250+ Helping Verb Example Sentences by Tense and Modal

A helping verb is a verb that works in front of a main verb to build a tense, a question, a negative or a shade of meaning, as in she is waiting at the gate. Most helping verb example sentences turn on be, have, do and the modals, which mark grammar for the main verb.

What Is a Helping Verb?

A helping verb supports a second verb in the same verb phrase and decides the time, the question form, the negative and the strength of the statement. The main verb names the action or state, while the helping verb never does that job alone. Be, have and do work in both roles, so she has a bicycle uses a main verb and she has sold her bicycle uses a helping verb.

Be, have, do or a modal + main verb form = verb phrase

Daniel was repairing his bicycle when the rain started.

Common Helping Verb Example Sentences

A late train, finished homework and a parcel sent to the wrong address fill the common helping verb example sentences, where the first verb marks time and the second names the action.

• Nadia is waiting for the bus outside the library.
• My brothers have finished their homework already.
• Did you call the dentist this morning?
• Our train was running twenty minutes late.
• We will meet Priya at the station on Friday.
• Theo has broken his glasses again.
• Are the children playing in the garden?
• Lucas does not drink coffee after six.
• The parcel has been delivered to the wrong address.
• I am learning Portuguese with an app.
• Grandpa had forgotten where he parked the car.
• Have you ever eaten octopus?
• Before the guests arrived, Mira had set the table and lit the candles in the dining room.
• She would rather walk than take a taxi.
• Exam marks will be pinned up on Tuesday morning.
• Amara does enjoy a long swim before breakfast.
• Is your sister still working at the hospital in Leeds?
• The builders have not finished the roof yet.
• Yusuf was born in Casablanca.
• Everyone should bring a jacket, because the evening turns cold.
• Were you hoping for a window seat?
• My phone is charging in the kitchen.
• Those letters had been stamped before the sorting office opened.
• Nobody has claimed the umbrella from the lost property shelf.
• Will the shop stay open until nine?
• That old clock does not keep good time any more.
• A hungry dog had eaten half the cake before anyone noticed.

Every Helping Verb and the Verb Phrase It Builds

A boiling kettle, a flooded road and a plumber due at nine show what each helping verb builds once a main verb follows it.

Helping Verb Sentences With Am, Is, and Are

Rice cooking for a family, twins arguing over a remote control and bread baked before dawn set am, is and are in front of a continuous or passive action.

• I am cooking rice for the whole family tonight.
• Maya is studying medicine at a university in Krakow.
• The twins are arguing about the remote control again.
• Is anybody using this chair?
• Bread is baked fresh every morning in that little shop on the corner.
• We are not going to the match, because the tickets sold out.
• Am I speaking too fast for you?
• Our road is being widened, so the buses take a detour.
• Kofi and Ama are painting the spare room this weekend.
• Are you feeling better after the flu?
• My laptop is running an update right now.
• The letters are delivered before eight in most streets around here.
• Rosa is not answering her phone.
• Those seats are reserved for the choir.

Helping Verb Sentences With Was and Were

A balcony reader caught by a power cut, a sandcastle near the rocks and a cake eaten before the candles came out give was and were their past continuous and past passive work.

• Farah was reading on the balcony when the power went out across the whole street.
• Two children were building a sandcastle near the rocks.
• Was your grandmother born in Naples?
• We were not expecting such a crowd at the opening.
• Our windows were cleaned last Thursday.
• Ibrahim was driving home when the fog came down.
• Were the doors locked before you left?
• My cousins were living in Auckland until last spring.
• The cake was eaten before the candles came out of the drawer.
• I was hoping for a seat by the window.
• Nobody was listening to the announcement.
• Was anyone hurt in the crash near the roundabout on Sunday evening?
• The letters were written by hand and posted the same day.
• Sofia was not feeling well, so she stayed at home.

Being and Been in Helping Verb Sentences

A bridge under repair, a flat painted twice and milk left on a doorstep show being and been at work, since being follows a form of be and been follows have, has or had.

• The bridge is being repaired, so the traffic crawls.
• Our flat has been painted twice since we moved in.
• Rohan has been waiting at the clinic since eight o’clock, and nobody has called his name yet.
• A new timetable is being tested on two routes this month.
• Milk had been left on the doorstep all afternoon.
• I have been meaning to write to you since March.
• Those files were being copied when the power cut hit.
• Our village hall has been booked for the wedding in June.
• Nothing had been decided before the meeting ended.
• Amir has been studying Arabic calligraphy for three years.
• The old cinema is being turned into a climbing centre.
• My passport had been renewed just in time for the trip to Oslo.
• Dinner was being served when the fire alarm rang.

Helping Verb Sentences With Have, Has, and Had

Eleven years in one village, three finished chapters and a rescue team that reached the climbers by noon show have, has and had taking a past participle.

• We have lived in this village for eleven years.
• Ingrid has written three chapters of her novel.
• By noon the rescue team had reached the stranded climbers.
• Have the guests arrived?
• Tom has not seen his cousins since the wedding.
• I have forgotten my umbrella on the train again.
• Had you met Dr Okafor before the conference in Lagos?
• The referee had already blown the whistle when the ball crossed the line.
• My parents have sold the old piano.
• Zainab has run the same route every morning this month.
• Has anyone fed the cat?
• Our team has won four matches in a row.
• The snow had melted by the time we reached the pass.
• Students have been told to bring identification to the hall.
• Nobody had warned us about the roadworks on the coast road.
• Have you finished with the scissors?

Helping Verb Sentences With Do, Does, and Did

Sugar in tea, a ferry leaving the pier and a shed nobody locked show do, does and did building questions, negatives and emphasis, as the do does did example sentences set does at length.

• Do you want sugar?
• Does the ferry leave from this pier?
• Did Marco remember to lock the shed?
• We do not eat meat on Fridays.
• Hana does not drive in the city.
• The heating did not come on last night.
• I do like your new haircut.
• She does know the answer, though she keeps quiet.
• They did warn us about the queue outside the museum, and we ignored them completely.
• Do your neighbours keep bees?
• Did anybody see where the referee went after the final whistle?
• Ravi does speak four languages, whatever he tells you.
• Does your brother still play the trumpet?
• Our old car did not start on the coldest morning of the year.
• Did you two meet at university?
• Emma does not want a party this year.

Modal Helping Verb Sentences With Will and Would

A plumber due before nine, a grandfather walking four miles to school and a flight saved by one phone call put will and would in front of a bare main verb.

• The plumber will arrive before nine.
• I would rather stay at home tonight.
• Kemal will collect the tickets on his way back.
• Will you keep the door open for me?
• She would never lie to her sister.
• We will not forget your kindness.
• Would you like another slice of cake?
• The museum will close for repairs in October.
• Yara would always sing while she cooked.
• Will the scores be ready by Friday afternoon?
• My grandfather would walk four miles to school in all weathers.
• Nobody will believe this story.
• They would have missed the flight to Toronto without your phone call on Sunday evening.
• Would the driver of the blue van move it, please?
• The kettle will boil in a minute.
• Ana will be teaching in Seville next term.

Modal Helping Verb Sentences With Shall, Should, Must, and Ought To

A cough that needs a doctor, a seatbelt rule and a scarf left in a taxi show shall, should, must and ought to adding duty, advice and near certainty.

• Shall we take the early train?
• You should see a doctor about that cough.
• Every passenger must wear a seatbelt.
• We ought to thank Mrs Alvarez for the flowers.
• Shall I take your bag upstairs?
• Children must not play near the canal.
• Hugo should have written back weeks ago.
• Should we book a table for eight?
• The report must reach the office before noon on Monday.
• Drivers ought to slow down near the school gates.
• You must be tired after such a long flight.
• Shall we meet outside the cinema at seven?
• Anyone who borrows the office keys from the desk should sign the book at reception before leaving.
• Farmers ought to be paid a fair price for their milk.
• She must have left her scarf in the taxi.
• Should the windows stay open overnight?

Two and Three Helping Verbs in One Verb Phrase

An answer awaited since Tuesday, a tunnel open for ten years by June and a parcel stuck at the depot need two or three helping verbs in a row.

• She has been waiting for an answer since Tuesday.
• It will have been finished by the end of the month.
• Our roof has been repaired twice this year.
• We have been driving since five this morning.
• Your parcel is being held at the depot.
• By June the tunnel will have been open for ten years.
• Marta had been teaching in Lisbon for nine years before she moved north to Porto.
• The tickets will be sent by email tomorrow.
• Has the machine been serviced this year?
• Those files had been copied before the laptop failed.
• I have been meaning to phone you all week.
• The bridge is being painted a darker green.
• Will you have been driving for six hours by then?
• Dinner was being served when the lights went out.
• Our application should have been approved months ago.

Question Sentences With Helping Verbs

A shop open on Sundays, sandwiches nobody packed and twins hiding somewhere again start these questions, where the helping verb jumps in front of the speaker and the main verb stays behind.

• Is the shop open on Sundays?
• Have you packed the sandwiches?
• Did the postman leave anything for me?
• Are your parents coming to the ceremony?
• Was the film worth the ticket price?
• Will Nadeem join us for dinner?
• Has the bus already gone?
• Where are the twins hiding this time?
• Why has the alarm been ringing since six o’clock this morning without anybody switching it off?
• Do you know the way to the harbour?
• How long have they been married?
• Should we wait outside the examination hall until the bell rings?
• Were you living in Dublin at the time?
• Would your sister mind driving?

Negative Sentences With Helping Verbs

A rehearsal Liam skipped, a lift that refuses the fourth floor and a map held upside down all turn negative once not follows the helping verb and the main verb stays in its plain form.

• Liam is not coming to the rehearsal.
• We have not heard from the agency yet.
• Our lift does not stop on the fourth floor.
• Marta was not driving that evening.
• They will not reach the summit before dark.
• I had not expected such a warm welcome in November.
• That tap is not leaking any more.
• You should not lift that alone.
• Nobody has answered the advertisement.
• Neither twin was wearing a helmet.
• Rice does not take long to cook.
• Our neighbours did not complain about the noise.
• She would not admit that the map was upside down in her hands the whole time.
• The gate must not stay open after dark.

Short Answers With Helping Verbs

Readiness, a meeting that has not started and a ticket nobody refunds keep the short answers brief in speech, since English repeats the helping verb instead of the whole verb phrase.

• Are you ready? Yes, I am.
• Has the meeting started? No, it has not.
• Did you enjoy the concert? Yes, I did.
• Will Sofia be there? Yes, she will.
• Were the shops busy? No, they were not.
• Do your parents speak French? Yes, they do.
• Is the water safe to drink? No, it is not.
• Have the marks arrived? Yes, they have.
• Should we bring a present? Yes, you should.
• Was the door locked? No, it was not.
• Does the bus stop at the airport? Yes, it does.
• Had they left before you arrived at the hotel in Lyon? Yes, they had.
• Must we book a place in advance? Yes, you must.
• Would your brother like a lift home? Yes, he would.
• Is the ticket refundable? No, it is not.

Question Tags With Helping Verbs

A shop shut on Mondays, an essay already finished and children asleep after a night in the garden end with a tag, where the same helping verb comes back and flips between positive and negative.

• You are coming with us, aren’t you?
• She has finished her essay, hasn’t she?
• They were at the wedding, weren’t they?
• Marco did not phone, did he?
• The shop is closed on Mondays, isn’t it?
• We have met before, haven’t we?
• Your brother will drive, won’t he?
• It was raining all night, wasn’t it?
• You do not eat fish, do you?
• Priya should apologise, shouldn’t she?
• The children who camped in the garden last night are asleep at last, aren’t they?
• Nobody has complained, have they?
• Ali would rather walk, wouldn’t he?

Passive Sentences With Helping Verbs

A street swept every Tuesday, a bridge built in 1892 and a bicycle stolen outside the station put the action first, with a form of be plus a past participle.

• Our windows were cleaned yesterday.
• This street is swept every Tuesday morning.
• Those letters have been answered already.
• Dinner is served at eight in the dining room.
• The bridge was built in 1892 by a Scottish engineer.
• Those paintings are kept in a locked room.
• My bicycle has been stolen from outside the station.
• Exam marks will be announced on Friday.
• Nothing was decided at the meeting.
• Our kitchen is being redecorated this week.
• Tickets must be shown at the gate.
• The parcel had been opened before it reached us.
• Rice is grown in the flooded fields south of the town, and the harvest starts in September.
• All the chairs were stacked against the wall.
• Your application is being read by the committee.

School and Classroom Sentences With Helping Verbs

A bell that has rung, a protractor left at home, a debating team and a fire alarm during fractions belong to school days, where helping verbs mark deadlines, rules and work already handed in.

• The bell has rung, so the corridors are empty.
• Our teacher is marking the tests at her desk.
• Did you bring your protractor?
• We will have a spelling test on Thursday.
• Ahmed has been chosen for the debating team.
• Our library does not open during lunch.
• Students must switch off their phones in the examination hall.
• Have you finished the geography project yet?
• Miss Nowak was explaining fractions when the fire alarm rang.
• Nobody had read the poem before the lesson started.
• Your homework should be handed in by Friday morning.
• The younger classes are rehearsing for the winter concert in the main hall.

Work and Office Sentences With Helping Verbs

Paid invoices, a courier and the samples, a flooded warehouse and a client who phoned too late fill the working week, where helping verbs settle deadlines, duties and what has already gone through.

• The invoices have been paid.
• Priya is chairing the meeting this afternoon.
• Did the courier collect the samples?
• We will launch the new site in October.
• My manager does not answer emails after six.
• The warehouse was flooded during the storm.
• Applicants must send a portfolio with the form.
• Has the contract been signed yet?
• Karim had already left when the client phoned.
• Overtime will not be paid this quarter.
• Two engineers are testing the machine on the factory floor before the night shift starts.
• Should we invite the auditors to the briefing?

Home and Family Sentences With Helping Verbs

Washing on the line, a goldfish nobody fed, three scarves knitted before Christmas and a shed under repair all weekend make up home talk, where helping verbs sort out who has done what.

• Mum is hanging the washing in the garden.
• The kettle has boiled twice already.
• Did anyone feed the goldfish?
• We were watching a film about penguins when the neighbours knocked at the back door.
• My sister will stay with us over the holidays.
• Our dishwasher does not drain properly.
• Grandma had knitted three scarves before Christmas.
• Are the bins going out tonight?
• Dad has been fixing the shed all weekend.
• Nobody should eat the last slice without asking.
• The twins are sharing a bedroom until the loft is finished.
• Have you seen my reading glasses anywhere in the front room?

Travel and Health Sentences With Helping Verbs

A flight delayed by two hours, an ankle that refuses to heal and a ferry gone before the harbour came into sight give helping verbs their work on the road.

• Our flight has been delayed by two hours.
• Did you remember your passport?
• Nadia is recovering well after the operation.
• The doctor will see you at half past three.
• We were driving through the mountains near the border when the snow began to fall.
• Has the pharmacy closed already?
• Passengers must keep their seatbelts fastened.
• My ankle is not healing as fast as I hoped.
• The ferry had left before we reached the harbour.
• Should I take these tablets with food?
• Travellers are advised to drink bottled water in the hot southern provinces.
• Jonas has been coughing since the middle of the night.

Story Sentences With Helping Verbs

Elif, a cancelled train, a platform filling with tired passengers and a guard with a voucher run through one short story, where every helping verb moves the night along.

• The rain had started before Elif reached the station.
• She was pushing a suitcase with a broken wheel.
• Her train had been cancelled, and the next one was running late.
• Nobody at the enquiry desk would tell her how long the wait would last, and the screens showed nothing.
• Did anyone at the desk know? Apparently not.
• By eight o’clock the platform was filling with tired passengers.
• Elif had been waiting for ninety minutes when a guard finally appeared.
• He did apologise, and he did offer everybody a voucher.
• Their train will leave from platform four, he said at last.
• That story has been told at every family dinner since.

The Same Verb as a Helping Verb and as a Main Verb

Be, have and do take both roles, so a new bicycle and a ride to work, a headache and the aspirin taken for it pair the two uses in one sentence.

• Rania has a new bicycle, and she has already ridden it to work.
• We do the shopping on Saturday, and we do not enjoy the queues.
• Omar is a careful driver, and he is driving us to the airport.
• The children were hungry, and they were eating before the plates reached the table.
• My uncle had a workshop, and he had built every shelf in it himself.
• You are the treasurer, so you are keeping the accounts.
• Grandma does the crossword each morning, and she does finish it before lunch.
• I have a headache, and I have taken aspirin.
• The hall was cold, and the heating was rattling in the pipes.
• Nina had a fever all last week, and she had missed two music lessons before the doctor finally called.
• They do the accounts in March, and they do dread it.
• Our dog is old now, but he is still chasing seagulls on the beach.

Sentences Rewritten With the Correct Helping Verb

Have swapped for has, a past participle left in place after did, and a stray to after should are the slips that break a verb phrase, and every pair repairs one.

• ❌ She have finished her homework. ✅ She has finished her homework.
• ❌ They is waiting outside. ✅ They are waiting outside.
• ❌ He did not went to the market. ✅ He did not go to the market.
• ❌ We has been friends since school. ✅ We have been friends since school.
• ❌ The letter was wrote by hand. ✅ The letter was written by hand.
• ❌ I am agree with you. ✅ I do agree with you.
• ❌ Does she went home early? ✅ Did she go home early?
• ❌ You should to call the office. ✅ You should call the office.
• ❌ The car is repair now. ✅ The car is being repaired now.
• ❌ He has went to Berlin. ✅ He has gone to Berlin.
• ❌ Were you saw the accident? ✅ Did you see the accident?
• ❌ She is not have a ticket. ✅ She does not have a ticket.
• ❌ The windows has been cleaned. ✅ The windows have been cleaned.
• ❌ They will to arrive tomorrow. ✅ They will arrive tomorrow.
• ❌ The parcels was delivered yesterday morning to the wrong address. ✅ The parcels were delivered yesterday morning to the wrong address.

Helping Verb Example Sentences for Kids and Students

A sleeping cat, a lost red hat and a mock exam nobody prepared for split the same helping verbs into two levels, one for young readers and one for students.

Short Sentences for Young Learners

The cat, the baby and a red hat with a white star keep these sentences to five or six words, so young readers meet is, are, has and did.

• The cat is sleeping.
• I am six years old.
• We are going to the park.
• Did you wash your hands?
• My dog has eaten his dinner.
• Dad is making pancakes.
• Are you cold?
• The baby was crying.
• Sam will share his crayons.
• Have you seen my red hat with the white star on the front?
• Birds are singing in the tree.
• We do not run in the corridor.

Helping Verb Sentences for Students

Blue or black ink, a moved essay deadline, filed lecture notes and feedback promised for Monday belong to student life, where must, should and have mark the rules and the revision.

• Candidates must write in blue or black ink.
• I have been revising for three hours.
• Has the deadline for the essay been moved?
• We were told to hand in the report by noon.
• Rafa is studying biology at a university in Valencia.
• Did you understand the second question on the paper?
• Your notes should be filed after every lecture.
• The tutor will upload feedback online on Monday.
• Nobody in the whole study group had revised the last chapter before the mock exam on Friday.
• Are you sitting the examination in June?
• Group projects are marked on both the presentation and the written work.
• She does revise better in the morning than at night.

A Short Paragraph With Helping Verbs

A village fair, ten volunteers with paint, Mr Adeyemi and his cake stall, and rain that threatens the whole afternoon run through one short story told with helping verbs.

• Our village has been planning a summer fair since February.
• Ten volunteers are painting signs in the old scout hut.
• Mr Adeyemi had promised a cake stall, and he has already baked twice.
• Did anybody order the marquee? Yes, Priya did.
• The weather forecast is not encouraging.
• By Friday the tickets will have sold out.
• Children will be judging the vegetable competition this year.
• Nobody should leave before the raffle.
• If the rain does arrive, the whole fair will move into the church hall.

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FAQs

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• Modal Verbs Example Sentences
• Has Have Had Example Sentences
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• Was and Were Example Sentences
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