Contractions of auxiliary verbs in English

Auxiliary verbs very often used in contracted forms. Contracted forms are more informal than full forms. They are therefore more common in spoken English. Full forms are usually preferred in formal written English. In the case of be and have, the contracted form can involve linking the subject and the auxiliary verb into… Read More

French word of the week: lui

This series of weekly blogs takes a closer look at words from our French dictionaries. The word we're focusing on this week is the French pronoun 'lui'. Read More

Auxiliary verbs in English

An auxiliary verb is a verb that is used together with a main verb to show time and continuity. Be and have are the primary auxiliaries. A primary auxiliary is used to construct compound tenses. Be is used to make present continuous and past continuous tenses. I am working. Rob is using the computer. Kevin was teaching in America in… Read More

Main types of verb in English

Most verbs describe an action such as walking, running, or reading. These are called verbs of action. Action verbs can be expressed in all the tenses. John is running for the train. Sophie has just bought a new camera. She is putting on an exhibition of her artwork. Robbie has read the book already. When we need a verb to describe a new activity,… Read More