AUXILIARIES

A Short Story for Practice

Suggestion:

Read document one (1) first, to understand what the story is about. Then read document two (2) and try to fill the empty spaces with the correct word.

You can do this more than once, or work the papers together, to become familiar with this usage. You can try to use acceptable alternatives in each space or use the documents as a memory exercise.

At present I have not found a way to set out acceptable alternatives for each space (“ANSWERS”) without lengthy explanations, but we are working on it.

Two points should be mentioned about these words:

1. Some of these words can be changed around in general use without changing the meaning much. For example, ‘could or might’ may depend only on the user’s opinion at the time.

2. This is a topic that you should learn by practice and experience. Many English-speaking people use all these words correctly without  knowing that they are called ‘auxiliaries’.

The main idea for you is to learn to speak and use English, not to profess grammar or linguistics. Look for these words when you are reading or listening to English, reflect on how they’re used, but relax a bit too.

The auxiliary words used in this exercise are:

would, could, couldn’t, should, can,

ought to, might, must.

DOCUMENT 1 – All words in place –

Mary Forbes was a high school teacher. One morning she rushed into the mall on her way to school to buy some shoes. In a quiet corner Mary saw a paper bag on the floor. ‘Someone COULD have lost it,’ she thought.

She opened the bag and saw that it contained 500 U.S. dollars. ‘What SHOULD I do?’ she wondered. She thought she COULD take the money to the security office without making herself late for school.

She looked at her watch: she OUGHT to be in school by this time. She was irritated, what SHOULD she do? A quiet voice in her head said, ‘You COULD just keep the money.’

She was shocked to realize that she COULD have such an idea.

‘I certainly COULDN’T!’ she said aloud. She looked around to see if anyone COULD hear her.

She knew she OUGHT to take it straight to the security office. She looked around for a sign that WOULD tell her where the office MIGHT be.

On the second floor, a security guard was watching her on CCT (closed circuit television). He thought, ‘I SHOULD arrest her; she has taken the money and she MIGHT just walk away with it.’

Time was passing.  Mary thought, ‘I SHOULD head for school immediately. I COULD always give the cash to the security people after school. Maybe it WOULD be better to do that.’

She decided to follow this plan; after all, no one WOULD suspect her of wanting to keep the money. She smiled to herself, convinced that this was what she SHOULD do.

The security man spoke to his colleague by radio,

‘You MUST stop the woman with the bag – she MIGHT be a thief. Don’t worry, I’ll come down to help you.’ He left his office and ran downstairs. He stopped Mary,

‘Excuse me, CAN I see what you have in your bag?’

Mary COULD feel her face flushing red. She knew she SHOULD explain The position to the man and he WOULD understand. Instead, she pushed him as hard as she COULD. He fell over, shocked. Mary COULD feel a rush of blood to her head.

‘I SHOULD be sensible,’ she thought, as she jumped over the man’s inert body and ran out of the mall as fast as her legs WOULD carry her.

DOCUMENT 2 – with spaces -

Consider the spaces and decide if it is possible to use a different auxiliary word from the one used above (in many cases it is).

Mary Forbes was a high school teacher. One morning she rushed into the mall on her way to school to buy some shoes. In a quiet corner Mary saw a paper bag on the floor. ‘Someone                  have lost it,’ she thought.

She opened the bag and saw that it contained 500 U.S. dollars.

‘What                  I do?’ she wondered. She thought she                   take the money to the security office without making herself late for school.

She looked at her watch: she                    to be in school by this time.

She was irritated; what                        she do? A quiet voice in her head said, ‘You                 just keep the money.’

She was shocked to realize that she                     have such an idea.

‘I certainly                          !’ she said aloud.

She looked around to see if anyone                      hear her.

She knew she                        to take it straight to the security office. She looked around for a sign that                      tell her where the office                  be.

On the second floor, a security guard was watching her on CCT (closed circuit television). He thought, ‘I                      arrest her; she has taken the money and she                     just walk away with it.’

Time was passing. Mary thought, ‘I                       head for school immediately.

I                always give the cash to the security people after school. Maybe it                      be better to do that.’

She decided to follow this plan; after all, no one                 suspect her of wanting to keep the money. She smiled to herself, convinced that this was what she                    do.

The security man spoke into his radio,

‘You                      stop the woman with the bag – she                be a thief. Don’t worry, I’ll come down to help you.’ He left his office and ran downstairs.

He stopped Mary,

‘Excuse me,                              I see what you have in your bag?’

Mary                        feel her face flushing red. She knew she              explain  the position to the man and he                   understand.

Instead, she pushed the man as hard as she                  . He fell over, shocked.  Mary                        feel a rush of blood to her head.

‘I                 be sensible,’ she thought, as she jumped over the man’s inert body and ran out of the mall as fast as her legs                  carry her.

Auxiliaries Lesson

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