Main Verb vs Helping Verb | Difference Between Main Verb And Helping Verb

Verbs are a basic component of English grammar, and they play an important role in forming sentences and conveying meaning. There are two types of verbs in English grammar first one main verbs and the second one is helping verbs.

Main verbs are the most important verbs in a sentence and they are used to express the action of the subject. Helping verbs, which are also called auxiliary verbs they used with the main verb to provide the additional meaning of the sentence. 

What is a Main Verb? 

A main verb,  which is also known as the lexical verb, is used to express the central action, event, or state of being that is happening in the sentence. the main verb is responsible for the main meaning of the sentence and it also provides important information about the subject of the sentence.

For example, in the sentence  The dog barks loudly, the main verb is barked, which is showing that the action of the dog. 

Types of Main Verbs

Main verbs are five types which are action verbs, linking verbs, dynamic verbs, state verbs, and modal verbs. 

1. Action verbs are used to define physical or mental actions, such as go, come, hear, and walk. 
2. Linking verbs connect the subject of a sentence to additional information, such as be (is, am, are, was, were) and seem.
3. Dynamic verbs express ongoing or changing actions, such as walk, run, and swim. 
4. State verbs express a state or condition, such as have and own. 
5. Modal verbs express the speaker’s attitude towards the action or state, such as can, could, may, might, and would. 

Function of Main Verbs

• The main function of a main verb is to express the central action or state of being described in a given sentence. 
• Main verb also provides the most important information about the subject of the sentence. 
• Main verbs can appear alone or be accompanied by auxiliary verbs for determining tense, and mood.
• The main verb is the essential element of a sentence and is used to describe what the subject is doing, what is happening, or what its state is.

What are Auxiliary Verbs/Helping Verbs? 

Auxiliary verbs, also known as helping verbs, are used in combination with main verbs to express additional grammatical information, such as tense, and mood. Helping verbs do not have a meaning on their own but they are used in sentences in order to provide additional information. Common auxiliary verbs include be (am, is, are, was, were),  do (does, did), and have (has, have, had). They are also used to form question, negative, and passive structures, such as  Is he going to the store? and  The cake was eaten. 

Types of Helping Verbs 

There are two main types of  helping verbs:

• Primary helping verbs
• Modal auxiliary verbs.

Primary helping verbs are used to form tenses, questions, negatives, and passive structures. am, is, are, was, and were are some common examples of Primary helping verbs. Modal auxiliary verbs are used to express possibility ability or permission in a sentence. can, may, must, and shall are some common examples of Model Helping verbs.

Function of Helping Verbs

1. The main function of Helping verbs is to provide additional grammatical information to the sentence and to support the main verb.
2. They do not have a meaning on their own, but they are used to express tense, mood, and aspects of sentences.
3. Helping verbs are also used to form questions, negatives, and passive structures in the sentence. 

Difference Between Main Verb and Helping Verb in Table Format : 

Main Verb	Helping Verb
It expresses the action or state of the subject in a sentence.	It is used to support the main verb and also express extra needed information in a sentence.
Main verbs can stand alone.	Helping verbs cannot stand alone.
It must match the tense, and mood,  of the sentence	It helps to form verb phrases and create the correct tense.
Some examples of main verbs are run, eat, is, and was.	Some examples of helping verbs are: have, do, will, and am.

Transitive Verbs and Intransitive Verbs as Main Verbs

Main verbs can be classified in two parts first one is transitive and the second one is intransitive. Transitive verbs take a direct object, which is the noun or pronoun that receives the action of the verb. For example, in the sentence John ate the sandwich,  in this sentence the verb ate is transitive and the direct object is the sandwich. In this sentence, the action of the verb is transferred from the subject John to the direct object the sandwich.

Intransitive verbs, on the other hand, do not take a direct object. They describe an action or state of being that does not involve a transfer of the action to an object. For example, in the sentence Mohan walked,  the verb walked is intransitive and there is no direct object. Intransitive verbs can describe an action or state without the need for a direct object.

Common Mistakes while using Main Verbs and Helping Verbs

There are several common mistakes while using main verbs and helping verbs:

1. Incorrect verb tense:  Using the wrong tense when forming tenses with helping verbs is a common mistake. For example, if we write  I have a dog Instead of I have a dog. 
2. Misusing auxiliary verbs: Sometimes we use helping verbs incorrectly, such as using do when it is not needed or using have when be would be more appropriate.
3. Omitting auxiliary verbs: Some speakers omit auxiliary verbs when forming questions or negatives, resulting in sentences like You late? instead of  Are you late?

How to differentiate between Main Verbs and Helping Verbs? 

The main verb is the most important verb in a sentence and expresses the action or state being described by the sentence. The auxiliary verb, also known as the helping verb, provides additional grammatical information to the sentence, such as tense, mood, or aspect, but it does not have a meaning on its own. 

Here are some ways to help differentiate between main verbs and helping verbs:

1. Identify the action or state of being: The main verb is the verb that describes the action or state described by the sentence. For example, in the sentence John is singing, the main verb is singing.
2. Look for auxiliary verbs: The auxiliary verb is often used in combination with the main verb to form different tenses, moods, or aspects. Common auxiliary verbs include be (am, is, are, was, were).
3. Check for direct objects: Transitive verbs take a direct object, which is the noun or pronoun that receives the action of the verb. for identifying this thing we should check direct objects in sentences. 

Identifying Main Verbs and Helping Verbs

Following are steps for identifying main verbs and helping verbs in a sentence:

• Identify the action or state of being described in the sentence. The main verb is the verb that expresses this action or state of the subject.
• Look for additional verbs in the sentence. These additional verbs are likely to be auxiliary verbs, also known as helping verbs.
• Determine the function of each verb in the sentence. The main verb carries the main meaning of the sentence, while the auxiliary verb provides additional grammatical information, such as the tense, and mood of the subject in a sentence.

Examples of Helping Verbs in Sentences

Following are Examples of sentences with helping verbs

1. She has been coming for the exam.
2. They were walking on the ground.
3. I was feeling tired yesterday.
4. She can sing a song.
5. The dog has barked.

In these sentences, the helping verbs has been,  were, was, can, and has to provide additional grammatical information to the sentences and help the main verbs studying, walking, feeling, singing, and barking expresses their full meaning.

Examples of Main Verbs in Sentences

Following are Examples of sentences with main verbs

1. She studies for the test.
2. They walk in the playground.
3. I feel happy Today.
4. She sings a song.
5. The dog barks.

In these sentences, the main verbs studies, walk, feel, sings, and barks express the action or state of being described in the sentences.

Conclusion – Main Verbs and Helping Verbs 

Main verbs and helping verbs play an important role in English. the main verb used to express actions, and states of the subject in a sentence. There are many ways to express our thoughts in English but if we do have not proper knowledge of how to use main and helping verbs and where they should use, it can change our Meaning for another person. Main verbs make sense of sentences and helping verbs provide information about tense.  

Practice questions on Helping Verbs and Main Verbs 

Here are some practice questions to help and  understand the concept of main verbs and helping verbs better:

Question 1: Identify the main verb and helping verb in the following sentence: “She has been studying for the exam all week.”

Answer:  Main Verb is studying and the helping Verb has been. 

Question 2: In the sentence “They were walking to the park,” what is the main verb and what is the helping verb?

Answer: Main Verb is Walking and the Helping Verb is were. 

Question 3: What is the difference between a main verb and a helping verb?

Answer: Main verbs express the action or state of being in a sentence, whereas helping verbs assist the main verb by providing additional meaning, such as tense, aspect, or mood. Examples:  am going (main verb: going; helping verb: am).

Question 4: Give an example of a sentence that contains both a main verb and a helping verb.

Answer: Mohan is Coming.  (Main verb – Coming,  Helping verb – is)

Frequently Asked Questions on Main Verbs and Helping Verbs

Question 1: What is the difference between Main Verbs and Helping Verbs? 

Answer:  Main verbs express the action or state of being in a sentence while helping verbs assist the main verb to express its full meaning and provide additional grammatical information such as tense, mood, or aspect.

Question 2: How do Use Helping Verbs in Sentences? 

Answer: Helping verbs are used in combination with main verbs to form verb phrases and express tense, mood, and aspect. Helping us according to the main verb and tense of the sentence.

Question 3: What are the types of verbs? 

Answer:  There are several types of verbs, including action verbs, linking verbs, helping verbs, and intransitive verbs.

Question 4: What are Auxiliary Verbs/Helping Verbs? 

Answer: Auxiliary verbs, also known as helping verbs, assist the main verb to express tense, mood, or aspect and form verb phrases. Examples of auxiliary verbs include have, do, and will.

Question 5: What are the types of Main Verbs? 

Answer: There are several types of main verbs such as action verbs, linking verbs, and transitive and intransitive verbs. Each type of verb expresses a different action, state of being, or relationship between the subject and other elements in a sentence.

Question 6: How do Use Main Verbs in Sentences? 

Answer: To use main verbs correctly in sentences, identify the subject and then choose the appropriate verb to match. Ensure the verb is in the correct form and tense.

Question 7: How to differentiate between Adjectives and Verbs in a sentence? 

Answer: To differentiate between adjectives and verbs,  we need to look at the function of each word in the sentence. Adjectives answer questions like What kind? or Which one? about the noun or pronoun, while verbs answer questions like What is happening? or What is the subject doing?

Question 8: Write some examples of Adjectives and Verbs in sentences. 

Answer:  These are some examples of adjectives and verbs in sentences:

Adjectives:
   1. The happy dog sited here.
   2. The bright brown lion caught my eye.

Verbs:
   1. The dog sited.
   2. I saw the lion.

In these examples, happy and bright brown are adjectives that describe the nouns dog and lion. sited and saw are verbs that show the actions of the dog and what the subject is doing.