The verb be is one of the most common and versatile verbs in English. It is an irregular verb and is used to indicate existence, states of being, identity, or relationships. Here’s a simple guide to understanding and how to use it:
1. Form
The verb “be” changes depending on the tense, subject, and context:
| Tense | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Present | am (I), is (he/she/it) | are (we/you/they) |
| Past | was (I/he/she/it) | were (we/you/they) |
| Future | will be | will be |
Other forms:
- Base form: be
- Present form: – am / is / are
- Past form: was / were
- Present participle/gerund: being
- Past participle: been
2. Usage
The verb to be means to exist, occur, or show the characteristics of something. An irregular verb, it is the most common verb in English and can function as a main verb, an auxiliary verb, or a linking verb. Here are the main uses of the verb:
a) As a main verb
- To describe identity or characteristics:
- She is a teacher.
- They are very kind.
- To talk about location:
- The keys are on the table.
- He is at home.
- To describe states of being:
- I am tired.
- We were happy.
b) In the passive voice
- To show the receiver of an action:
- The book was written by Jane Austen.
- The dishes are being cleaned.
c) In continuous tenses
- To form continuous (progressive) tenses:
- She is running in the park. (Present Continuous)
- They were studying all night. (Past Continuous)
d) In conditional sentences
- To express hypothetical situations:
- If I were rich, I would travel the world.
- It’s important that he be on time. (Subjunctive mood)
3. Common Sentence Structures
a) Affirmative Statements
- Subject + “am/is/are” + complement
- He is a doctor.
- They are friends.
b) Negative Statements
- Subject + “am/is/are” + not + complement
- She is not at home.
- We weren’t ready.
c) Questions
- “Am/Is/Are or Was/Were” + subject + complement?
- Is she your sister?
- Were they happy?
4. Tips for Using
- Match the form of “be” with the subject (e.g., I am, he is, we are).
- Use contractions in informal speech:
- I am → I’m
- You are → You’re
- We are → We’re
- They are → They’re
- She is → She’s
- He is → He’s
- It is → It’s
- Practice forming sentences in all tenses to become comfortable with the different forms.
Would you like practice exercises or more examples?
My name’s Lyn. I’m from Canada. I’m 26 years old and I’m an English teacher. And this is my friend, Peter. He’s from Toronto, and he is an English teacher, too. He is 3 years younger than I am. We are good friends at the language school.
Peter Baker is from Manchester, but Paul and John are from London. Manchester and London are cities in England. Hamburg is a city in Germany. Sandra is at school today. Jack and Peter are her friends. They are in the same class. Mr and Mrs Baker are on a trip to the USA to visit their cousin Anne. She is a nice girl. Peter says, “My grandfather is in hospital. I am at home with my grandmother.” What time is it? It is 8 o’clock. Are you tired? No, I am not.
Good Morning, I am Susan Myers, I am a reporter at Central News and today I am making a report on immigrants, today´s guests are two immigrants from China, they are Jane lee, and Peter Lee, they are Students at the community college, she is 19 years old and he is 20. They are students but they are not workers. They live in an apartment downtown.
Susan: Where are you from?
Peter: We are from the Guanddong Province
Susan: Are you happy in America?
Dorothy: Yes, we are, we enjoy living here.
Susan: Dorothy, is your real name Yang Lee?
Dorothy: No, it’s not, it is Dai-xia, and it means summer.
Susan: Thank you very much.
They are two Chinese people living the American Dream, this is Susan Myers reporting from the Community College, and tomorrow we will have more guests in “living in America”, see you then!
English Verb Tenses
There are three main verb tenses: past, present, and future. In English, each of these tenses can take four main aspects: simple, perfect, continuous (also known as progressive), and perfect continuous.
Let’s start learning all about English verb tense for free. Below is the list of English verb tenses
- simple present tense
- present continuous tense
- simple past tense
- past continuous tense
- simple future tense
- future continuous tense
- future perfect tense
- future perfect continuous
- present perfect tense
- present perfect continuous tense
- past perfect tense
- past perfect continous tense
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