Special uses of auxiliary verbs (emphasis, question tags, etc.)

1. Auxiliary verbs
Míriam Tomàs

2. What we know about
auxiliaries…

3. What we know about
auxiliaries…
1. They support the main verb in the sentence.
2. They don’t have meaning on their own…
3. …but they give extra meaning when they are used, like
when:
I. We make questions and negative sentences.
II. We want to give emphasis to a sentence.
For this grammar
point we will
include modal verbs
in the explanation.

4. We use
auxiliary verbs
(do, have, etc.)
or modal verbs
(can, must,
should, etc.)…

5.  I like cats, but my husband doesn’t.
 Sally’s coming tonight but Angela isn’t.
 Jane won’t come to the party, but Mike will.
Can you find the
common rule?

6. to avoid repeating the main verb or verb
phrase.
 I like cats, but my husband doesn’t like cats.
 Sally’s coming tonight but Angela isn’t coming.
 Jane won’t come to the party, but Mike will
come.

7. to avoid repeating the main verb or verb
phrase.

8. to avoid repeating the main verb or verb
phrase.
She’s tall,
but he isn’t.

9. I loved his
latest novel
So did I

10. I haven’t
finished yet
Neither have I

11. 2
A. I loved his latest novel.
B. So did I.
A. I haven’t finished yet.
B. Neither / Nor have I.
 Andrew’s a doctor and so is his wife.

12. 2 with so and neither to say that someone
or something is the same.
A. I loved his latest novel.
B. So did I.
A. I haven’t finished yet.
B. Neither / Nor have I.
 Andrew’s a doctor and so is his wife.
what can you see in
the order of the bold
words?

13. 2 with so and neither to say that someone
or something is the same.
A. I loved his latest novel.
B. So did I.
A. I haven’t finished yet.
B. Neither / Nor have I.
 Andrew’s a doctor and so is his wife.
The order is:
So / Neither/ Nor + auxiliary + subject
The order is inverted.

14. I loved his
latest novel.
So did I.
With an
affirmative
verb…
…use so

15. I haven’t
finished yet
Neither have I
With a
negative
verb…
…use neither
or nor

16. 1. Write three things about
yourself.
2. Talk to your classmates and
find out with whom you have
things in common.
3. Use so + auxiliary + subject, or
neither/nor + auxiliary +
subject if you are the same.

17. 3
A. I don’t like shopping online.
B. I do.
A. I have been to many different countries.
B. I haven’t, but I would love to travel more.
Can you find the
common rule?

18. 3 to say that something or someone is
different.
A. I don’t like shopping online.
B. I do. I buy a lost of my clothes online.
A. I have been to many different countries.
B. I haven’t, but I would love to travel more.
Negative

positive
Positive 
negative

19. 3 to say that something or someone is
different.
A. I bet Martha will buy her a new phone.
B. She ______ . She doesn’t like them.

20. 3 to say that something or someone is
different.
A. I bet Martha will buy her a new phone.
B. She won’t. She doesn’t like them.
Positive 
negative

21. 3 to say that something or someone is
different.
A. I never went to Disneyland as a child.
B. I ______. I had such a great time.

22. 3 to say that something or someone is
different.
A. I never went to Disneyland as a child.
B. I did. I had such a great time.
Negative

positive

23. 3 to say that something or someone is
different.
A. Ronnie really loves horror movies.
B. Her girlfriend ______ . She prefers adventure
movies.

24. 3 to say that something or someone is
different.
A. Ronnie really loves horror movies.
B. Her girlfriend doesn’t. She prefers adventure
movies.
Positive 
negative

25. Great! Let’s
move on to the
next rule.

26. 4
A. I went to a
psychic yesterday.
B. Did you?

27. 4
A. I’ll make the
dinner tonight.
B. Will you? That’s
great!

28. 4 to make “reply questions”, to show
interest or surprise
A. I went to a psychic
yesterday.
B. Did you?
A. I’ll make the dinner
tonight.
B. Will you? That’s great!
The tense of the
auxiliary matches
the tense of the
main verb in the
previous sentence.

29. 4 to make “reply questions”, to show
interest or surprise
A. I saw Laura yesterday.
B. _____ you? How is she? I haven’t seen her
in years!
The tense of the
auxiliary matches
the tense of the
main verb in the
previous sentence.

30. 4 to make “reply questions”, to show
interest or surprise
A. I saw Laura yesterday.
B. Did you? How is she? I haven’t seen her in
years!
The tense of the
auxiliary matches
the tense of the
main verb in the
previous sentence.

31. 4 to make “reply questions”, to show
interest or surprise
A. Rachel has passed her exam!
B. _____ she? That’s great!
The tense of the
auxiliary matches
the tense of the
main verb in the
previous sentence.

32. 4 to make “reply questions”, to show
interest or surprise
A. Rachel has passed her exam!
B. Has she? That’s great!
The tense of the
auxiliary matches
the tense of the
main verb in the
previous sentence.

33. 1. Write three
surprising facts
about yourself.
2. Use different
verb tenses.
3. Read them to
your partner.
4. Make “reply
questions” to
show interest or
surprise.
The tense of the
auxiliary matches
the tense of the
main verb in the
previous sentence.
Remember
that…

34. 5
A. You didn’t lock the door!
B. I did lock it. I know I did.
A. Silvia isn’t coming.
B. She is coming. I’ve just
spoken to her.
Can you find
the common
rule?

35. 5 to show emphasis in a positive sentence,
often when you want to contradict what
somebody says
A. You didn’t lock the door!
B. I did lock it. I know I
did.
A. Silvia isn’t coming.
B. She is coming. I’ve just
spoken to her.
The auxiliary verb is
stressed and not
contracted.

36. 5 to show emphasis in a positive sentence,
often when you want to contradict what
somebody says
A. You should have tried the food before adding more salt.
B. I _____ try it. But I didn’t think it was too salty.

37. 5 to show emphasis in a positive sentence,
often when you want to contradict what
somebody says
A. You should have tried the food before adding more salt.
B. I did try it. But I didn’t think it was too salty.
stressed

38. 5 to show emphasis in a positive sentence,
often when you want to contradict what
somebody says
A. Sorry, I thought you didn’t like cake. I would have
brought some for you.
B. I ____ like cake… I would have loved some.

39. 5 to show emphasis in a positive sentence,
often when you want to contradict what
somebody says
A. Sorry, I thought you didn’t like cake. I would have
brought some for you.
B. I do like cake… I would have loved some.
stressed

40. Just one more
rule and we’re
done!

41. 6
 You won’t forget, will you?
 She can speak Italian, can’t she?
 You loved painting, didn’t you?
Can you find
the common
rule?

42. 6 to make question tags
 You won’t forget, will you?
 She can speak Italian, can’t she?
 You loved painting, didn’t you?
When do we
use negative or
positive verbs?

43. 6 to make question tags
 You won’t forget, will you?
 She can speak Italian, can’t she?
 You loved painting, didn’t you?
When do we
use negative or
positive verbs?
We use a positive auxiliary
with a negative verb and a
negative auxiliary with a
positive verb.

44. 6 to make question tags
 It’s a nice day, isn’t it?
 Her new boyfriend is really cute, isn’t he?
 The film wasn’t very good, was it?
positive auxiliary  negative
verb
negative auxiliary  positive
verb.
Question tags are often used
simply to ask people to agree
with you. In this case, the
intonation is falling.

45. 6 to make question tags
 She’s a painter, isn’t she?
 You’ve always wanted to have a dog, haven’t you?
 You don’t have her new book, do you?
positive auxiliary  negative
verb
negative auxiliary  positive
verb.
Question tags can also be used to
check something we think is true.
In this case, the question tag is
said with rising intonation.

46. 6 to make question tags
1. This TV is new, ______ it?

47. 6 to make question tags
1. This TV is new, isn’t it?

48. 6 to make question tags
2. The party was great and we had a great time,
_____ we?

49. 6 to make question tags, usually to check
information.
2. The party was great and we had a great time,
didn’t we?

50. 6 to make question tags
3. I think we should get started with the studying,
______ we?

51. 6 to make question tags.
3. I think we should get started with the studying,
shouldn’t we?

52. Get some
practice on
question tags
Do the Communication
activity on pages 105
and 109, and make
guesses about your
partner.