When learning English, you often encounter many verbs that help other verbs to express different meanings. These are known as auxiliary verbs, or “helping” verbs. They are essential in forming the tenses, moods, and voices of other verbs.
In this article, we’ll explore the main question of is can an auxiliary verbs and how it functions in English sentences.
The answer!
Yes, can is an auxiliary verb, also known as a ‘helping’ verb which is used with normal verbs to form tense, voice and mood. Can is used as an auxiliary verb to help express ability, show possibility and ask for permission.
The Function of Can as an auxiliary verb
Can is classified as a modal auxiliary verb in English grammar. Unlike primary auxiliary verbs such as “be,” “have,” and “do,” which can change form based on the subject or tense (like “is” vs. “are,” or “has” vs. “have”), modal auxiliaries like can remain consistent in form.
Can does not change with different subjects; it is used to modify the mood of the main verb it accompanies, imparting nuances of possibility, ability, or permission without undergoing any conjugation or inflection. This characteristic makes can easier to use and distinguishes it clearly from other types of auxiliary verbs.
| Verb | I | You | He | She | It | We | They |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Be | am | are | is | is | is | are | are |
| Do | do | do | does | does | does | do | do |
| Have | have | have | has | has | has | have | have |
| Can | can | can | can | can | can | can | can |
When used in difference tenses can stays the same in present tense and changes to “could” in the past tense. Can is not used in the future tense as it is grammatically incorrect, but can be used in a sentence that is referencing the future, “We can talk later“.
This means adding information about the future such as later, tomorrow, next week or in 5 years.
| Tense | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present | can | I can swim. |
| Past | could | I could swim when I was young. |
| Future | can | I can swim tomorrow. |
Key Characteristics of can as an auxiliary verb
No Inflection: Can does not change regardless of the subject it is paired with. This means it appears as can for all subjects—‘I’, ‘you’, ‘he’, ‘she’, ‘it’, ‘we’, and ‘they’. Also, can does not take any inflections such as -s, -ing, or -ed endings, making it easy to use across various grammatical scenarios.
He can walk.
He walks.
He walked.
He’s walking.
Helping Main Verbs: As a modal auxiliary verb, can adds specific meanings to the main verbs it assists:
- Ability: “She can play the piano” (She has the ability to play the piano).
- Permission: “Can I open the window?” (Asking permission to open the window).
- Possibility: “It can be difficult to learn a new language” (It is possible that learning a new language is difficult).
In each of these cases, can helps or modifies the main verb to express ability and possibility without the need for any additional auxiliary verbs.
Formation of Questions and Negatives: One of the defining features of auxiliary verbs is their role in forming questions and negatives:
- Questions: By simply placing can before the subject, a question is formed. For example, “Can you see?” is a straightforward way to inquire if someone is able to see.
- Negatives: Can forms negatives by adding “not” immediately after it. This can also be contracted to “can’t” for convenience. For example, “I cannot see” or “I can’t see” clearly indicates the inability to see.
These characteristics underline the auxiliary nature of can, demonstrating its essential role in English grammar for modifying the meanings of main verbs effectively and concisely.
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