Be in different forms. Be Inspired: all about the verb to be

To be or not to be? That is not the question... The sea deity Proteus among the ancient Greeks could (like the sea) take any form. Why are we?

To the fact that the verb "to be" is known in the world not only as the most vital and always relevant, but also as the most changeable (protean) in English language, constantly changing and taking on different forms, sometimes not so noticeable to us.

Considering that it's used so often in English speech, it's rather unfortunate that "to be" has to be the most volatile and slippery verb in the language. Let's get to know him better. C "mon!

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What is the verb to be and why is it needed

The verb To Be (am, is, are) is the basis of English grammar. If you misunderstood or under-learned this material, then your entire study of English is likely to be of little success. Therefore, if you feel that somewhere there is a gap in this material, then it is better to stay longer on this article.

It is this verb that underlies the construction of approximately 30 percent of all English grammatical structures, and it is with it that you should start studying English grammar.

For example, to say “I am a student”, we must insert the correct form of the linking verb “to be” and the sentence will take on the meaning “I am a student." - "I (am) a student."

We must carefully choose the correct form of the verb for the object, depending on whether it is singular or plural. This is usually easy. After all, we wouldn’t write: “The troops were moving to the border” - “The troops were moving to the border.” Well, where does it fit?

However, some proposals require closer attention. How would you write, for example:

The majority of Facebook users are (or is?) upset about the increase in spam.
Most Facebook users are frustrated by the increase in spam.

In fact, in this sentence, everything depends on your accent - if it is focused on users- put " are", if on group of people— « is».

Plural or singular depends on your choice. If you are at a loss on what exactly to focus on, then choose what sounds best to you. It is unlikely that your chosen form of "to be" will upset someone.

By the way, "majority" is only used with countable nouns: "he ate the majority of cookies", but not "he ate the majority of the pie". instead say: "he ate most of the pie."

Translation into Russian of the verb To Be

“To be” is translated as “to be”, “to be”, “to exist”, “to be” or not translated at all, and can be in Present (am, is, are), Past (was, were) and Future (will ( be)/shall (be)) times. The form of the verb depends on who is performing the action.

Unlike the Russian language, in English the linking verb is never omitted, due to the strictly fixed word order:

Rule To Be: subject ( subject) + predicate ( verb) + complement ( object).

• As independent verb(to be, to be, to exist or not translated):

I am at home.
I'm at home.
She was at the Institute yesterday.
She was at the institute yesterday.
Not is in New York.
He (is) in New York.

• IN interrogative form of the verb "to be" is put front subject and does not require an auxiliary verb to form an interrogative or negative form. The same thing happens in the continuative (durative) form of the verb (Continuous).

Is he in New York?
Is he (is) in New York?
was she at the Institute yesterday?
Was she at the institute yesterday?

• negative form is formed by negating " not", which is set after the verb "to be".

She was not (wasn't) at the Institute yesterday.
She was not at the institute yesterday.
Not is not (isn't) in New York.
He is not (located) in New York.

In colloquial speech, "not" usually merges with "to be", forming abbreviations:

is not = isn't
are not = aren't

The verb "to be" is also shortened from personal pronoun:

I am = I "m
We are = we're
He is = he's

• As auxiliary verb.

Used to form verb forms of continuous tenses ( continuous) and continuous perfect tenses ( Perfect continuous).

They are reading a book.
They are reading a book.
He is sleeping now.
He is sleeping now.
We have been working here for 10 years.
We've been here for (already) 10 years.

Auxiliary Verbs, By the way , can also be combined with the basic "to be" form to form simple answers:

Is Jack in class this morning?
Well, he might be.
Is anyone helping Jack with his homework?
I "m not sure. Jane could be.

Also "to be" is used to form the passive voice ( passive Voice):

Active: Didn't buy a new magazine.
He bought a new magazine.
passive: A new magazine was bought.
Bought a new magazine.

• As verb-bundles(to be, to be).

I am a doctor.
I am a doctor.
Not is a doctor.
He is a doctor.
Her new hat is red. Her new hat is red.

• In the design " there is/there are"(to be, to be).

There is a table in the room.
There is a table in the room.

In this proposal " there' is the formal subject. The real subject is the noun that follows the verb "be" (is), i.e. "table".

If this subject is in plural, then the verb "to be" must also be in the plural.

There are tables in the room.
There are tables in the room.

At time change the form of the verb changes to be»:

There was a table in the room.
There was a table in the room.
There were tables in the room.
There were tables in the room.

The translation of sentences with the construction "there is / there are" begins with the translation circumstances places.

negative the form:

There is no table in the room. (There isn't a table...).
In the room there is no (no) table.
There is no water in the bottle. (There isn't any water in the bottle.)
In the bottle no water.

Interrogative form:

Is there a man in the house?
In the House have a man?
Are there(any) apples in the greengrocers?
In vegetable store have apples?

• "To be" often works in conjunction with others verbs:

He is playing the piano
She will be arriving this afternoon.

• And sometimes "to be" will stand myself on yourself. Especially in simple answers to equally simple questions:

Who's going to the movies with me tonight?
I am.
Who's responsible for this mess?
She is.

present:
I am to (not to) / We are to (not to) / You are to (not to);
He/she/it is to (not to) / They are to (not to).

Past:
I was to (not to) / We were to (not to) / You were to (not to) You were to (not to);
He/she/it was to (not to) / They were to (not to).

• to be ( present) is used only from Indefinite Infinitive(indefinite infinitive).

They are to be here.
They must be here.

• "to be" ( Past) is used with Indefinite Infinitive(indefinite infinitive) and with Perfect Infinitive(perfect infinitive), which means that the action is not performed:

She was(suggested) to be in the cinema.
She should have been in the movies.

• The modal verb "to be" can be used to express duties, which is based on previous agreements (plan, schedule etc.)

We are to go to the cinema.
We must go to the cinema.

• We also use this modal verb to express orders or instructions:

You are to go to school.
You need to go to school.

• We use "to be" if something categorically forbidden in negative form.

Children are not allowed drink alcohol.
Children are not allowed to drink alcohol.

• "To be" is used for the imperative advice or wishes:

You are to drive straight.
Drive straight ahead.

• "To be", in the passive voice (built with the infinitive "to be") and Past Participle— 3 irregular verb form or adding the ending "- ed» to the correct one), describes possibility:

She was not to be heard.
It was impossible to hear her.

You were to be heard very good at the concert.
You were very well heard at the concert.

Conclusion

We have covered all the major important nuances this tricky verb. For the last time, we draw your attention to the fact that when you say a phrase and doubt whether it is necessary to put the verb be there, you can always check yourself by asking questions to the sentence: am who / what, is where, is what?

If in translation the words “is, is, is” give the sentence a logical meaning, then in English such a sentence will be correct.

We hope this article helped you deal with the verb to be, which is simple at first glance. Cheers!

Big and friendly family EnglishDom

rule am, is, are for children becomes one of the first difficulties in learning English grammar. In fact, there is nothing difficult in this rule. The main thing is to learn the theory and practice in practice.

English verb to be

Of course, in English the verb to be(to be, to be) is the most basic and most important. It is used much more often than other verbs. There are 3 forms of the verb to

I	am
He	is
She	is
It	is
We	are
They	are
You	are

Remembering the rule is not difficult. In order to fully master the rule am, is, are, for children there is a special algorithm. First you need to learn all the pronouns ( I- I, he- is he, she- she, it- this, we- we, they- they, you- you, you). Then you need to learn all forms of the verb to be, as well as lexical meanings. Only after that it will be easy for the child to remember which form refers to which pronoun.

Verb to be required in English to communicate your name, where you are from, your profession, etc.

After the child has learned all the language and verb forms to be, you can begin to study the short form of this verb, negative, as well as short negative. To study this rule, you must study and learn this table.

Regular Form (Long Form)	Short Form	Negative Form	Short Negative Form
I am a doctor	I'm a doctor	I am not a doctor	I'm not a doctor
He is a doctor	He's a doctor	He is not a doctor	He isn't a doctor
It is a cat	It's a cat	It is not a cat	It isn't a cat
We are tourists	We're tourists	We are not tourists	We aren't tourists
You are a singer	You're a singer	You are not a singer	You aren't a singer
She is from Spain	She's from Spain	She is not from Spain	She isn't from Spain

It should be borne in mind that in one day it is impossible to learn both full, and short, and negative forms. am, is, are. must be selected according to the level of study. If you have just begun to study and consolidate this rule, allow the child to do the exercises using a notebook or textbook with a written rule. When you see that the child does not make mistakes in the exercises, close all aids and let the child cope on his own.

It is not necessary to study all the subtleties of verb forms on the first day to be. The rule must be remembered for the rest of your life, which means that every moment must be given special attention.

Usage examples for the verb to be

Verb to be used:

• When to introduce yourself to a stranger:

I am Ivan (my name is Ivan).

His name is John (his name is John).

• To report your location:

I am in London (I am in London).

He is in Moscow (he is in Moscow).

We are in the park (we are in the park).

• To name someone's nationality:

I am Russian (I am Russian).

She is American (she is American).

• To name your profession or talk about a hobby

He is a doctor (he works as a doctor / he is a doctor).

I am a tourist (I am a tourist).

We are teachers (we are teachers / We work as teachers).

Verb to be is very widely used in English. Throughout the study of this foreign language, the verb to be will accompany your child all the time. That is why the rule am, is, are for children is so important, it must be remembered once and for all.

Exercises to consolidate the study of the verb to be

Consolidation of the study of the verb to be (am, is, are)- exercises for children. English must be constantly consolidated in practice. To do this, it will help live communication and grammar exercises.

Exercise number 1.

Task: Insert the required form of the verb to be into the pass.

1. I_a teacher.

2. He _ a tourist.

3. My name is Roma.

4. Kate_ a doctor.

5. They_actors.

Right answers: am, is, is, is, are.

Exercise number 2.

Task: Translate into English, use short form verb to be.

1. He is from Spain.

2. She works as a singer.

3. We are not in France.

4. My name is Alina.

5. She is not a tourist.

6. My father works as a driver.

7. They don't live in Australia.

8. My mother does not work as a doctor.

9. I don't work as a teacher.

10. We live in Russia.

1. He's from Spain.

2. She's a singer.

3. We aren't in France.

4. I "m Alina / My name" s Alina.

5. She isn't a tourist.

6. My father's a driver.

7. They aren't live in Australia.

8. My mother isn't a doctor.

9. I "m not a teacher.

10. We "re live in Russia.

Exercise number 3.

Task: Choose am, is or are.

1. I_very friendly.

2. My mother_very busy.

3. My friends are very funny.

4. My teachers are very kind.

5.I_American.

6. He_ from Italy.

7. I _ not very good pupil.

Answers: am, is, are, are, am, is, am.

You need to constantly train to remember the use of forms am, is, are. Exercises for children help to understand all the intricacies of using these forms.

When it comes to learning any language and breaking down the language barrier, polyglots always highlight knowledge of verbs. And it’s true: knowing the verbs and being able to use them in various forms, it is enough just to “string” other words on them and you will already have whole sentences. In this scenario, it is not surprising that most of the standard vocabulary a native speaker of Russian, English, Chinese, and another arbitrarily chosen language is precisely this part of speech. But wait, this does not mean that you should immediately start randomly memorizing any verbs that catch your eye. If this will be of any use, it will be very small. Instead, it is better to analyze in detail those English verbs which are often and actively used in speech. This is exactly what we will do by studying the verb to be in English.

The verb to be, which is equivalent to the Russian “to be”, “to be”, “to be”, is one of the most universal and most used verbs in the English language. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that, unlike other representatives of this part, the verb to be is conjugated, changing in persons and numbers.

In addition, to be can be used as a semantic verb or help with another verb, acting as an auxiliary. But let's talk about everything in order.

The verb to be refers to irregular verbs, so it has 3 forms. These forms are formed independently, without being explained by the rules, so they just need to be memorized:

Infinitive (Infinitive)	past simple (Simple past time)	Past Participle (Past participle)
to be	was / were	been

Lena is going to learn how to form verbs in Present Perfect tomorrow.	Tomorrow Lena is going to learn how to form verbs in the Present Perfect.
He is going to speak five languages.	He is going to speak five languages.
My family is going to London.	My family is going to London.
I was going to tell him but she didn't allow me.	I was going to tell him, but she wouldn't let me.
George is going to make this operation in December.	George is going to have this operation in December.
We are going to buy some products.	We are going to buy groceries.
The students are going to do this whole list of exercises.	The students are going to do the whole list of exercises.

• there is / are / (there is / exists);

1. The use of the verb is also possible as a modal verb in the meaning of “should”, “agreed”, “agreed” when it comes to obligations, orders, schedules and plans, the inevitability of events. In this case, the particle to is added to the verb:

1. And also when using the verb to be in English in the following constructions:

to be good at (well understand)	We are good at this English grammar rule.	We have a good command of this rule of English grammar.
to be aware of (be aware)	We're aware of all possible risks.	We are aware of all possible risks.
to be late (be late)	My co-worker was late for work because of the traffic jam.	My colleague was late for work because of a traffic jam.
to be fond of	I'm fond of nature.	I love nature.
to be interested in (to be interested)	They are interested in helping people.	They are interested in helping people.
to be sorry about (to regret something)	I'm sorry about what happened.	I'm sorry about what happened.
to be sorry for (pity someone)	We are so sorry for your son.	We are very sorry for your son.
to be hungry (be hungry)	I am so hungry! I haven't eaten since morning.	I'm so hungry! I haven't eaten since morning.
to be thirsty (to be thirsty)	After the marathon everyone was thirsty.	After the marathon, everyone was thirsty.
be about to (going to)	Boris is about to start learning German and French languages.	Boris is going to start learning German and French.

1. Frequent uses of the verb are also associated with idioms. Here are some of them:

be up to someone (depends on someone)	We can either win or lose. It's up to you!	We either win or we lose. Everything depends on you!
be a man (be a man)	Stop crying. Be a man!	Stop crying. Be a man!
be in love with (be in love with)	I should admit that I'm in love with her! She is gorgeous!	I must admit that I'm in love with her! She is gorgeous!
be as stubborn as a mule (analogue in Russian: stubborn as a donkey)	We can't work together because he doesn't want to listen to me. I say his approach is wrong but he is as stubborn as a mule.	We can't work together because he doesn't want to listen to me. I say that he has the wrong approach, but he is stubborn as a donkey.
be (a bit) on the expensive side (expensive / expensive)	That service is a bit on the expensive side. Maybe we try to fix it ourselves, huh?	This service is expensive. Maybe we can try to fix it ourselves, huh?
be on cloud nine (to be very happy)	I am on cloud nine! She said yes to me! Can you believe it?	I am extremely happy! She told me yes! Can you believe it?

As you can see, the verb to be is very popular and diverse, so you can use it in any situation with almost any tense. Having dealt with the conjugations of this verb and its role in the sentence, you should have no difficulty in using it. Dedicate some time English exercises on this topic to consolidate the material, make up your own examples and, most importantly, practice the language with native speakers. Because in no other exercise you will find as much benefit as you can get from people who use this language on a daily basis and can help you with any language barriers.

Verb to be(to be, to be) is, without exaggeration, the main element of English grammar, the key to it. In this article, we will analyze its meaning and usage.

Why do we need the verb to be

Verb to be (to be) – the main hinge in the mechanism of English grammar, it often plays a role in combinations like "A is B", such combinations are found everywhere in any language. For example:

I am human.

My neighbor is a cook.

The dog is a pet.

As you can see, in Russian we do not insert the verb "to be" or "to be" (in the present tense), but it is implied:

I eat human.

My neighbour is an cook.

Dog is an pets.

However, in Russian we insert "to be" in the past and future tenses:

House was cozy.

Celebration will chic.

By the way, in the old days there was a form of the verb "to be" and for the present tense, remember the famous "Az am king" - "I am the king."

Linking verb in English to be used in the present, past and future tenses.

To be is the only verb that changes according to faces.

The verb to be changes in a completely atypical way for English. In English, verbs do not change by person (with the exception of the 3rd person singular form, which is formed in the same way for all verbs, adding -s at the end). The verb to be is the only one that has special forms in different persons and numbers. Fortunately, these forms are few.

All times to be

Let's analyze the verb to be in the present, past and future tenses.

Verb to be in present tense

In the present tense, to be is used in 3 forms: am, is, are.

Note: some forms are abbreviated in colloquial speech, for example: I am - I'm. Abbreviations are given in brackets.

I am a doctor - I am a doctor,

We are colleagues - we are colleagues,

You are my friend - you are my friend,

He (She) is the president - he (she) is the president,

It is your job is your job

They are our children - they are our children.

Most of the table was occupied by "are" - easy to remember.

Verb to be in past tense

The past tense is even easier to remember, there are only 2 forms: was- singular, were- plural (you - is considered plural in terms of grammar, even when it is in the meaning of the singular). Abbreviations are not used in the past tense.

I was your teacher - I was your teacher,

We were soldiers - we were soldiers,

You were my classmate - you were my classmate,

She was your nanny - she was your nanny,

They were friends - they were friends.

Verb to be in future tense

In the future tense still simpler - an auxiliary verb + a single form of "be". "Will" itself does not translate in any way, it serves as an indicator of the future tense.

I will be patient - I will be patient.

You will be happy - you will be happy.

Mark will be busy tomorrow - Mark will be busy tomorrow.

Negative and interrogative form with to be

Negatives with to be are built according to a simple pattern, in the present and past tense after to be put a negative particle not, in future not placed between will And be (will not be).

In a negative form, you can also abbreviate, for example: I'm not ..., we're not.

Note: negations with are, you, can be abbreviated in two ways:

1. You are not = you're not; we are not = we're not,
2. You are not = you aren't, we are not = we aren't.

Both methods are equivalent in meaning, both are used in oral speech(not typical for written abbreviations), but the first one is usually used, because it is easier to pronounce and it is more understandable for the interlocutor, in it not sounds clearer.

	Singular	Plural
	present tense
1 person	I am not	We are not
2 person	You are not	You are not
3 person	He (she, it) is not	They are not
	Past tense
1 person	I was not	We were not
2 person	You were not	You were not
3 person	He (she, it) was not	They were not
	Future
1 person	I will not be	We will not be
2 person	You will not be	You will not be
3 person	He (she, it) will not be	They will not be

To form an interrogative form, rearrange to b e at the beginning of a phrase (don't forget the question intonation and the question mark).

	Singular	Plural
	present tense
1 person	Am I...?	Are we..?
2 person	Are you..?	Are you..?
3 person	Is he (she, it) ..?	Are they..?
	Past tense
1 person	was I..?	Were we..?
2 person	Were you..?	Were you..?
3 person	was he (she, it) ..?	Were they..?
	Future
1 person	Will I be ..?	Will we be ..?
2 person	Will you be ..?	Will you be ..?
3 person	Will he (she, it) be ..?	Will they be ..?

How to learn the conjugation of the verb to be forever

The verb to be is the main hinge in the mechanisms of English grammar. This is the most common word in the English language (not counting "the", which is difficult to call a separate word). Getting ahead in grammar without knowing to be is like learning math without knowing the multiplication table well. It is necessary not only to learn it, but to bring the use to automatism, so that you do not think about which form to choose am or are, was or were.

Here's how you can do it:

1. Conjugate all three tables in your mind to remember them well.

Start with the present tense - the most difficult (although there are only 3 forms). Conjugate aloud in order: I am, you are, he is, we are, you are, they are. In order not to get confused in faces, point your finger at yourself, at an imaginary interlocutor (you can put a cat next to you), at “them”, at “us”, and so on. Do the same with the past tense and the future. With the future, I'm sure you can handle it on the first try - there is only one form.

2. Make up short phrases with the verb to be and practice with them.

Make up different phrases for all persons, numbers, tenses. Make cards with these phrases and learn them not only in order, but also randomly - mixing tenses, faces, numbers. Your task is to see a phrase in Russian and immediately remember it in English. “Right away” means instantly, without hesitation. To do this, run cards with a stopwatch, trying to set a speed record.

3. Learn to be in affirmative, negative and interrogative forms.

When you remember the affirmative form well, go through the negative and interrogative forms. You shouldn't have any problems building these forms.

4. Exercise regularly until it "bounces off the teeth."

Even if you learn the forms of the verb to be perfectly, they need to be repeated, otherwise they will be forgotten. Repeat the exercise with cards from time to time, checking if the words have been forgotten, conjugate to be in your mind when you have a minute. Repetition is the key to strong memory. If you devote only 10-15 minutes a day to repetition, then in a week you will remember very well. Studying further (and generally using English), you will use this “hinge” very often, so you won’t be able to forget it.

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The main forms of the verb to be in English: be-was/were-been.

Abbreviated forms

Abbreviated forms of the verb to be are used in affirmative And negative forms of the present simple / indefinite time Simple Present / Present Indefinite and in the formation of the present continuous Present Continuous, as well as in the negative form of the past simple / indefinite time Simple Past / Past Indefinite and in the formation of the past continuous tense Past Continuous.

I am (I'm), you are (you're), he is, (he's), she is (she's), it is (it's), we are (we're), you are (you're) , they are (they're)

Negative forms in Simple Present And Present Continuous have two abbreviations. In the first case, the verb to be merges with a negative particle not, the letter o drops out and an apostrophe is put in its place: he isn't, you aren't, they aren't working.

In the second, the verb to be is shortened and, merging with a pronoun or noun, is separated from the latter by an apostrophe: he's not, you're not (working). The second case (you're not, they're not) is typical for American English.

present tense: I am not (I'm not), you are not (you're not), he is not (he's not), she is not (she's not), it is not (it's not), we are not (we 're not), they are not (they're not)
past tense: I/he/she/it was not (I/he/she/it wasn't) , you/we/they were not (you/we/they weren't)

Use

Verb to be used:

• 1. As an independent verb. translated to be, be, exist or not translated.

I am at home. I'm at home.
She was at the Institute yesterday. She was at the institute yesterday.
Not is in Moscow. He (is) in Moscow.

The interrogative and negative forms of the verb to be are formed without an auxiliary verb.

In the interrogative form, the verb to be is placed before the subject.

Is he in Moscow? Is he (is) in Moscow?
was she at the Institute yesterday? Was she at the institute yesterday?

The negative form is formed by negating not, which is placed after the verb to be.

She was not (wasnt) at the Institute yesterday. She was not at the institute yesterday.
Not is not (isn't) in Moscow. He is not (is) in Moscow.

• 2. As an auxiliary verb:

a) for the formation of verb forms of continuous tenses (Continuous) and continued perfect tenses (Perfect Continuous).

They are reading a book. They are reading a book.
He is sleeping now. He is sleeping now.
We have been working here for 10 years. We've been here for (already) 10 years.

Real pledge: Not bought a new magazine. He bought a new magazine.
Strahd. pledge: A new magazine was bought. Bought a new magazine.

• 3. As a linking verb (to be, to be).

I am a full-time student. I am a day student.
Not is a first-year student. He is a freshman student.
Her new raincoat is red. Her new cape is red.

4. In (to be, to be).

There is a table in the room. There is a table in the room.

In this sentence there is the formal subject. The real subject is the noun that follows the verb be (is), that is, table. If this subject is plural, then the verb to be must also be plural.

There are tables in the room. There are tables in the room.

When the tense changes, the form of the verb to be changes.