Auxiliaries: Change you can believe in.

So what have we found out? We have 5 different uses of these wonderful little things called auxiliaries beyond the question and negative forms:

1. In question tags, looking for "confirmation of a guess" OR as a *suggestion* to agree
2. In the super-positive, so that we can clarify any possible future or past misunderstanding, especially making a note of the positive as *not* negative
3. In the two-word micro-question which we use to show interest, and ask for more info.  This can be very funny when used ironically- but it offends quite easily.
4. In our famous three-word short answers
5. And to avoid repeating the same long verb phrases.

In all of these, understanding and control of your intonation is essential.

So that's basically it, isn't it? I hope you *do* ask me any questions about this stuff that you may still have. Actually this reminds me of a story about CES when Obama was an English teacher here. Yes, at CES Dublin.  ("Was he?" you say, and I say "Yes, he was.")

It was just after his days at Harvard.  His family are from Ireland. . .

At the end of class one Monday in Room 5.2, he announced that they were going to study auxiliaries over the next few days.

One of the better students let out a groan and asked him why they needed to study the "5 Uses of Auxiliaries" again.  

"Because we do," he said with grin. 

To which, the student very cleverly replied "Do we?"

Barack smiled because understood the joke in the student's reply. He appreciated the humour, kept smiling and said "Yes. Yes, we do."

The same clever student then asked, "Are these '5 Uses of Auxiliaries' really THAT important for my English?"

And Barack said "Well.  For a start they are efficient, easy ways to keep the conversation flowing, and manage it without getting lost in repetition. So- yes, they are quite important.  In fact, they can really be effective for achieving near-native speech patterns.  And of course they're essential for keeping up with native conversations.  They aren't just important they are fundamental.  I really want YOU in particular to use them.  You see, they will change everything for you and you have tremendous potential as a communicator. Don't waste this opportunity here. Remember we'll all be working together.  That's what we do here.  I hope you understand."

Barack stopped speaking because he could see that the student was at a turning point.  He had changed his mind.  That student wanted to learn something now. He wanted to learn those 5 uses of the auxiliaries.  He wanted to master them.  He wanted to go home to be an English teacher himself.  But he wasn't sure if he could do it. This was his last week at CES.  He only had until Friday.  

So, he lifted up his eyes, and he stared into Barack's face. "Can we really learn everything about them in just one week?"

The proud CES teacher closed his book, picked up his coffee cup and answered "__________________!"

The End

Homework: Write a conversation using all "5 Uses of Auxiliaries" for Uppers.  Can you do it?