Auxiliary Verbs - Worksheets, Questions and Revision

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KS3 · Grammar

Y7.5 Auxiliary Verbs

Calculators not allowed · about 50 minutes
Name: _______________________________    Date: ____ / ____ / ______
Answer ALL questions. Show all your working.

The Robotics Challenge

Source written for Revision Library (original, copyright-free). Written for Year 7 grammar practice, July 2026.

Maya had been practising with her robotics team for three weeks before the regional challenge. She felt ready, although she knew the competition would be tough.

On the morning of the contest, the hall was already crowded with teams from other schools. 'Have you tested the sensor yet?' asked her teammate Jack, glancing nervously at the clock. Maya hadn't checked it since breakfast, so she quickly ran a final test.

The robot must complete an obstacle course without any human control. If it touches the walls, the team will lose points. Maya's robot had been programmed to turn automatically whenever a sensor detected an obstacle, but nobody could say for certain it would work under pressure.

When the whistle sounded, the robot moved forward steadily. It should have turned left at the first corner, and it turned exactly as planned. The crowd cheered as the machine glided past every obstacle without a single mistake.

By the end of the day, Maya's team had been awarded first place. She couldn't stop smiling. 'We did it!' she shouted, hugging her teammates. The judges said they might invite the strongest teams back next year for a national final.

1
Tick the sentence in each pair that contains an auxiliary verb.
(a)(1)
  • A) The robot moved forward steadily.
  • B) The robot was moving forward steadily.
(b)(1)
  • A) Two engineers were testing the wiring when the alarm sounded.
  • B) Two engineers tested the wiring when the alarm sounded.
(c)(1)
  • A) Maya has finished the design.
  • B) Maya finished the design.
(d)(1)
  • A) The judges might invite the strongest teams back.
  • B) The judges invited the strongest teams back.
2
Underline the auxiliary verb (or verbs) in each sentence below. Some of these subjects are trickier than others, so read each sentence carefully before deciding on a singular or plural form.
(a)Everybody in the hall was watching the trial nervously.(1)
(b)The committee has approved the new safety rules.(1)
(c)Either the coach or the assistants are checking the equipment.(1)
(d)Neither of the robots was working properly.(1)
(e)The students, along with their teacher, have arrived early.(1)
3
These sentences are taken from the source text above. Underline the auxiliary verb (or verbs) in each one, then state whether the auxiliary is a PRIMARY auxiliary (be, have or do) or a MODAL auxiliary.
(a)Maya had been practising with her robotics team for three weeks before the regional challenge.(2)
(b)The robot must complete an obstacle course without any human control.(2)
(c)Maya's robot had been programmed to turn automatically whenever a sensor detected an obstacle.(2)
(d)The judges said they might invite the strongest teams back next year for a national final.(2)
4
Sort the word bank below into the correct column of the table. Each word belongs in ONE column only.

Word bank: is, can, did, should, have, might, was, must
Primary auxiliary verbs (be, have, do)Modal auxiliary verbs
(8)
5
State what the underlined modal auxiliary verb expresses in each sentence: ABILITY, PERMISSION, OBLIGATION or POSSIBILITY.
(a)Visitors must sign in at reception before entering the workshop.(1)
(b)May I use the workshop computer, sir?(1)
(c)The judges might invite the strongest teams back next year.(1)
(d)When she was seven, Priya could already solve simple wiring puzzles.(1)
6
Complete each sentence with the correct primary auxiliary verb (a form of be, have or do).
(a)Maya ___ finished her design before the deadline.(1)
(b)The robots ___ competing in the final round right now.(1)
(c)___ you seen the new workshop yet?(1)
(d)She ___ not attend the meeting yesterday.(1)
7
Circle the modal auxiliary verb that correctly matches the meaning given in brackets.
(a)Students ___ bring a calculator into the exam hall. (permission)(1)
  • may
  • must
(b)All competitors ___ wear safety goggles in the workshop. (obligation)(1)
  • might
  • must
(c)It ___ rain during the outdoor trial, so bring a coat. (possibility)(1)
  • might
  • can
(d)My aunt ___ mend any radio when she was younger. (past ability)(1)
  • could
  • should
8
Rewrite each statement as a question by moving the auxiliary verb before the subject.
(a)The team has finished the trial run.(2)
(b)Maya is testing the sensor.(2)
(c)The robot will complete the course.(2)
9
Rewrite each sentence in the negative, using a contracted auxiliary verb plus 'not'.
(a)The robot completed the course.(1)
(b)They have arrived at the hall.(1)
(c)She will attend the ceremony.(1)
10
Rewrite each active sentence in the passive voice, using the correct form of the auxiliary verb 'be' plus the past participle.
(a)The engineers built the robot.(2)
(b)The judges will announce the results tomorrow.(2)
11
Complete each sentence using the two auxiliary verbs given, together with the correct form of the verb in brackets, in that order.
(a)Auxiliaries: must / have. Verb: practise. Sentence: The gymnasts ___________ for months to perform so smoothly.(2)
(b)Auxiliaries: should / have. Verb: test. Sentence: The engineer ___________ the wiring before the final trial.(2)
12
Look again at the final sentence of the passage above: 'The judges said they might invite the strongest teams back next year for a national final.' Explain one effect of the writer's choice to use the modal verb 'might', rather than 'will', in this sentence.
(2)
13
Each sentence below contains a common error where 'of' has wrongly been used instead of an auxiliary verb. Rewrite each sentence correctly.
(a)The team should of tested the robot again.(1)
(b)I would of helped if you had asked.(1)
(c)They must of forgotten the spare battery.(1)
14
Each of these questions is missing its auxiliary verb. Rewrite each one correctly, adding the missing auxiliary verb.
(a)You finished the test yet?(1)
(b)She coming to the workshop tomorrow?(1)
(c)They ready for the competition?(1)
15
Identify and correct the auxiliary verb agreement error in each sentence.
(a)The robots was tested yesterday.(1)
(b)She don't have the right tools.(1)
(c)He have already finished the course.(1)
16
Below is a paragraph with several errors involving auxiliary verbs. Rewrite it correctly, correcting every error you can find.

'The engineers has been working on the new robot for months. It don't always turn the right way, so yesterday the team tested it again. The lead engineer thought they should of fixed that fault by now. Nobody could not explain why it sometimes stopped.'
(6)
17
Write one sentence of your own for each instruction below. Use the modal auxiliary verb given correctly.
(a)Write a sentence using 'must' to express an obligation.(2)
(b)Write a sentence using 'might' to express possibility (not certainty).(2)
(c)Write a sentence using 'could' to express past ability.(2)
18
Write one sentence of your own for each instruction below.
(a)Write a question using 'have' or 'has' as an auxiliary verb (present perfect question).(2)
(b)Write a negative sentence using a contracted auxiliary verb (e.g. isn't, hasn't, won't).(2)
19
Write a short paragraph (approximately 80-100 words) describing a competition, test or challenge you have taken part in (real or invented). Your paragraph must include: one primary auxiliary verb (a form of be, have or do) used to form a tense, one modal auxiliary verb, one auxiliary verb used to form a question or a negative, and one verb phrase containing two auxiliary verbs together (e.g. 'must have finished', 'had been trying'). Underline each of the four required features in your answer.
(10)
Mark scheme · Y7.5 Auxiliary Verbs

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Question 3

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Question 19