helping verb
See also: helping-verb
English
Noun
helping verb (plural helping verbs)
- (grammar) An auxiliary verb; a verb that accompanies the main verb in a clause.
- 1814, Lindley Murray, The Young Man's Best Companion: And Book of General Knowledge:
- Such verbs as can be formed through the present and past times without the aid of any of these helping verbs, are called principal verbs, and are formed thus:
-
Usage notes
Chiefly used in teaching grammar to children and English language learners rather than in academic linguistics.
Translations
auxiliary verb — see auxiliary verb