The choice of the form of the verb to be (am, is or are) in English depends from person and number the noun or pronoun after which it is used.
Examples of
- My brother is a hairdresser - My brother is a hairdresser. (My brother is a noun in 3rd person, singular)
- I am from Moscow - I am from Moscow. (I - pronoun in 1st person, singular)
- You are very tall - You are very tall. (You is a pronoun in the 2nd person, singular)
- Maggy and Ryan are my neighbors - Maggie and Ryan are my neighbors. (Maggy and Ryan - plural, 3rd person)
- Lucy is 21 years old - Lucy is 21 years old. (Lucy is a proper noun, corresponds to the pronoun in the 3rd person, singular)
- Your pen is on the table - Your pen is on the table. (Your pen - 3rd person singular noun)
1. The use of am / is / are in Present Simple as a linking verb
Am / is / are used in Present Simple as linking verb. It connects the subject with the following noun or adjective and is part of the compound predicate. In such sentences, the linking verb is usually not translated into Russian.
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Affirmative sentences |
Negative sentences |
Interrogative sentences |
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am / is / are + Subject |
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2. Using am / is / are in Present Continuous as an auxiliary verb
Am / is / are is used as auxiliary verb with the formation of Present Continuous Tense. All uses of Present Continuous
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Affirmative sentences |
Negative sentences |
Interrogative sentences |
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Subject + am / is / are + Present Participle * |
Subject + am / is / are + |
am / is / are + subject + |
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* Present Participle = infinitive without to with ending -ing
3. The use of am / is / are in the passive voice
When the subject is a person (or object) being acted upon by another person (object), the verb is used in the form passive voice.
Since this article is about the use of only am / is / are forms of the verb to be, then we will touch upon only those cases of the formation of the passive voice in which this form is required, namely Present Simple Passive and Present Continuous Passive.
Education Present Simple Passive (Present Simple in the passive voice)
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Affirmative sentences |
Negative sentences |
Interrogative sentences |
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am / is / are + Past Participle |
am / is / are + not + Past Participle |
am / is / are + Subject + Past Participle |
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Present Continuous Passive education (Present Continuous in passive voice)
Am / is / are is used to form sentences in Present Continuous Passive.
Traditional complexity, to which many parents and novice teachers doom themselves and their children, is the study all three forms of the present tense verb in relation to pronouns, in other words, it is often explained to the child which pronouns this or that form of the verb is suitable for:
I - am
you - are
he, she,it - is
we - are
you - are
they - are
However, this path is similar to the requirement to learn the text of a physical formula in order to understand the physical law.
Of course, it's great if the child knows the words themselves and their translation, but we expect from him not only the reproduction of this list, but the ability to operate with it. The illusion arises that we are equipping the child with a scheme that will help him to use the verb forms correctly. When we require a child to learn the correspondence of verbs to pronouns, we assume that the child systematizes this knowledge so that it can be easily applied in the construction of sentences.
But is the kid able to understand that this is not just a list, but a formula, is he able to understand the laws on his own? English grammar?
In this case, the child faces quite serious tasks:
- Learn pronouns (the words themselves and their translation);
- Learn the forms of the verb;
- Learn the correspondence of verbs to pronouns;
- Understand on your own that the form “is” is suitable for the singular pronouns, except (for some reason) “I”; the form “are” is suitable for plural pronouns, including (for some reason) for those cases when in Russian we say “you”;
- To independently understand that, it turns out, when constructing sentences, you do not need to be guided by a pronoun at all - it may not be there at all! Subjects in sentences need relate with pronouns, and only then pick up the verb.
As you can imagine, only older children can do this. To clearly and systematically imagine this information, the child must perform many exercises, make mistakes many times, shrug their shoulders many times, feel uncertainty many times, and only a few times feel confirmation of their vague guesses.
It is clear to an adult that “he” means any person or any male animal singular, that both “they” and “we” from the point of view of English grammar (as applied to the present tense) are one and the same; that there are no differences between "you" and "you", but for a child these are complex tasks for abstract thinking, which he still has very fragile. It is not at all obvious to him that in some cases the “number” is important, and everything else is unimportant (“we are, they are”); and in other cases both the person and the number are important (“we are, I am”) ... Therefore, pronouns when studying the forms of the present tense verb are bad helpers. They can only be attracted very carefully.
In addition, learning a whole list of forms at the same time is extremely difficult for children. It is difficult for them even to learn English colors: they remember the words-names of colors easily, but what these words mean can be confused for a very long time. What is there to want from grammatical forms that are not yet completely "superimposed" on Russian!
Meanwhile, the child needs not only to understand, but also to remember the forms.
It is much easier for a child to perceive and remember information if it is necessary to assimilate simple facts or simple oppositions, that is, pairs: not to memorize the complex condition of using a number of forms at once, but to understand the logic of using two opposed forms ("is-are", "I am - you are "); these facts and oppositions can be gradually combined into a complex system. Of course, after the child becomes familiar with all the forms and pronouns, you need to show them as a whole, in the form of a table or diagram, so that they exist in the form of a closed system of rules, and not as scattered and torn facts.
In addition, the child must be protected from explaining the unknown through the unknown. The child will easily master everything new if it falls on the obvious.
In the case of the forms of the verb “to be”, it is productive to divide the information into “chunks” and help the child understand the logic of using the forms. The idea itself, in parallel with mastering the verb forms, to learn pronouns is quite logical, however, the sequence of classes can be built in such a way that the information comes "in portions" and the facts do not interfere with each other naturally "fit".
Pronouns with this technique are also studied painlessly: when they do not "do" all at once, but one at a time or in pairs, they do not mix with each other and are memorized faster.
Is / are
The first opposition that suggests itself is the opposition between the plural and singular of the third person, that is, the forms “is” and “are”.
The baby is already familiar with the “is” form. Now you can contrast it with the “are” form. Of course, this requires that the child is aware of the plural of the noun.
So that the differences between the forms of the verb do not look conventional for the child, you can first draw a parallel with the Russian language (as when explaining what “is” is) and show the need to use different forms. The dialogue can be, for example, this:
- Tell the cat to be black.
- The cat will be black.
- Now tell them that the cats will be black.
- The cats will be black.
- Can you say "Cats will be black"?
- No.
- You see, when there is one cat, we say "will be", and when there are many cats, we say in a different way, "will." And the English change words when they speak about what is now or has already been. When they say that one cat is black, they say “is”: “A cat is black”. And when they talk about several cats, they say a completely different word.
- (Which?)
- Are. Cats are black. You can't say “Cats is black”, it's the same as saying “Cats is black”.
Then you can move on to examples and exercises. Before asking the child to construct sentences, I usually show him a lot of pictures and ask each time to say which word, “is” or “are,” “fits” each of them (there are two kittens in the photo, the child says “are” , there is one rooster in the photo, the child says “is”). He memorizes words, and gets used to the principle of their use, and exercises in choosing one of them.
This exercise is good in that it sets a minimum of tasks for the baby and concentrates it only on choosing a verb: he does not need to remember others English words, neither read in English nor make sentences, he just looks at the pictures and says one word out of two.
If he copes with this task easily, you can proceed to the exercise, the principle of which is the same - choose the right word from two - but the "singularity" or "plurality" of objects must already be determined not by pictures, but by the form of words. You say English words (first those that he knows well, and then those that he does not know), and the child says “is” or “are” after each word:
- An elephant ...
- Is.
- Crocodiles ...
- Are.
- A site ...
- Is.
Words unfamiliar to the child are needed in order for him to gradually develop the skill of “separating” the grammatical and ordinary meanings of a word. If the baby says that he does not know such a word, you can always answer him:
- Why do you need to know this word? In my opinion, and so it is clear that “a site” is one thing. Look, there is an article, but there is no “s” at the end ...
Usually children instantly agree with this. Moreover, they often find working with unfamiliar words more interesting than working with familiar words.
After the forms of the noun and the forms of the verb are "connected", you can proceed to exercises for constructing sentences: substitution of words in sentences, reading sentences and short texts, translation of sentences from Russian into English and from English into Russian, etc.
These should be elementary sentences and elementary tasks, the child must certainly understand well what he is doing.
I am
If the child is free to navigate in the “is” / ”are” space, he is ready to perceive the new form of the verb. Most likely, the pronoun "I" is already familiar to him, so the child can be told that especially for the word "I" there is another form - "am".
It would seem that the information is minimal, but it is necessary that “I” and “am” “become friends” from the child’s memory, so that these two words “point” to each other.
Since it is most convenient for a child to memorize and practice by operating with oppositions, at the same time I teach him the short forms of the answer: “Yes, I am” and “No, I am not” and ask him to answer in the affirmative or negative to my questions.
Since the child's vocabulary is minimal, and for a dynamic and reliable working out of these answers, a large number of various questions that do not tire the child are required, I take radical measures, namely, I ask these questions in Russian. Only in this case this exercise can be turned into an unobtrusive and slightly insane game, somewhat reminiscent of the well-known game of "edible-inedible".
Let me remind you that this game consists in the fact that the driver throws a ball to the player and at the same time says a noun. If this word means edible, the player "eats", that is, he catches the ball, if the inedible does not "eat", that is, he does not catch. The player's task is to react quickly and not "eat" the inedible. Similar tasks when playing “Yes I am / No, I’m not”. You (the driver) ask the child a question about him, and his task is to react quickly:
-You are a boy?
-Yes, I am.
- You're good?
- Yes, I am.
Again, with adult eyes, this game is a little crazy, but with children's eyes, it is quite worthy of attention. If desired, a ball can also be connected for the tempo and rhythm of the game. Instead of you, a child can also "drive": then he will get used to hearing and understanding English. Try to "trick" him with incorrect answers to see if he hears you.
By the way, this game can be cleverly used for psychological and pedagogical purposes, asking among other questions such as: "Are you happy?", "Are you healthy?", "Are you lonely?" Both the answers and the child's reaction will be informative. However, do not overdo it with the number of such questions, the child may bite you through and become isolated or shy.
Be careful and do not ask questions containing semantic verbs ("Do you live on Earth?"), And explain this to your child when he is "driving". The skill of distinguishing sentences with and without semantic verbs is very useful: ahead is the ability to choose between an auxiliary verb and a linking verb. Make a little "approach" to this.
Avoid questions like "Do you have?" Translated into English, this question contains the semantic verb “have”.
You are
You can study the “pair” “you are” in the same way. Since we are following the path of meaningful language learning, it is logical to explain to the child why the verb “are” is used next to the pronoun “you”.
First ask the child what verb - “am”, “is” or “are” - he used next to the word “they”, with the word “he”, with the word “you”. English pronouns do not need to be named, since these questions are necessary for the child to catch the logic of the grammatical law. Of course, before that you need to make sure that the kid remembered how the forms “is” and “are” are used: play with him a little the game that you have already played and “refresh” the information and skill.
After making sure that the child understands the logic (“he” is one, it means “is”, “they” is a lot, it means “are”), be sure to tell him that he understands everything correctly. Then ask him what word he would use next to the word "you." Of course, he will answer "wrong." Then he again needs to be told that he is a fine fellow and understands everything correctly, but here's the bad luck: the British do not say "you". They only say "you." Even when we say "you". They always only say “you”.
And if “you” is “you”, then what word is needed: “is” or “are”?
It may seem that this information is redundant and it is easier to simply “work out” that “are” is used next to “you”, but this can confuse the logic of the grammatical law, which the child has just begun to comprehend, meanwhile, in comprehending the basic and basic, everything should be maximized clear and transparent.
The fixing game can be similar to the previous game. Ask your baby questions about yourself, not forgetting about "psychological": you will learn a lot for yourself, and the baby will get used to the pronoun "you".
Pronouns it / they
Exactly the same path - a short answer to a question asked in Russian, can be followed when studying the pronouns "it" / "they". The word “it” is already familiar to the child, introduce him to the word “they”.
During the game, you can look at pictures and ask questions. When you ask questions, do not include pronouns in them, the child must choose them himself:
- Are these bears green?
- No, they are not.
Pronouns he, she - it
When learning the pronouns he and she, contrast them with the familiar pronoun it. For some reason, children are often taught that “it” is the same as “it”.
Explain to your child that this word is used when we do not know and cannot know "he or she". Children with ease and interest perceive the information that English nouns have no gender. Ask your child why we say that "car" is "white" and "tractor" is "white." How do we know if the car is he or she? Why for us any unfamiliar cat is "she", and any unfamiliar parrot is "he"?
Tell him that only the word tells us. In fact, the car is not she or he, but the cat can be both "she" and "he". We just obey the word and about any cat we say "she", although we have no idea whether it is "he" or "she". And the English language doesn't tell anything. Therefore, in English "he" or "she" we can speak only about those about whom we know it: about people, about animals familiar to us. And about everything else, we say "it". You can also tell about the fact that the British like to say about transport "she".
After that, move on to the already familiar game. The child's task will be to learn to choose between three pronouns and get used to associating these pronouns with the verb “is”.
Consider the pictures, discuss them. Do not forget about the most general issues about the family and the world order: something may amuse you, and something may alert you. For example, during one of these games, a girl when asked "Is Kolya a good driver?" She replied carelessly in Russian: "When not very drunk, then yes."
As in the previous case, try not to include pronouns in the question: the child's task is not to translate pronouns, but to be able to choose the desired pronoun on their own:
- Is Natasha beautiful?
- Yes, she is.
An exercise to choose one of the three pronouns can be preceded by an exercise to choose between “he” and “she,” but this is usually not required.
We
The pronoun “we” and the corresponding verb “are” can be productively studied in opposition to the already familiar pair “I am”. You can still play the same game, alternating questions about "we", about "you" and about "you". According to my observations, there are no difficulties in choosing the right verb or the right pair of pronouns and verbs.
Generalization
After such "portioned" grammatical lessons, it is imperative to go to generalizing lessons.
Talk to your child first about when to say is, when am, and when are. The basic in understanding the logic of the grammatical law should be not words-pronouns, but concepts. For example, it can be formulated as follows: ““ Am ”- when I point to one myself,“ is ”- when I point to one person,“ are ”- for many”. In principle, this generalization can be used to start the entire cycle of classes devoted to the forms of the verb “to be”, but such an explanation is still not enough, and “portioned” classes are still necessary.
Then play the game "Russian question - English short answer", but the answers should already contain all pronouns and, accordingly, all forms of the verb. Of course, you can go on to reading, and to translation, and to the construction of sentences.
I usually do not rush the memory of babies and allow them to use a table with pronouns and written in a string forms: “am”, “is”, “are”. What I think is important is not the dynamic memorization of pronouns, but the ability to choose the form of the verb. Pronouns, with the proper amount of exercise, will be remembered by themselves.
Take care of the future
So, the purpose of this cycle of classes should be acquaintance child with logic of choice verb forms and with English pronouns. but not worth it ensure that at this stage the pronouns and forms of the verb "to be" hard connected in the child's memory (if “I”, then necessarily “am”, if “she”, then necessarily “is”). No need to force him "Harden" pairs of pronouns and verbs.
Let me remind you that ahead is the study of the auxiliary verb and the study of the past and future tense. Figuratively speaking, between the pronoun and the verb you need to leave a "gap", which will allow you to "separate" the pronoun from the verb and replace the verb with another. Therefore, if the child memorized the forms of the verb themselves, understands the principle of choosing the form of the verb, easily "understands" when one or another form is needed, does not get confused in them and easily chooses the desired form, at least with the help of a "cheat sheet", the task can be considered completed and proceed to the next stage - the study of logic English question... To take a break from new "grammatical" information, you can devote several sessions to reading and constructing sentences and learning new words.
To be - the basis of English grammar. If you misunderstood or missed this material, then all of your English language learning is likely to be unsuccessful. Therefore, if you feel that somewhere you have a gap in this material, then it is better to stay longer on this page.
Drawing. Present conjugation of the verb to be (am, is, are)
This verb is translated as "to be, to exist, to be available, to be." In short, everything that is translated in Russian as “to eat” (not in the sense of “to eat”) is translated into English by this verb.
The whole problem and the difficulty is that in Russian this verb is omitted:
- This is an apple = This is an apple
- She is a doctor = She is a doctor
Agree, we do not use the second options. But the translation of such sentences must correspond exactly to the second option.
Difficulty # 2 is that to be changes its shape depending on which pronoun it comes after... With all that said, the forms of this verb look like this.
Table.
Easy to remember: plural to be always takes shape are ... We already know about the pronoun you that in both translations - "you" and "you" - it is still in the plural. It remains only to remember I am and He / She / It is .
Naturally, the same rules apply for nouns that can be replaced with these pronouns.
- He is in the office.
- Lara (= She) is beautiful.
- These apples (= they) are not fresh.
Negative and interrogative forms to be
To get negative, put after the form to be particle not .
- His friend is not (= isn't) young.
- We are not (= aren't students).
As for the questions, the form to be is posed at the very beginning of the question - before the subject. I.e,
to make a question out of a statement, you just need to swap the subject and predicate.
- They are in the cinema.
- They aren’t in the cinema.
- Are they in the cinema?
- Where are they?
To Be is the most common verb in English.
Today we will analyze:
- how does it translate,
- forms of the verb To Be,
- how and where to apply the verb To Be,
- rules and examples,
- the verb To Be in all tenses.
If you are a complete beginner and are just starting to learn English, first, you need to understand what the verb to be is and when you should use it. For a better understanding, I will give illustrative examples.
When the verb To Be is used - examples
When we need to designate:
- profession, age, relationship,
- your location, citizenship,
- indicate the existence of something,
- character traits,
- the color and properties of objects,
- a state of feelings or health,
- compare something / someone with something,
- indicate the current process of action.
Examples:
I am a taxi driver, chef, director, translator, guy, citizen, etc.
She is my mom / sister / mother-in-law / girlfriend / neighbor / good man/ in love / busy, etc.
He is kind / bad / smart / funny / mean / cool / happy / sexy, etc.
It / It is real / rainy / healthy / red / easy, etc ..
We are from Russia / in the park / at school / on the street / at work, etc.
They are better than .. / richer than .. / higher than .. faster than, etc ..
More examples of what can be said using the verb To Be
What's this? Who is this? Where are you?
This is my house. This is Russia. Here is my friend.
The water is icy. The roads are good. Today is Friday.
Tomorrow is my birthday.
A wonderful day! It's complicated.
Are you ready? This is dangerous?
Be careful.
Behave yourself.
Be happy.
Be a man!
She was right.
I will be a lawyer.
We were super!
I am reading / right now /
I'm driving / right now /
How to say all of the above in English, see the end of the article with the translation.
Verb To Be NEVER not used with basic verbs.
You can't say:
I am see. She is watch. He is go. They are work. We are know.
I am see. She is watch. He is go. They are work. We are know.
The verb To Be translation into Russian
The general meaning of the word To Be is to be, is, to be, to be, to exist.
But directly when translated into Russian in the present tense, these words are usually omitted.
Examples of translation in the present tense:
1. I'm home = I'm home. / I am at home/
2. She is a doctor = She is a doctor. / She is a doctor /
3. It’s in Russia = It’s in Russia / It’s or exists in Russia /
In the future tense, the verb has the form: will be and translates as: I will, I will, I will.
In the past tense, the verb has the form: was / were and is translated as: was, were, was.
I was happy = I was happy.
They were right = They were right.
It was rainy last night = It was rainy last night.
Forms of the verb To Be and abbreviations
The verb To Be is very often abbreviated both in writing and colloquially.
Memorize these abbreviations and practice.
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 of affirmative sentences of the verb To Be
I am a girl. I am a girl.
You are a boy. You are a boy.
He is clever. He is smart.
She is my sister. She is my sister.
It is a cat. It's a cat.
It's me. It's me.
We are friends. We are friends.
They are students. They are students.
Verb To Be - Negative Sentences
To say:
- I am NOT a taxi driver,
- I'm not at home,
- she is not from Russia,
- he is NOT evil,
- it is NOT so - i.e. in negative form, then after the verb To Be we put a particle - Not -
See examples and abbreviations
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.
The verb To Be examples of negative sentences
I am not tired. I'm not tired.
You are not a robot. You are not a robot.
He is not a driver. He is not a driver.
She is not rich. She's not rich.
It is not a dog. This is not a dog.
We are not ready. We're not ready.
They are not married. They are not married.
Verb To Be Interrogative sentences
To say:
- I am beautifull?
- He is good?
- They are from Russia?
- You are ready? - first we put the verb to be, then the pronoun.
See examples:
Am I ..? Are you ..?
Is he ..? Is she ..? Is it ..?
Are they ..? Are we ..?
Am I nice? I'm good?
Are you tall? You are tall?
Is he your dad? Is he your dad?
Is she pretty? She's beautiful?
Is it a cat? It's a cat?
Are we kids? Are we children?
Are they students? They are students?
The verb To Be is an IRREGULAR verb.
This means that the verb changes its form not only depending on the gender of the noun, but also on what tense it is in.Check out the examples below.
The verb To Be in all tenses
Below are the conjugation tables of the verb To Be in three main tenses: this is the Simple group - present, past and future. This is quite enough for the initial stage and up to the intermeddiate level.
Present Simple Conjugation of To Be
| Statement | Negation | Question |
| I am a doctor | I'm not a doctor | Am I a doctor? |
| You are a doctor | You are not a doctor | Are you a doctor? |
| He is a doctor | He is not a doctor | Is he a doctor? |
| She is a doctor | She is not a doctor | Is she a doctor? |
| It is a doctor | It is not a doctor | Is it a doctor? |
| We are doctors | We are not doctors | Are we doctors? |
| They are doctors | They are not doctors | Are they doctors? |
Conjugation of the verb To Be in the past tense Past Simple
| Statement | Negation | Question |
| I was right | I wasn’t right | Was I right? |
| You was right | You were not right | Were you right? |
| He was right | He was not right | Was he right? |
| She was right | She was not right | Was she right? |
| It was right | It was not right | Was it right? |
| We were right | We were not right | Were we right? |
| They were right | They were not right | Were they right? |
Conjugation of the verb To Be in the future tense Future Simple
| Statement | Negation | Question |
| I will be in Moscow | I will not be in Moscow | Will I be in Moscow? |
| You will be in Moscow | You will not be in Moscow | Will you be in Moscow? |
| He will be in Moscow | He will not be in Moscow | Will he be in Moscow? |
| She will be in Moscow | She will not be in Moscow | Will she be in Moscow? |
| It will be in Moscow | It will not be in Moscow | Will it be in Moscow? |
| We will be in Moscow | We will not be in Moscow | Will we be in Moscow? |
| They will be in Moscow | They will not be in Moscow | Will they be in Moscow? |
To Be verb for action formation right now
In fact, the verb To Be participates in the formation of the tenses of the Continuous group.
Examples:
I'm reading. I am reading (right now).
She is sleeping. She's sleeping now.
We are going to the movies. We're going / now / to the cinema.
I was watching a video. I watched the video.
They were walking down the street. They walked down the street.
And the last one,
Question words with the verb To Be
If the sentence uses interrogative words, then the interrogative word comes first, then the verb to be.
When will you be home? When will you be at home?
What is it? What's this?
Who is tired? Who is tired?
Now, consolidate the material you have covered.
Let's go back to our initial phrases that we say in life.
Check yourself if you translated them correctly.
1. I am a taxi driver, cook, director, translator, guy, citizen.
2. She is my mother, sister, mother-in-law, friend, neighbor, good person, in love, busy.
3. He is kind, bad, smart, funny, mean, cool, happy, sober, sexy.
4. It / It is real, rainy, healthy, red, light.
5. We are from Russia, in the park, at school, on the street, at work.
6. They are better than .. / richer than .. / higher than .. faster than ...
SEE HOW TO SAY IT IN ENGLISH
1. I'm a taxi driver. I'm a cook. I'm a boss. I'm a translator. I'm a guy. I'm a citizen.
2. She is my mother. She is my sister. She is mother-in-law. She is my girlfriend. She is my neighbor. She is a nice person. She in love. She is busy.
3. He is kind person. He is bad person. He is smart. He is funny. He is stingy. He is cool. He is happy. He is sober. He is sexy.
4. It is real. It's rainy. It's healthy. It's red. It's easy.
5. We are from Russia. We are in the park. We are at school. We are outside. We are at work.
6. They are better than ..
They are richer than ..
They are higher than ..
They are faster than ...
More examples using the verb To Be with translation into English
5. It's a wonderful day! It's difficult.
6. Are you ready? Is it dangerous?
7. Be careful.
8. Be good.
9. Be happy.
10. Be a man!
11. She was right.
12. I'll be a lawyer.
13. We were super!
14. I'm reading.
15. I'm driving.
To be or not to be? That is not the question ... The ancient Greeks' sea deity Proteus could (like the sea) take on any form. What are we for?
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 the English language, constantly changing and assuming different forms, sometimes not so noticeable to us.
Given that it is used so often in English speech, it is rather unfortunate that "to be" has to be the most fickle 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 foundation of English grammar. If you misunderstood or missed this material, then all of your English language learning is likely to be unsuccessful. Therefore, if you feel that somewhere you have a gap in this material, then it is better to stay longer on this article.
It is this verb that underlies the construction of about 30 percent of all English grammatical structures and it is with it that you should start learning English grammar.
For example, to say “I am a student”, we must insert the required form of the linking verb “to be” and the sentence will acquire 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 the singular or plural. This is usually easy. We wouldn't write: "The troops was moving to the border" - "The troops were moving to the border." Well, where does that go?
However, some proposals require more attention. As you write, for example:
The majority of Facebook users are (or is?) upset about the increase in spam.
Most Facebook users are upset about the increase in spam.
In fact, this sentence depends on your accent - if it focuses 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 to focus on, then choose what sounds best to you. It is unlikely that your chosen "to be" form will upset anyone.
By the way, "majority" is used only with countable nouns: "he ate the majority of cookies”, But not“ he ate the majority of the pie ”. instead let's say: “he ate most of the pie. "
Russian translation of the verb To Be
"To be" is translated as "to be", "to be", "to exist", "to appear" or not at all, and can be in Present (am, is, are), Past (was, were) and Future (will ( be) / shall (be)) tenses. 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:
To Be rule: subject ( subject) + predicate ( verb) + complement ( object).
- As independent verb(to be, to be, to exist or not translated):
I am at home.
I am 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 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 continuous (durative) form of the verb (Continuous).
Is he in New York?
Is he (located) in New York?
Was she at the Institute yesterday?
Was she at the institute yesterday?
- Negative the form is formed by negating " not", Which is put 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 abbreviated with personal pronoun:
I am = I "m
We are = we "re
He is = he "s
- As subsidiary verb.
Used to form continuous tense verb forms ( Continuous) and continued perfect times ( 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 have been working here (already) for 10 years.
Subsidiary 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 a passive voice ( Passive Voice):
Active: Didn't buy a new magazine.
He bought a new magazine.
Passive: A new magazine was bought.
We bought a new magazine.
- As verb-ligaments(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 construction " there is/there are"(To be, to be).
There is a table in the room.
In the room (there is) a table.
In this proposal “ there"Is a formal subject. The actual subject is the noun that stands behind 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.
The room (there are) tables.
At time change the form of the verb “ 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.
Translation of sentences with the construction "there is / there are" begins with translation circumstances places.
Negative 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 is there a man?
Are there(any) apples in the greengrocers?
In the vegetable Does the 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 myself... 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 with Indefinite Infinitive(indefinite infinitive).
They are to be here.
They should be here.
- "To be" ( Past) used with Indefinite Infinitive(indefinite infinitive) and with Perfect Infinitive(perfect infinitive), which means that the action has not been performed:
She was(supposed) to be in the cinema.
She was supposed to be in the movies.
- The modal verb "to be" can be used to express duties which is based on previous agreements (plan, timetable etc.)
We are to go to the cinema.
We have to go to the movies.
- We also use this modal verb to express orders or instructions:
You are to go to school.
You have to go to school.
- We use "to be" if something categorically forbidden in negative form.
Children are not allowed to drink alcohol.
Children are prohibited from drinking alcohol.
- "To be" is used to insist advice or wishes:
You are to drive straight.
Drive straight ahead.
- "To be", in the passive voice (constructed using the infinitive "to be") and Past Participle— 3 form irregular verb or adding the ending "- ed»To the correct one), describes opportunity:
She was not to be heard.
It was impossible to hear her.
You were to be heard very good on the concert.
You were heard very well at the concert.
Conclusion
We have considered all the main important nuances of this tricky verb. IN 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: I am who / what, is where, is what?
If in translation the words "is, is, is" give a logical meaning to the sentence, then in English such a sentence will be correct.
We hope this article helped you understand the verb to be, which is simple at first glance. Cheers!
Big and friendly family EnglishDom
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