6.3 Some common auxiliary verbs

Question 1

What are auxiliary verbs and how do they affect other verbs?

Answer 1

Auxiliary verbs are used only together with another verb. It only comes before a main verb and changes the main verb’s form to be the infinitive regardless of the tense.

Question 2

‘Be able’ (‘can’, ‘could’)

We can come to your house on Sunday

She could not play yesterday

Answer 2

kunna (kan, kunde)

Vi kan komma till er på söndag

Han kunde inte spela igår

Question 3

‘Want to’ (‘want to’, ‘wanted to’)

Karin wants to watch TV

Sten wanted to stay home

Answer 3

Vilja (vill, ville)

Karin vill titta på TV

Sten ville stanna hemma

Question 4

Where English uses ‘want’ followed by a noun as the object, the swedish verb ‘vilja’ is followed by ‘ha + the object.’ Therefore, translate the following:
He wants coffee
He wanted cream with his coffee

Answer 4

Han vill ha kaffe

Han ville ha grädde till kaffet

Question 5

‘Be allowed to’, ‘have to’ (‘may’, ‘can’, ‘could’)

You may (can) smoke if you want to

We were allowed (got) to meet his wife

Answer 5

Få (får, fick)

Du får röka, om du vill

Vi fick träffa hans fru

Question 6

Få used as a main verb, with a noun as the object, means ‘get’, ‘receive’:

She got (received, was given) a flower
They always get a present

Answer 6

Han fick en blomma

De får alltid en present

Question 7

‘Have to’ (‘must’, ‘have to’, ‘had to’). This verb does not have an infinitive either in Swedish or in English, and has the same form as in the present as in the past.

You must go home now

I had to work the whole evening yesterday

Answer 7

• (måste, måste)

Du måste gå hem nu

Jag måste arbeta hela kvällen i går

Question 8

The English ‘must not’ corresponds to Swedish får inte:

You must not smoke here

Answer 8

Du får inte röka här

Question 9

‘Have to’ (‘shall’, ‘will’, ‘must’, ‘have to’, ‘was/were going to’, ‘should’, ‘would’)

You must not (should not) do that

You always have to ask him twice

We should have done it yesterday

Answer 9

Skola (ska, skulle)

Du ska inte göra så

Man ska alltid fråga honom två gånger

Vi skulle ha gjort det igår

Question 10

(‘Should’, ‘ought to’)

One should not drink more than six cups of coffee a day.

You ought to buy a new case.

They should have (ought to have) done it long ago.

Answer 10

Böra (bör, borde)

Man bör inte dricka mer än sex koppar kaffe om dagen

Du borde köpa en ny väska

De borde ha gjort det för länge sedan

Question 11

(-, used to). The English auxiliary has only one form, ‘used to’, in the past.
However, Swedish has three forms what are they?

Answer 11

Bruka (brukar, brukade)

Question 12

Bruka, brukar and brukade correspond to ‘usually + the main verb.’ Translate the following sentences:

I usually have coffee after lunch
Josefin usually writes her diary every day
We used to play cards on saturday evenings

Answer 12

Jag brukar dricka kaffee efter lunch

Josefin brukar skriva dagbok varje dag

Vi brukade spela kart på lördags kvällarna

Question 13

‘Need to’ (‘need to’, ‘needed to’)

You only need to stay two days

He did not have to wait long

Answer 13

‘behöva’ (behöver, behövde)

Du behöver bara stannar två dagar

Han behövde inte vänta länge

Question 14

In English, just as in Swedish, the verb behöva ‘need’ can also be followed by a noun as an object:

I need help

Answer 14

Jag behöva hjälp

Question 15

‘Have to’ (‘shall’, ‘will’, ‘must’, ‘have to’, ‘was/were going to’, ‘should’, ‘would’)

They are going to buy a house in the country

We were going to help you

When shall we come

Answer 15

Skola (ska, skulle)

De ska köpa ett hus på landet

Vi skulle hjälpa dig

När ska vi komma