Section 11.3.4
An auxiliary verb is a helping verb used to express tense, mood, or voice. The auxiliaries include have (has,had),be (am, is, are, was, were), do (does/did), and the modal auxiliaries (such as must, can, will, andshould).
Some researchers assert that clockless processors willsoon become cheaper, more reliable, more energy efficient, and easier to designthan chips based on today's prevailing technology.--W. Wayt, "Turning Back the Clock," Scientific American(modified)
Auxiliary verbs differ from other verbs in the way they arenegated and in the positions they may occupy in thesentence.
Negation and Auxiliary Verbs
You can negate a sentence or clause by placing thefirst auxiliary verb before the negative word not.
Virtually every developing country can point to examples of dilapidatedwind pumps or photovoltaic power systems that either did not work orcould not be repaired with local materials.
--Daniel Kammen, "Cookstoves for the Developing World," ScientificAmerican
If you use more than one auxiliary verb in a verb phrase, place only the firstauxiliary verb before not; place the rest after not.
Unacceptable
If transistors had been not developed during the firsthalf of this century, the world in which we live would be drastically differenttoday.
Acceptable
If transistors had not been developed during the firsthalf of this century, the world in which we live would be drastically differenttoday.
You can negate a sentence or clause that does not contain an auxiliary verb byintroducing the auxiliary do before not.
Unacceptable
The planet Mercury tilts not, so it does not haveseasons.
Acceptable
The planet Mercury does not tilt, so it does not haveseasons.
--"Take It or Leave It," Valley Comic News (modified)
Remember that there are two have verbs, one an auxiliary and one a mainverb. The auxiliary have is associated with perfect tense. The main verb have refers topossession, obligation, or causation. You can place only the auxiliaryhave before not; the main verb have must be negatedwith do.
Unacceptable
The planet Mercury does not tilt, so it has notseasons.
Acceptable
The planet Mercury does not tilt, so it does not haveseasons.
--"Take It or Leave It," Valley Comic News (modified)
Where Auxiliary Verbs Can Appear in aSentence
Auxiliary verbs can appear before the subject of asentence if inverted word order is called for (as inquestions, for instance).How can physicists seek the massive particles that givelogic and symmetry to theories of the fundamental elements of matter?--David B. Kline, "Low Energy Ways to Observe High-Energy Phenomena,"Scientific American
## Auxiliary Verbs ##
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