Answer: The to be verb is used to describe something or someone in English. A state of being verb identifies someone or something that is the present, or now, that was, the past or before now, or that will be, the future. Be is an irregular verb and can have many different forms depending on the subject and its tense.
Here's some examples of the meaning of the verb to be. Something exists. For example, there is a rabbit inside. Something happens. The party is tonight. Shows location. She is at school. He is at home. Shows identity. She is Sarah, and this is Don. She is a singer, and he is a teacher. Shows quality. She is beautiful. That is very old. In this article, we will study
the simple present form, now, simple past form, before now, and the simple future form,
after now, of the word be.
First, let's study to be in the present, now form.
For positive statements with I, we use am. I am good. He, she, or it, we use is. She is good, it is good. With you, we, they, we use are. You are good, we are good, they are good. Now, it's common when speaking to use contractions would be verbs. For example, I am becomes I'm. He, she, it is becomes he's, she's, it's. You, we, they are, becomes you're, we're, they're.
Now, we can also have negative forms of the verb to be, to mean something is not.
For negatives, just add not. I am not happy. I'm not happy. He, she, it is not. He isn't, she isn't, it isn't. She isn't happy. You, we, they are not. You aren't, we aren't, they aren't. You aren't happy.
In the present form of be, we can also ask questions.
Am I? Am I happy?
He, she, it is. Is he? Is she? Is it? Is she happy?
You, we, they are. Are you? Are we? Are they? Are you happy?
Let's practice a few sentences.
Positive; I am a student.
With contraction, I'm a student.
Negative; I'm not a student.
Positive; You are at school.
With a contraction, You're at school.
Negative; You aren't at school.
Positive; She is a nurse.
With contraction, She's a nurse.
Negative; She isn't a nurse.
Positive; It is a book.
With contraction, It's a book.
With negative, It isn't a book.
We are students.
We aren't students.
Now, let's study the verb to be when talking about the past.
With the past, we use the verbs was and were.
I was here.
He, she, it was.
He was, she was, it was.
He was here.
You, we, they, we use were.
You were, we were, they were.
For the to be verb in the past, the negatives are was not.
Was not becomes wasn't.
Were not.
Were not becomes weren't.
I wasn't at home.
He wasn't angry.
They weren't ready.
You weren't finished.
When we ask questions in the past using a be verb, we ask questions like this.
Was she sick?
Was he home?
Were are you late?
A: Were are you at home yesterday?
B: No, I wasn't.
For the future with the verb to be, we use a helping word, will, and it is the same in all cases.
I will be home.
She will be happy.
We will be ready.
It will be good.
You will be finished.
They will be outside.
For the negative for the future using the be verb, we say will not, which is almost always contracted to won't.
I won't be home.
She won't be happy.
We won't be ready.
You won't be finished.
They won't be outside.
Okay, so we studied the to be verb today. Get a free worksheet here http://bit.ly/39L4MdJ
Bye for now
