ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Auxiliary verb

Okay kiddo, let me explain what an auxiliary verb is.

An auxiliary verb is a helper word that we use in a sentence to show different things, like tense (when something happens), mood (how someone feels), or emphasis (when we want to show something is important).

Think of it like a sidekick to the main verb in the sentence. It's always there to support the main verb and add more information to the sentence.

For example, in the sentence "I am eating pizza," the auxiliary verb "am" is helping the main verb "eating" to show that the action is happening right now. If we change the sentence to "I was eating pizza," the auxiliary verb changes to "was" to show that the action happened in the past.

So, an auxiliary verb is kind of like a secret helper that makes sure our sentences make sense and show the right information.
Related topics others have asked about: