Helping Verbs Worksheets
Helping verbs (also called auxiliaries) adjust the main verb's time and mood: was sliding, has learned, might land, must return. Third graders identify the helper in front of the action and learn that the same word can help (is running) or link (is happy), depending on its partner.
By grade
What students need to know
A helping verb works before the main verb: She is running. They have finished. We will visit.
This skill runs from 2nd grade through 4th grade. Pick a grade above for level-matched sentences, teaching notes, and worksheets.
Helping Verbs across the grades
2nd Grade
A helping verb teams up with a main verb: she is running, they have finished, we will visit. Second graders find the helper by first finding the action word, then looking just in front of it. The common helpers are is, are, was, were, has, have, had, will, and can.
3rd Grade
Helping verbs (also called auxiliaries) adjust the main verb's time and mood: was sliding, has learned, might land, must return. Third graders identify the helper in front of the action and learn that the same word can help (is running) or link (is happy), depending on its partner.
4th Grade
By 4th grade, helping verbs carry real grammatical freight: has confirmed, were monitoring, might extend, will evaluate. Students identify the helper and the main verb as a team, and start noticing what each helper adds: time, possibility, or permission.