1. Unit 3 Week 2 Grammar
Adelina’s Whales

2. Main and Helping Verbs
A verb that has more than one word is called a verb phrase. A verb phrase is made up of a main verb and one or more helping verbs.
The main verb shows action.
The helping verb or verbs tell more about the action verb.
Common helping verbs are am, is, are, was, were, will, would, should, has, have, had, do, does, can, could, should, would.

3. Examples
In the following sentences, the main verb is underlined and the helping verb is in bold print.
A whale has visited our community again.
It was swimming under the boat.
The helping verbs am, is, and are show present time. Was and were show past time. Will shows future time. The helping verbs has, have, and had show an action started in the past.

4. Continued… Notice the helping verbs in these sentences.
Whales have returned to this bay every year.
The whales will continue their journey north.

5. Choose the verb phrase in each sentence.
The whales are playing in the bay.
One whale is swimming near a boat.
Many people could visit the bay.
They will learn about whales.
More visitors have arrived in buses.
Everybody is taking photographs.

6. Choose the part of the verb named in ( ).
Our class has visited the zoo every year. (helping)
Ms. Bond will accompany us again this year. (helping)
We can see the baby gorilla. (helping)
Last year he was clinging to his mother. (main)
He has grown in this last year. (main)
I could watch him all day. (Helping)
The elephants were spraying each other. (main)

7. Use the words below to complete the verb phrases.
Can should was show returned
Recently my family has ______ from a trip to Hawaii.
You _________ find so much to do there.
While my mom and dad were sunbathing, I _____ learning to surf on the huge waves.
I will _____ you my photograph if you come over tonight.
You ______ go to Hawaii yourself one day.

8. Test Prep—Choose the letter of the Helping Verb in each sentence.
My mom had fed the birds in our backyard all winter.
mom B. birds C. has D. winter
Two sparrows are eating seeds from our feeder.
our B. two C. are D. eating
The chickadee would like a turn too.
turn B. too C. like D. would
Many birds will eat peanut butter.
A. eat b. Many C. peanut D. will

9. Test Prep—Choose the letter of the main verb in each sentence.
I am making a bird box.
making B. am C. box D. bird
Next summer I will nail it to a tree.
will B. Next C. tree D. nail
Birds can build nests there.
can B. build C. there D. nests
It should last many years.
A. last B. many C. years D. should

10. We were standing there for an hour. My feet are growing cold.
Review– Determine whether the underlined verb is a helping verb, main verb, or verb phrase.
We were standing there for an hour.
My feet are growing cold.
I hope the deer will come out soon.
Dad said we would see them at sunset.
Now it is becoming dark.
I am getting impatient.
I can hear a noise.
A big deer has walked into the open.

11. Helping Verbs
(HV)
Main Verbs
(MV)
have
has
swimming
hoping
can
will
show
try
were
should
watched
laughed
would am
catch
Stop
My friend Bob _____ fish with his bare hands. I _____ _______ him pull a trout out of the water without a rod or net. Several fish ______ _______ close to the shore that day. Bob promised he ______ _______ me how to do it. I _____ ____ it next weekend. Our friend Joyce _____ ______ at the idea. I ______ ______ for fresh fish Saturday night. That _____ ______ her laughter!
Complete the paragraph by creating verb phrases with the helping and main verbs below.