English Language Arts
Grade 3
15 min
Identify main verbs and helping verbs
Identify main verbs and helping verbs
What you'll learn
- Identify the three main parts of a street address (house number, street name, and city/state/zip code) in 4 out of 5 example addresses.
- Apply correct punctuation (commas and periods) when writing 3 out of 4 complete street addresses.
- Explain why each part of a street address is important for mail delivery in a complete sentence.
- Correctly format 2 out of 3 improperly formatted street addresses, including capitalization and punctuation.
Tutorial Preview
1
Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Define a main verb as the main action word in a sentence.
Define a helping verb as a word that helps the main verb show action.
Identify the main verb in a simple sentence.
Identify common helping verbs (is, am, are, was, were, has, have, had, do, does, did).
Find the complete verb phrase (helping verb + main verb) in a sentence.
Explain that a helping verb always comes before the main verb.
Have you ever seen a superhero with a sidekick? 🦸♂️ Verbs have sidekicks too, and we're going to meet them!
Today, we will learn about two types of verbs: main verbs (the superheroes!) and helping verbs (their trusty sidekicks!). Learning about them helps us build stronger, more interesting sentences when we read and write.
Real-World Applications
Telling...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
VerbA word that shows action or a state of being.The dog **runs**. She **is** happy.
Main VerbThe most important verb in the sentence. It shows the main action or state of being.He is **climbing** the tree. (The main action is climbing).
Helping VerbA small verb that comes *before* the main verb to help it out. It helps show *when* the action is happening.He **is** climbing the tree. ('is' helps 'climbing').
Verb PhraseThe helping verb and the main verb working together as a team.The birds **are singing**. The complete verb phrase is 'are singing'.
Common Helping VerbsA list of some of the most used helping verbs you will see.is, am, are, was, were, do, does, did, has, have, had
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Key Rules & Conventions
The Helper First Rule
Helping Verb + Main Verb
A helping verb always comes before the main verb in a sentence. Think of the sidekick arriving first to help the hero!
The 'Not' Sandwich Rule
Helping Verb + not + Main Verb
To make a sentence negative, the word 'not' often goes between the helping verb and the main verb, like filling in a sandwich.
The Question Flip Rule
Helping Verb + Subject + Main Verb?
To ask a question, the helping verb often moves to the front of the sentence, before the subject (the person or thing doing the action).
4 more steps in this tutorial
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Sign Up Free to ContinueSample Practice Questions
Challenging
Read the sentences:
1. I do my chores every Saturday.
2. Do you see that big airplane?
In which sentence is 'do' a HELPING verb?
A.Sentence 1
B.Both sentences
C.Sentence 2
D.Neither sentence
Challenging
Which sentence correctly uses 'is' as a HELPING verb, not as the main verb?
A.The boy is kicking the ball.
B.The boy is happy.
C.My dog is outside.
D.That is my new bike.
Challenging
The main verb in a sentence is 'build'. Which helping verb would you add to show the action will happen in the future?
A.was
B.has
C.is
D.will
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Frequently asked questions
What grade level is "Identify main verbs and helping verbs"?
Identify main verbs and helping verbs is a Grade 3 English Language Arts lesson on ExcelOS.
What will I learn in Identify main verbs and helping verbs?
You'll be able to: Identify the three main parts of a street address (house number, street name, and city/state/zip code) in 4 out of 5 example addresses; Apply correct punctuation (commas and periods) when writing 3 out of 4 complete street….
Is "Identify main verbs and helping verbs" free to practice?
Yes. You can read the tutorial preview for free, and signing up for a free ExcelOS account unlocks the full tutorial and all practice questions with instant feedback.
How many practice questions are included with Identify main verbs and helping verbs?
This lesson includes 27 practice questions across multiple difficulty levels, each with instant feedback and explanations.