Glossary of Linguistic Terms

Auxiliary Verb

Definition: 

An auxiliary verb is a verb which:

  • accompanies the lexical verb of a verb phrase, and
  • expresses grammatical distinctions not carried by the lexical verb, such as
    • person
    • number
    • tense
    • aspect, and
    • voice.
Examples: 

(English)

  • can
  • may
  • do