Introduction

These three verbs live a double life. They can be auxiliary verbs used to form questions, negatives, emphatic forms, perfect and progressive tenses, and passives. Be can also be a linking verb, and have and do can be ordinary full verbs. For this reason, each of them can appear twice in a single phrase.

• I am being served.
• Have you had an invitation?
• What do you do?

There are some grammatical complications, particularly as regards have. For details, see the following entries.

Do you know what’s wrong with these, and why?

I was being depressed when you phoned. (see here)

I don’t often be sick. (see here)

A hole is in my sleeve. (see here)

It is a lot of noise in the street. (see here)

I don’t know how many people there is in the waiting room. (see here)

There was swimming a girl in the lake. (see here)

There seems to be some problems. (see here)

There was the door open. (see here)

Do you have heard the news? (see here)

I’m not having seen her anywhere. (see here)

Had you a good trip? (see here)

I’ve lunch at 12.30 most days. (see here)

She is having three brothers. (see here)

Do you have got a headache? (see here)

‘Have you got a pen?’ ’Sorry, I haven’t got.’(see here)

I had got a cold last week. (see here)

You have right. (see here)

She has nearly thirty. (see here)

It’s 37 kilos heavy. (see here)

Like you football? (see here)

Do you can play football? (see here)

I like not football. (see here)

I haven’t got time to get the tickets. Who’s going to do so? (see here)

I like the saxophone, and I have always done it. (see here)