List of English auxiliary verbs
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The following English verb forms can appear as auxiliary verbs. Note that some of these forms can also be used as main verbs. The main criterion for whether something is an auxiliary verb used here is whether it participates in subject-auxiliary inversion.
- am, aren't (only in inversion, as in Aren't I special?), ain't, 'm (as in I'm)
- are, aren't, ain't, 're (as in you're)
- be (NB: this is an infinitive/imperative form and as such does not participate in subject inversion or tag questions)
- been
- can, cannot (does not invert), can't
- could, couldn't
- did, didn't
- do, don't
- does, doesn't
- had, hadn't, 'd (as in She'd gone out)
- has, hasn't, 's (as in She's gone out)
- have, haven't, 've (as in I've)
- is, isn't, 's (as in She's back)
- may
- might, mightn't (rare in American English)
- must, mustn't (rare in American English)
- ought
- shall, shan't (rare in American English)
- should, shouldn't
- was, wasn't
- were, weren't
- will, won't, 'll (as in she'll)
- would, wouldn't, 'd (as in I'd go out)
The contracted forms can be stacked, e.g. I'd've told her to leave, or She'll've left already by the time you get there.
The forms of dare, need, and ought are sometimes considered auxiliaries, but they do not permit subject-auxiliary inversion in many dialects. If they are auxiliaries, they permit sentences such as Dare you go? (Would you dare to go?), Need you say this? (Do you have to say this?), and Ought we go through with this? ((Do we have to / Should we) go through with this?).
The contracted form 'ma from African American Vernacular English is increasingly used in Standard American English, as in I'ma tell her to leave (approximately, I will tell her to leave).
In some British English dialects, iz (not usually written) is the main auxiliary form, replacing is, has, was, and possibly others.
