Welcome to Lesson 6: The Verb “To Be.”
In Lesson 1, you learned that a verb is a word that shows an action or a state of being.
Now you will learn one of the most important verbs in English: the verb “to be.”
Use Google Translate if you need help.
What Is the Verb “To Be”?
The verb to be tells us about a state of being.
We use it to talk about things such as:
- who someone is
- what someone is
- how someone feels
- where someone or something is
- what something is like
Examples
I am Bob.
She is a teacher.
He is tired.
The book is on the table.
They are happy.
Present Tense of “To Be”
The verb to be changes depending on the subject.
| Subject | To Be | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I | am | I am happy. |
| you | are | You are a student. |
| he | is | He is tired. |
| she | is | She is a teacher. |
| it | is | It is cold. |
| we | are | We are ready. |
| they | are | They are students. |
Remember:
I → am
he / she / it → is
you / we / they → are
Positive Statements
A positive statement tells us that something is true or is happening.
Use:
Subject + am/is/are + more information
Examples
I am a student.
You are my friend.
He is tired.
She is a teacher.
It is cold.
We are ready.
They are at home.
Contractions
In everyday English, we often make am, is, and are shorter.
These shorter forms are called contractions.
| Full Form | Contraction |
|---|---|
| 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 |
Examples
I am happy. → I’m happy.
She is tired. → She’s tired.
We are ready. → We’re ready.
They are students. → They’re students.
Both forms are correct.
Negative Statements
To make a negative statement with to be, add not.
Subject + am/is/are + not + more information
Examples
I am not tired.
He is not a teacher.
She is not at home.
We are not late.
They are not ready.
We can also use contractions:
is not → isn’t
are not → aren’t
Examples
He isn’t tired.
We aren’t late.
They aren’t at home.
Questions with “To Be”
To make a question, put am, is, or are before the subject.
Statement
She is a teacher.
Question
Is she a teacher?
More Examples
You are ready. → Are you ready?
He is tired. → Is he tired?
They are students. → Are they students?
Short Answers
We often answer to be questions with short answers.
| Question | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| Are you ready? | Yes, I am. | No, I’m not. |
| Is he tired? | Yes, he is. | No, he isn’t. |
| Is she a teacher? | Yes, she is. | No, she isn’t. |
| Are they students? | Yes, they are. | No, they aren’t. |
Practice
Choose am, is, or are.
- I ______ a student.
- She ______ happy.
- They ______ at home.
- He ______ my teacher.
- We ______ ready.
- It ______ cold.
- You ______ my friend.
- The students ______ in class.
Now change these statements into questions.
- She is tired.
- They are ready.
- He is a teacher.
- You are happy.
Remember
The present tense forms of to be are:
am – is – are
Use:
- I → am
- he / she / it → is
- you / we / they → are
The verb to be can be used in:
Positive: She is happy.
Negative: She is not happy.
Question: Is she happy?
Goal
After completing this lesson, you should be able to:
- Recognize the present tense forms of to be.
- Choose am, is, or are for the correct subject.
- Make positive statements.
- Make negative statements.
- Ask questions using to be.
- Use common contractions.
- Give short answers to simple questions.
Great Job!
Continue practicing with the ETKB Foundation 0B Free Practice Pack #6 – The Verb “To Be.”
Next Lesson
Foundation 0B – Lesson 7 – The Verb “To Have”