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My Aunt Teresa feels sick. A verb can sometimes be made up of more than one word, called a verb phrase. Within a verb phrase, the word that expresses the action is called the main verb and the other words that tell when the situation took place are called auxiliary verbs. I will travel to Halifax on the train. Sue and Greta were finishing the decorating. We have thought about a vacation this winter. Did you write that poem? In the above sentences, will, were, have, and did are helping or auxiliary verb. Travel, finishing, thought, and write are the main verbs. Think about how the auxiliary verbs change the meaning in the sentences below. I am eating my dinner now. Before calling, I had eaten my dinner. When you called, I was eating my dinner. I will eat all the cookies before the sale. I will have eaten my dinner by 6 o’clock. Sometimes, will can be a main verb, as in I willed all my property to my children. When will comes before a main verb, however, it is a helping or auxiliary verb.) Here are some other words that can be used as helping or auxiliary verbs. has have had would could should may might must can am is are was were has have had shall will do does did have been, has been, had been am being, are being, is being, was being, were being