helping verb

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English[edit]

Noun[edit]

helping verb (plural helping verbs)

  1. (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[1]:
      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[edit]

Chiefly used in teaching grammar to children and English language learners rather than in academic linguistics.

Translations[edit]

auxiliary verb — see auxiliary verb
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