The Verb "To be"
To be is the most common verb in the English language, but it doesn't always look like "be", it changes - a lot.
Singular = 1 | Plural = 1+ | ||
---|---|---|---|
I | am | You | are |
You | are | We | are |
He/she/it | is | They | are |
Uses
To be can be used as an auxiliary or a main verb.
Am/Is/Are
Question ? |
Positive Statement + |
Negative Statement - |
|||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular |
Written Form or spoken for emphasis |
Contracted |
Written Form or spoken for emphasis |
Contracted |
|
Plural |
|||||
Examples
The verbs am / is / are are used with:-
Am/Are | Is | |
---|---|---|
a noun group | Are you an English teacher? | Mr Bean is an English teacher. |
an adjective | I'm tired. | She's English. |
an expression of place or time | They're at home. | It's nine o'clock. |
an expression of age | I'm 44. | He's two years old. |
when forming the present continuous tense | We're learning English. | She's teaching English. |
Am/Are | Is | |
---|---|---|
Question - ? | "Am I disturbing you?" | "Is this your coat?" |
Positive Answer + Yes | "Yes you are. We're very busy." | "Yes, it is" |
Negative Answer - No | "No you're not. We aren't very busy." | "No, it isn't" |
The Learn English Grammar Page - Verbs
Want to know more about the use of verbs? Read our recommended grammar books section.