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Project Research on Auxiliary Verbs
Prepared by: Sahm Sami Mohammad Huneishi
Class: 204
Abstract
Auxiliary verbs are small but powerful elements in clause structure, conveying tense, aspect, mood, and voice. This paper reviews definitions and classifications of auxiliary verbs, contrasting primary and modal auxiliaries, surveys their syntactic order, and examines their functions in English and Arabic. We then present a corpus-based analysis of modal auxiliaries in William Golding’s The Lord of the Flies and discuss teaching challenges for Arabic speakers. Finally, we outline best practices for using auxiliaries like might and may correctly in academic writing.
Introduction
Auxiliary verbs, also called helping verbs, assist main verbs in forming negatives, questions, tenses, and expressing modality (Fema, Shuaibu, and Abubakar 1). Despite their frequency, auxiliaries often cause confusion for learners and even native speakers, particularly in second-language contexts. This research synthesizes linguistic descriptions of auxiliaries, compares English and Arabic systems, and reviews practical issues in teaching and writing.
Definitions and Classifications
Primary vs. Modal Auxiliaries
Grammarians classify English auxiliaries into primary and modal sets. Primary auxiliaries—have, be, and do—combine with main verbs to form perfect, progressive, and emphatic constructions (Grammarly). Modal auxiliaries—can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would, ought, need, and dare—express ability, permission, obligation, and other attitudes (Fema, Shuaibu, and Abubakar 2).
Syntactic Order
Within complex verb phrases, auxiliaries follow a fixed hierarchy: modal → perfective → progressive → passive (Fema, Shuaibu, and Abubakar 3). For example, “She would have been invited.” This strict ordering ensures proper interpretation of layered time and voice distinctions.
Functions of Auxiliaries
Auxiliaries support negative, interrogative, and emphatic constructions. Do marks negation and questions when no other auxiliary is present (“Do you like it?”) and also adds emphasis (“I do like coffee”) (Grammarly). Modals mark possibility (may), hypothetical past (might), necessity (must), and politeness (could).
Auxiliary Verbs in Arabic
Arabic traditionally lacks a distinct auxiliary class; functional verbs and particles (e.g., kāna “to be,” “may/have,” sā/sa’ “will”) are scattered across verb and particle categories (Alzabidi 20). Functional Grammar analyses posit kāna as a copular support rule inserting “was” in past and complex tenses (Cuvalay 267). Jordanian Arabic distinguishes T-auxiliaries like kān “was” from aspectual auxiliaries such as ga‘ad “be in the process,” each occupying separate projections in clause structure (Yasin and Hussein 1892).
Corpus-Based Analysis of Modals
Nada and Ajwan examined 549 occurrences of nine modal auxiliaries in Golding’s The Lord of the Flies, finding could (29.4 %), can (24.9 %), and would (20.3 %) most frequent, and noting their roles in expressing ability, permission, and hypothetical meaning (Nada and Ajwan 93). This illustrates native-style use of modals in published narrative.
Teaching and Learning Challenges
Arabic speakers face particular difficulties mastering English auxiliaries due to differences in grammar, writing direction, and phonology (Teflcorp). Arabic’s lack of certain modals and auxiliary structures leads to omission or misuse of may, might, and do in English production. Educators must explicitly contrast English auxiliary rules with Arabic functional equivalents to avoid fossilized errors (Alzabidi 20).
Using Might and May Correctly
May indicates present possibility or permission; might is its past form and often marks lower probability or counterfactual pasts. Both follow with a bare infinitive when referring to present/future (“She may go,” “He might stay”) and with have + past participle for past reference (“She may have gone,” “He might have stayed”) (Proof-Reading-Service.com). In academic prose, may often signals outcomes or allowances, while might frames hypotheses or unlikely events.
Conclusion
Auxiliary verbs, though small, are central to English clause structure, enabling nuanced expression of time, modality, and voice. Clear definitions, strict ordering, and targeted contrastive instruction—especially for Arabic speakers—are essential for mastery. Understanding subtle differences, such as those between might and may, and recognizing Arabic analogues will improve both learner competence and academic writing precision.
Works Cited
“Auxiliary Verbs: Definition and Examples.” Grammarly, Grammarly, 2022, www.grammarly.com/blog/auxiliary-verbs/.
Alzabidi, Aziza Saleh. “The Paradox of Theory and Practice: The Case of Auxiliaries in Arabic.” International Journal of Linguistics, vol. 11, no. 6, 2019, pp. 20–21, doi:10.5296/ijl.v11i6.15562.
Cuvalay, Martine. “Auxiliary Verbs in Arabic.” N.p., n.d., pp. 266–83.
Fema, Bakoji Mohammed, et al. “The Auxiliary Verbs and Their Functions: An Overview.” IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, vol. 25, no. 4, 2020, pp. 1–6.
Nada, Anwar, and Alkadr Ajwan. “A Corpus-based Analysis of Modal Auxiliaries of William Golding’s Novel ‘The Lord of the Flies.’” Journal International of Lingua and Technology, vol. 2, no. 2, 2023, pp. 90–101, doi:10.55849/jiltech.v2i2.461.
Teflcorp. “The Difficulties of Learning English for Arabic Speakers.” n.d., www.teflcorp.com/blog/the-difficulties-of-learning-english-for-arabic-speakers/.
Yasin, Ayman Rashad, and Ibtisam Hussein. “Auxiliary Verbs in Jordanian Arabic.” Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, vol. 17, no. 4, 2021, pp. 1888–1906, doi:10.52462/jlls.137.
“Using the Auxiliary Verbs Might and May Correctly in Academic Writing.” Proof-Reading-Service.com, n.d., www.proof-reading-service.com/blogs/academic-publishing/using-the-auxiliary-verbs-might-and-may-correctly-in-academic-writing.