The verb 'to be' (present)
A1 3 / 50
In short
Be is the most common verb in English. In the present it has three forms - am, is, are - and you choose the form by the subject.
The rule
Be links a subject to information about it: who or what it is, how it feels, where it is, its age, job, price, or the weather.
It has three present forms:
| Subject | Form |
|---|---|
| I | am |
| he / she / it | is |
| you / we / they | are |
In everyday speech and writing we usually use contractions (the short forms): I’m, you’re, he’s.
To make a negative, add not after the verb: I am not, he is not, we are not. There are two short forms for is not and are not - isn’t / ‘s not and aren’t / ‘re not. (But I am not has only one contraction: I’m not.)
To make a yes/no question, put the verb before the subject (this is called inversion): Am I…? Is she…? Are you…?
Forms & patterns
Positive (full and short):
| Full | Short |
|---|---|
| I am | I’m |
| you are | you’re |
| he is | he’s |
| she is | she’s |
| it is | it’s |
| we are | we’re |
| they are | they’re |
Negative (two short forms for is/are):
| Full | Short 1 | Short 2 |
|---|---|---|
| I am not | I’m not | (no other form) |
| you are not | you aren’t | you’re not |
| he is not | he isn’t | he’s not |
| she is not | she isn’t | she’s not |
| it is not | it isn’t | it’s not |
| we are not | we aren’t | we’re not |
| they are not | they aren’t | they’re not |
Questions and short answers:
| Question | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| Am I late? | Yes, you are. | No, you aren’t. |
| Is he a doctor? | Yes, he is. | No, he isn’t. |
| Is it cold? | Yes, it is. | No, it isn’t. |
| Are you ready? | Yes, I am. | No, I’m not. |
| Are they here? | Yes, they are. | No, they aren’t. |
In short answers, don’t contract a positive answer: say Yes, I am. - never Yes, I’m.
Examples
| English | Note |
|---|---|
| I’m a teacher. | Identity / job - I am, contracted. |
| She is from Brazil. | Nationality / origin - is with she. |
| We are very happy today. | Feeling - are with we. |
| My brother is ten years old. | Age - English uses be, not have. |
| It’s cold this morning. | Weather - it is, contracted. |
| The tickets aren’t expensive. | Negative price - are not, short form. |
| Are you tired? | Yes/no question by inversion. |
| I’m hungry, but I’m not thirsty. | Fixed be expressions for feelings/states. |
Common mistakes
- I am teacher -> I am a teacher - jobs need a/an (see articles).
- He are tall -> He is tall - he/she/it always takes is.
- I no am ready -> I ‘m not ready - put not after the verb, no don’t.
- Yes, I’m. -> Yes, I am. - never use a contraction in a short positive answer.
- I have 30 years -> I am 30 (years old) - use be for age, not have.
Tips
- Memorise the three pairs as a chant: I am, he is, you are - everything else follows.
- For feelings and states, English says be: I’m hungry / cold / afraid / right - even where your language might use have.
- He’s can mean he is (here) or he has (other lessons). At A1, with descriptions, it means he is.
- Use a question to check, then answer short: Are you OK? - Yes, I am.