Verb to be - Present simple - English

The verb to be is the most important verb in English language. It is difficult to use because it is an irregular verb in almost all of its forms. In the simple present tense, to be is conjugated as follows:

To Be - Present Tense ------------------ Examples

Singular

I am
I am I am from New Zealand.
I am
you are You are French.
I am
he is He is twenty years old.
I am
she is She is a nurse.
I am
it is It is a big dog.

Plural

I am
we are We are intelligent.
I am
you are You are students.
I am
they are They are married.

In spoken English, the contracted form, which is formed with an apostrophe, is often used:

Remember that word order is very important in English: subject + verb + object.

In interrogative sentences, the verb (to be) is placed at the beginning of the sentence (closed questions):

(Am I a student?)
(Are we students?)

To form a negative sentence, simply add the adverb (not) after the verb:

I am not a student.



Affirmative Negative
Full Short Full Short
I am I'm I am not -
you are you're you are not you aren't
he is he's he is not he isn't
she is she's she is not she isn't
it is it's it is not it isn't
we are we're we are not we aren't
they are they're they are not they aren't


Basic English Grammar - TO BE verb

Funny English Class - Mind Your Language - Episode 1 - Verb To Be

Do you know how to use the verb "to be" correctly in English?
Complete the following sentences with the correct form.
The corrections with audio and images will help you improve your vocabulary while working on your pronunciation.

Exercise 1