Helping Verbs Worksheets and Exercises

Helping verbs (also called auxiliary verbs) work together with main verbs to express time, mood, or voice. Common helping verbs include be (am, is, are, was, were), have (has, have, had), do (do, does, did), and modal verbs like can, may, must, should, will, would. Practicing these exercises helps learners build accurate sentence structures and improve fluency.

Helping Verbs Worksheets

Related: Auxiliary Verbs Guide 

Helping Verbs Overview (Quick Reference)

Vocabulary	IPA (US)	Short Description
be	/biː/	Used for continuous tenses and passive voice.
am	/æm/	First-person singular form of “be”.
is	/ɪz/	Third-person singular form of “be”.
are	/ɑːr/	Plural form of “be”.
was	/wʌz/	Past form of “be” (singular).
were	/wɜːr/	Past form of “be” (plural).
have	/hæv/	Used to form perfect tenses.
has	/hæz/	Third-person singular of “have”.
had	/hæd/	Past form of “have”.
do	/duː/	Used for questions and negatives.
does	/dʌz/	Third-person singular of “do”.
did	/dɪd/	Past form of “do”.
can	/kæn/	Expresses ability or possibility.
may	/meɪ/	Expresses permission or possibility.
must	/mʌst/	Expresses obligation or strong certainty.
should	/ʃʊd/	Gives advice or recommendation.
will	/wɪl/	Indicates future actions.
would	/wʊd/	Used for polite requests or conditionals.

Helping Verbs Exercises

Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks (Use a suitable helping verb)

1. She ___ watching TV right now.
2. They ___ gone to the market.
3. I ___ finish my homework before dinner.
4. He ___ not like spicy food.
5. We ___ studying English this morning.
6. You ___ call me if you need help.
7. The children ___ playing in the garden.
8. I ___ never seen such a beautiful sunset.
9. She ___ be tired after the long trip.
10. He ___ been working here for five years.

Exercise 2: Choose the correct helping verb

1. She (is / are / am) reading a book.
2. They (has / have / had) completed their homework.
3. I (was / were / am) late for school.
4. He (do / does / did) not understand the question.
5. We (can / could / may) go to the park later.
6. She (have / has / had) already eaten lunch.
7. The baby (is / are / am) sleeping peacefully.
8. You (shall / will / might) receive the package tomorrow.
9. I (do / does / did) not like coffee.
10. They (were / was / is) playing football yesterday.

Exercise 3: Identify the helping verb in each sentence

1. She is going to the market.
2. They have finished the project.
3. I was reading when you called.
4. He will come tomorrow.
5. We are learning English.
6. You should listen carefully.
7. She has been working all day.
8. They were talking about the trip.
9. He does not know the answer.
10. I can help you with your homework.

Exercise 4: Choose the correct helping verb

1. She ___ not coming today. (is / are)
2. We ___ finished our meal. (has / have)
3. He ___ watching a movie last night. (was / were)
4. I ___ not seen him before. (has / have)
5. The students ___ studying for their exam. (is / are)
6. You ___ call me later. (should / shall)
7. They ___ arrived early. (has / have)
8. She ___ playing guitar when I arrived. (was / were)
9. I ___ go now; it’s getting late. (must / may)
10. He ___ not like cold weather. (do / does)

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Answer Key

Exercise 1

1. is
2. have
3. must
4. does
5. are
6. should
7. are
8. have
9. must
10. has

Exercise 2

1. is
2. have
3. was
4. does
5. can
6. has
7. is
8. will
9. do
10. were

Exercise 3

1. is
2. have
3. was
4. will
5. are
6. should
7. has been
8. were
9. does
10. can

Exercise 4

1. is
2. have
3. was
4. have
5. are
6. should
7. have
8. was
9. must
10. does