happy.
    • (The helping verbs “have” and “been” support the main verb “happy.”)

Here are verb phrases with helping verbs increasing the possibility and importance of kicking the ball.

  1. The boy can kick the ball.
  2. The boy may kick the ball.
  3. The boy could kick the ball.
  4. The boy might kick the ball.
  5. The boy should kick the ball.
  6. The boy would kick the ball.
  7. The boy must kick the ball.

We have

  1. Main verb
  2. Helping (auxiliary) verbs
    • some helping verbs are called modal verbs
  • Helping verbs come before the main verb
  • Modal verbs come before any helping verbs and the main verb
  • [modal verb(s)] + [other helping verb(s)] + main verb(s)

The use of helping verbs that are not modal verbs in verb phrases can be seen on the helping verbs page.

  • I walk to the park every day.
  • – I am walking to the park right now.
  • I have walked to the park many times.
  • I have been walking to the park for hours.
  • Yesterday, I walked to the park.
  • While it was raining, I was walking to the park.
  •  By the time I arrived, I had walked to the park.
  • I had been walking to the park when it started raining.
  •  Tomorrow, I will walk to the park.
  • At 3 pm tomorrow, I will be walking to the park.
  • By this time next year, I will have walked to the park 100 times.
  • By the end of the week, I will have been walking to the park for seven days straight.
  • main verb =
    • walk / walking / walked
  • helping verbs =
    • am / was
    • had / have
    • have been
    • will / will be
    • will have
    • will have been
  • Brave could have walked to school – both helping verbs
  • “I thought you might could help me.” – multiple modal verbs – not correct English
  • so, we need to understand
    • 1.modal verbs
    • 2.non-modal verbs that are helping verbs

Modal Verbs

Helping verbs are auxiliary verbs

Modal verbs are a type of auxiliary verb

Modal verbs related to the main verb in a sentence to express a speaker’s:

  • attitude
  • necessity,
  • possibility,
  • probability,
  • ability,
  • permission,
  • obligation, or
  • requests.
  • can
  • could
  • may
  • might
  • shall
  • should
  • will
  • would
  • must

Certainty

  • must  You must be on time
  • can’t  You can’t be late

Probability

  • must  She must be at home by now
  • might  She might be at home by now
  • may  She may be at home by now
  • could  She could be at home by now
  • can’t  She can’t be at home by now

Deduction

  • must  He’s been studying all night; he must be tired
  • might  He’s been studying all night; he might be tired
  • can’t  He’s been resting all day; he can’t be tired

Request

  • could  Could you please pass the salt?
  • would  Would you please pass the salt?
  • can  Can you please pass the salt?

Permission

  • may  You may leave the table when you finish your dinner.
  • can  You can go now.
  • can’t  You can’t leave the table until you finish your dinner.
  • must  You must not smoke in here
  • can’t  You can’t smoke in here

Ability

  • can  She can speak three languages.
  • could  She could speak three languages by the time she left school

Necessity

  • must  You must finish your homework before going out.
  • should  You should finish your homework before going out.
  • have to  You have to finish your homework before going out.  
  • ought to  You ought to finish your homework before going out.
  • need to  You need to finish your homework before going out.

Modal verb use

Can: Indicates ability, permission, or possibility.

  • I can swim. (ability)
  • Can I go to the party? (permission)

Could: Similar to “can” but often used for more polite requests or to express a possibility in the past.

  • Could you help me, please?

Will: Expresses future actions, promises, or willingness.

  • I will call you later.

Would: Often used to express politeness, make requests, or talk about hypothetical situations.

  • Would you like some tea?

Shall: Used for suggestions, offers, or to indicate future events in formal English.

  • Shall we go for a walk?

Should: Indicates advice, obligation, or expectation.

  • You should study for the exam.

May: Indicates permission or possibility.

  • May I use your phone? (permission)

Might: Similar to “may” but often implies a lower probability or is used to express a hypothetical situation.

  • It might rain later.

Must: Expresses necessity or strong obligation.

  • You must finish your homework.

Ought to: Similar to “should,” expressing obligation or duty.

  • You ought to apologize.

Modal verb exercises

Exercise #1: Modal verbs

Read the sentences and choose the correct modal verb from the list below to complete each blank.

can, could, will, would, should, may, might, must

On Saturday morning, Laura and Tom 1 ______ go for a hike in the mountains. Tom 2 ______ cook dinner tonight; he enjoys trying new recipes. Laura, you 3 ______ bring your camera; we might see some beautiful scenery. They 4 ______ start early if they want to reach the summit before sunset. Laura, you 5 ______ check the weather forecast before we leave.

Exercise #2: Degree of Certainty.

Read the sentences and choose the correct modal verb from the list below to complete each blank.

can, could, will, would, should, may, might, must

  1. It’s 10:30, and Sarah isn’t here yet. She ______ have forgotten about the meeting.
  2. The test is challenging, but if you study hard, you ______ pass with flying colors.
  3. I heard a noise outside. It ______ be the neighbors playing music loudly again.
  4. Mark is a very able person; he ______ finish the report by himself
  5. My parents ______ let me go to the concert if I finish my homework early.

Exercise #3: Complete each sentence with a modal verb a, b or c?

  1. ___ you speak any foreign languages?
    a. May b. Can   c. Have
  2. Liz ___ get tired of her job. It is so boring.
    a. has to b. must c. should
  3. Where’s Nick? He ___ be in his office.
    a. might b. mustn’t c. is to
  4. Take an umbrella. It ___ rain later.
    a. has to b. need   c. might
  5. Jack ___ go to hospital yesterday.
    a. must b. had to c. need
  1. You look tired. You ___ go to bed.
    a. should b. ought   c. are to
  2. You ___ do it. I’ve already done it.
    a. must not b. need not c. ought not
  3. ___ it be true?
    a. Must b. May c. Can
  4. ___ we stay or leave?
    a. Will b. Would   c. Shall
  5. Jane was so tired. She ___ have worked days and nights.
    a. should b. must   c. need

Exercise #4: Complete each sentence with a modal verb, here are my suggestions:

can’t/ mustn’t/won’t  – can – couldn’t / didn’t  – didn’t  – should – should – should – shouldn’t –  shouldn’t – shouldn’t

  1. It was very dark last night. I ___________ see the man on the road.
  2. He’s not very strong. He ___________ try to lift the box.
  3. She’s singing in the shower. I ___________ hear her.
  4. We must be home by ten o’clock. Perhaps we ___________ go now.
  5. Cigarettes are unhealthy. People ___________ smoke them.
  6. Your face is dirty. You ___________ wash it.
  7. That book doesn’t belong to him. He ___________ take it.
  8. Emily’s on a diet. She ___________ eat that cake.
  9. When I was young I ___________ cook at all.
  10. The speed limit is 50 km/hr in the city. You ___________ slow down.

Conclusion

If you want to learn more about nouns visit the verbs page, or visit the parts of speech page.

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