An important part of English grammar is being able to recognize and use different categories of English verbs—there are often different rules for each verb type! 

For example, the verb to be can be used on its own, as the main verb of the sentence, or it can be used together with other verb forms as an auxiliary verb. And in either case, it’s very irregular! 😵‍💫

Here are the main types of verbs you’ll find in English and when to use them.

To be

The verb to be is treated differently from other verbs. It has very irregular conjugations that you’ll have to memorize, and being able to recognize the forms of to be will help you form other verb tenses and sentence structures.

SUBJECT PRESENT PAST PAST PARTICIPLE
I am was been
you are were been
he/she/it is was been
we are were been
you (plural) are were been
they are were been

Modals are English verbs that are used alongside another verb for actions that are possible or necessary. English modal verbs are special because they never change to match the subject—you don’t have to worry about verb endings or tenses! Here are the most common English modals:

MODAL VERB EXAMPLE
can I can see the moon.
could They could run really fast.
may Oscar may bring a friend.
might We might see a movie.
must You must be quiet.
should I should study tonight.
will She will cook dinner.
would They would prefer to stay here.

Auxiliary verbs

Auxiliaries are also called “helping verbs,” because they are paired with another verb or verbs to form different tenses—they help the main verb show tense! 


For example, will is a helping verb for the future tense, and the forms of have (like have, has, and had) are helping verbs for the present perfect and past perfect, and will and have are combined to form the future perfect. To be can be used as an auxiliary, too!

AUXILIARY VERB EXAMPLE
to be We are writing to our cousins.
to have Bea has seen that movie four times, so it must be good!
will You know the teacher will want us to work in groups.

Infinitives and bare forms of verbs

All verbs besides modals have both an infinitive and a bare form. Bare forms of verbs can be thought of as the basic form of a verb—it’s the form you’ll find in a dictionary (including online dictionaries!). 

In English, we mark infinitives by adding to to the bare form (to be, to go, to have, etc.), while other languages you may know might have a special prefix or suffix for infinitives (like the -ar, -er, and -ir endings for Spanish infinitives).

BARE FORM INFINITIVE EXAMPLES
eat to eat My dog can eat all day. He just wants to eat!
read to read I should read more for fun—and I’d like to read fewer work emails!

Differences between types of verbs

Understanding the different kinds of verbs in English will help you recognize and learn important grammatical rules.

For example, modal verbs and other verbs can be followed by another verb. You’ll use the bare form after modals but the infinitive with to after other verbs.

In English, there are also different rules for how you form questions, depending on whether the sentence uses the verb to be, a modal, or an auxiliary—or whether it has any other verb. Here you can see the different patterns for forming yes/no questions in English:

VERB TYPE YES/NO QUESTION
to be
modal
auxiliary 		Are Lily and Zari ready for class?
Can you all bring dessert?
Has it been raining all morning?
any other verb Does Oscar ever eat fast food?
Didn’t they go on the long tour?
Do I enter on the left?

The same is true for wh- questions and tag questions: There are different rules for different types of verbs!

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Grow your knowledge of English verbs!

To learn more about English verbs, review these helpful guides with conjugation tables, tips and tricks, and useful explanations!