A-Z: General definitions: Verbs - dummy auxiliary

Definition

This type of verb is sometimes known as ‘dummy do’ because the word ‘do’ is used to create verb phrases. This occurs in question structures ‘Do you want eggs?’, in negative structures ‘He doesn’t like eggs’ or in commands ‘Do not drop the eggs!’. In older texts, the dummy auxiliary is used more often, in phrases such ‘He did speak to his followers’ (in modern texts this would be interpreted as being emphatic, but here it has the meaning ‘he spoke’).

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