Formation of tense and voice is the core function of linking and helping verbs. Both are used to form different types of tenses. For simple tense, largely, linking verb is used, while continuous and perfect, helping have predominant role. So, let’s take a look at the formation of tense and voice with linking and helping verbs.
It is highly essential in understanding linking and helping verbs properly. Auxiliary verbs are used to create three major and twelve sub-types.
Understanding tense and voice with verbs
Present tense and auxiliary verbs
To form simple present tense – Auxiliary verbs are taken as..
| Subject | Singular | Plural |
| first person/I,we | am | are |
| second person/you | are | are |
| third person/he, she, it, they | is | are |
Table 5. Function of auxiliary verbs in formation of simple present tense.
Besides, forms of “do” are taken for interrogative and negative simple present tense as well.
To form continuous or progressive present tense, same auxiliary verbs are taken. But, to form perfect and perfect continuous, has/have and has/have + been is taken.
Examples of present tense
- Marry is a champion athlete. (simple tense)
- Nowadays, she is playing for US. (continuous tense)
- She doesn’t interested to invest in mutual funds. (negative present simple)
- She has won many medals so far. (perfect tense)
- I think she has been playing when she was just fifteen. (continuous perfect)
Did, was, were for Past Tense
For general understanding, here are some examples of past tense. In the next article on this website, you can read more on formations of tenses.
- Why didn’t invite him yesterday? (simple past negative)
- She was busy when you visited. (simple past declarative)
- She was urging everyone to be silent in meeting. (past continuous affirmative)
- They weren’t satisfied on your presentation. (past simple negative)
- He had resigned before you ordered. (past perfect declarative)
Will be, will have, will have been are used in the formation of future tense. About the future tense, I’m going to explain it in next article as this is more focused on linking and helping verbs.
Linking and helping verbs to form voice
Voice is all about the subject-verb relationship whether the subject is responsible for performed action or affected by ongoing performed action.
- You are wasting my time. (Continuous tense /active voice – agent is doer)
- My time is being wasted by you. (passive voice – agent is affected by action)
- Technology changes everything. (simple present active voice)
- Everything is changed by the technology. (simple present passive voice)
- Education brought an evolutionary change. (simple past active voice)
- Evolutionary change was brought by the education. (simple past passive voice)
- Technology has changed our lifestyle. (perfect present active voice)
- Our lifestyle has been changed by the technology. (perfect present passive voice)
- I will publish my book next month. (simple future active voice)
- My book will be published by next month. (simple future passive voice)
If the subject is responsible for performed action, it is called active voice.
- Technology has changed our lifestyle. (perfect present active voice)
But, if the subject is affected by performed action, it is termed as passive voice.
- Our lifestyle has been changed by the technology. (perfect present passive voice)
There is no formations of passive voice in perfect continuous in all three tense forms. At the same time, future continuous isn’t converted into passive voice as well.
This is all about the formation of tense and voice by linking and helping verbs.
Simple present and continuous present
Simple continuous and perfect past
Passive voice of interrogative sentences