Helping Verbs worksheet for grammar practice with multiple-choice questions and a giraffe illustration.

Sure! Let’s solve this worksheet step by step. The task is to choose the correct helping verb for each sentence. Helping verbs (also called auxiliary verbs) are used with main verbs to express tense, mood, or voice.

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1. ___ made a decision.

- Subject: I → First person singular
- Verb: “made” → past tense (simple past)
- We need a helping verb that matches “I” and past tense.

✔ A. have — Correct. “I have made a decision.” → Present perfect tense (used for actions completed recently or with relevance to now).

✘ B. has — Used with third person singular (he/she/it), not “I”.
✘ C. will — Future tense; doesn’t match “made” (past).

> ✔ Answer: A. have

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2. Tom ___ shivering when he came in from the cold.

- Subject: Tom → Third person singular
- Action: “shivering” — ongoing action in the past (past continuous)
- “came in” → simple past, so the shivering was happening *at that time*.

✔ A. was — Correct. “Tom was shivering…” → Past continuous tense.

✘ B. were — Used with plural subjects (they, we), not “Tom”.
✘ C. will — Future tense; doesn’t fit past context.

> ✔ Answer: A. was

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3. I ___ achieve all of my goals this year.

- Subject: I
- Time: “this year” → future reference
- Verb: “achieve” → base form

✔ B. will — Correct. “I will achieve…” → Simple future tense.

✘ A. was — Past tense; doesn’t fit future goal.
✘ C. has — Used with third person singular, and doesn’t pair with “achieve” without “to” or in perfect tense.

> ✔ Answer: B. will

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4. That giraffe ___ given us a strange look.

- Subject: That giraffe → Third person singular
- Verb: “given” → past participle → suggests present perfect or passive

✔ C. has — Correct. “That giraffe has given us…” → Present perfect tense (action happened at unspecified time before now).

✘ A. were — Plural; doesn’t match “giraffe”.
✘ B. have — Used with I/you/we/they, not third person singular.

> ✔ Answer: C. has

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5. The cats ___ napping this afternoon.

- Subject: The cats → Plural
- Action: “napping” → ongoing action
- Time: “this afternoon” → could be present or future, but likely present continuous if it’s happening now.

✔ A. are — Correct. “The cats are napping…” → Present continuous.

✘ B. is — Singular; doesn’t match “cats”.
✘ C. will — Future; possible, but “are napping” is more natural for current action.

> ✔ Answer: A. are

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6. The neighbor’s kids ___ not outside today.

- Subject: The neighbor’s kids → Plural
- Time: “today” → present or recent
- Likely meaning: They are not outside right now → present state

✔ C. were — Wait — actually, “were” is past tense. But “today” can include past moments. However, if we mean they are not outside *now*, we’d use “are”.

But let’s check options:

- A. was — singular → wrong
- B. will — future → “will not be outside” would be correct, but option says “will” alone → incomplete without “be”
- C. were — past → “were not outside today” = acceptable if referring to earlier today

Actually, none are perfect, but C. were is the best choice if we assume the kids were not outside *earlier today*. If it’s meant to be present, “are” should be an option — but it’s not.

Wait — re-examining: The sentence is “___ not outside today.” — This implies a state. The most natural is “are not outside” — but since “are” isn’t an option, maybe the intended answer is C. were assuming past reference.

Alternatively, perhaps there’s a typo? But based on available choices:

✔ C. were — Most grammatically plausible among options for past reference.

> ✔ Answer: C. were

*(Note: In real usage, “are not outside” would be preferred, but since it’s not an option, “were” is chosen as closest.)*

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7. My mother ___ make us cookies if I ask her.

- Subject: My mother → Third person singular
- Condition: “if I ask her” → present condition → result is future

✔ C. will — Correct. “My mother will make us cookies…” → Future tense after condition.

✘ A. am — Used with “I”, not “mother”.
✘ B. has — Doesn’t pair with base verb “make” without “to” or in perfect tense.

> ✔ Answer: C. will

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## ✔ Final Answers:
1. A. have
2. A. was
3. B. will
4. C. has
5. A. are
6. C. were
7. C. will

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## 💡 Explanation Summary:
- Helping verbs change based on subject (I, you, he, she, it, we, they) and tense (past, present, future).
- Use have/has for present perfect (“have made”, “has given”).
- Use was/were for past continuous (“was shivering”, “were not outside”).
- Use will for future actions (“will achieve”, “will make”).
- Use am/is/are for present continuous (“are napping”).

Let me know if you want a printable version or explanation for kids! 🦒