verbs: main verb

A main verb is any verb that is not a helping verb.

In a verb phrase (a verb of two or more words), the main verb is always the last verb and expresses the chief idea in the verb phrase. The other verbs in the phrase are there to help the main verb (e.g. to change its tense or mood, to ask a question, etc.).

In the verb phrases below, the main verbs are see, be, finish and go.

• can see
• could be
• must finish
• will go

In these examples, the main verb is in its base form (the form in which it is listed in the dictionary).

But that is not the case when the helping verb is a form of the verb be (am, is, are, was, were, been, being) or have (has, had). With these helping verbs, the main verb changes its form. For instance, in the examples below, make becomes making, leave becomes left, and decide becomes decided:

• are making
• has left
• have decided

For more information on verb phrases, see verb phrase. For more information on helping verbs, see verbs: helping verbs.