To be
Introduction
We use the verb "to be" with- adjectives (for example; to describe people and things)
- nouns (for example; jobs)
- locations (nouns / adverbs to say where)
For example:
| Present | Past |
| I am tired. / I'm tired. | I was tired. |
| She is a doctor. / She's a doctor. | She was a doctor. |
| They are students. / They're students. | They were students. |
| I am here. | I was here. |
| We are at the hospital. | We were at the hospital. |
Part 1 - "be" (positive)
We use:"am", "is", "are" / "'m", "'s", "'re"
or "was" / "were".
For example - present:
| I |
am
(I'm) |
happy. |
| She / He / It |
is
(She's / He's / It's) |
|
|
You
We They |
are
(You're We're They're) |
| I |
am
(I'm) |
an engineer. |
| She / He / It |
is
(She's / He's / It's) |
|
| You |
are
(You're We're They're) |
an engineer.
engineers. |
|
We
They |
engineers. |
For example - past:
|
I
She / He / It |
was | happy. |
|
You
We They |
were |
|
I
She / He / It |
was | an engineer. |
| You | were |
an engineer.
engineers. |
|
We
They |
engineers. |
Practice
Complete the sentences with the correct positive form of the verb "be".
Part 2 - "be" (negative)
To make a negative sentence use"am not", "is not", "are not" / "'m not", "isn't", "aren't"
or "wasn't" / "weren't".
For example - present:
| I |
am not
'm not |
happy. |
| She / He / It |
is not
isn't |
|
|
You
We They |
are not
aren't |
| I |
am not
'm not |
an engineer. |
| She / He / It |
is not
isn't |
|
| You |
are not
aren't |
an engineer.
engineers. |
|
We
They |
are not
aren't |
engineers. |
For example - past:
|
I
She / He / It |
was not
wasn't |
happy. |
|
You
We They |
were not
weren't |
|
I
She / He / It |
was not
wasn't |
an engineer. |
| You |
were not
weren't |
an engineer.
engineers. |
|
We
They |
engineers. |
Practice
Complete the sentences with the correct negative form of the verb "be".
Part 3 - "be" (questions)
To make questions we put"am", "is", "are" or "was", "were" before the subject.
For example - present:
| Am | I | happy? |
| Is | she / he / it | |
| Are |
you
we they |
| Am | I | an engineer? |
| Is | she / he / it | |
| Are | you |
an engineer?
engineers? |
|
we
they |
engineers? |
For example - past:
| Was |
I
she / he / it |
happy? |
| Were |
you
we they |
| Was |
I
she / he / it |
an engineer? |
| Were | you |
an engineer?
engineers? |
|
we
they |
engineers? |
Practice
Complete the questions with the correct form of the verb "be".
Further practice
Choose the correct answer to complete the sentence: a, b, c or d.- My sister ____ a famous sportswoman.
- The supermarket ____ open today.
- ____ you upset?
- ____ a dentist?
- We ____ excited about the trip.
- I ____ there.
Check my answers
Further reading
The verb "be" is also an auxiliary (helping) verb and is used to make continuous tenses:- Beginner:
- Intermediate:
- Advanced:
Please see separate worksheets for an explanation of these tenses.
Related links
The following exercises include use of this grammar structure:
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You might also be interested in:
Beginner
- Past simple
- Past continuous
- Present simple
- Present continuous (present)
- Present perfect
- 'Going to' and 'will'
- Present continuous (future)
- Imperatives
- To be
- Pronouns: subject, object
- Pronouns: relative
- Adjectives and pronouns: possessive
- Adjectives and pronouns: demonstrative
- Basic adjective word order
- WH questions (interrogative pronouns)
- Articles: a, an, the
- Prepositions: time and place
- There is/ there are and quantifiers
- Conjunctions and, or, but
- Comparatives / superlatives (than)
- Zero conditional (if)
- First conditional (if)
- Modals: can/can't, could, will, shall
- Verb patterns
- Sequence adverbs
Intermediate
- Past perfect
- Past simple vs. present perfect
- Past simple vs. past continuous
- Present perfect continuous
- Future simple
- Future continuous
- Passive
- Indirect speech
- Used to/would
- Second conditional
- Third conditional
- Relative clauses
- Reflexive pronouns
- Modals: must, have to, should, should have
- Verb patterns: gerund or infinitive
- Adverbs of degree
- Adjective order
- Adjectives: ed or ing
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