DAY 4: HELPING VERBS

As we have learned on the previous day, we use PRESENT SIMPLE TENSE to talk about ROUTINES & FACTS. Here are some examples:

The examples we see above have something in common; those are POSITIVE sentences that covey statements. Now, how do we change them into NEGATIVE or INTERROGATIVE sentences?

We can call the ACTIVITY VERBS with another name; MAIN VERBS (or kata kerja utama in Indonesian). MAIN VERBS are the kind of VERBS that show the MAIN ACTIVITY that we do in a sentence (such as drink, jump, work, etc). When it comes to turning a POSITIVE sentence to a NEGATIVE/INTERROGATIVE one, we have to add a HELPING VERB to help the MAIN VERB. Look at the example below:

I not eat noodle every week. ❌ ➡️ I do not eat noodle every week. ✅

You eat noodle every week? ❌ ➡️ Do you eat noodle every week? ✅

As we can see, we have to add another VERB to the sentence to make it NEGATIVE/INTERROGATIVE. The proper HELPING VERB is DO/DOES, depending on who the SUBJECT is:

  • I/you/we/they/plural nouns – DO
    • I DO not like to eat fruits.
  • She/he/it/singular nouns – DOES
    • DOES she work here?

Another common mistake that people always make is using the wrong HELPING VERB, such as:

  • Are you go to the office every day?

The BE VERB (ARE/AM/IS) is not the correct HELPING VERB to combine with an ACTIVITY VERB, that’s why it’s wrong. We can combine them with another type of VERB that we will find out later.

Understanding HELPING VERBS and its differences with MAIN VERBS are the key to understanding English sentence structure. After this, don’t forget to challenge yourself by doing the quiz. Happy learning, Gems!

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