What is Verb to be for beginners?
This is a simple explanation of how to use verb to be for beginners. The following table explains how verb to be is formed.
| Affirmative |
|---|
| I am. we/you/they are. He/she/it is. |
| Negative |
| I am not (‘m not). we/you/they are not (‘re not /aren’t). He/she/it is not (‘s not / isn’t). |
| Questions |
| Am I? Are we/you/they? Is he/she/it? |
| Short Answers |
| Yes, I am. No, I’m not. Yes, we/you/they are. No, we/you/they are not Yes, we/you/they are. (‘re . not / aren’t). Yes, he/she/it is. No, he/she/it is not (‘s not / isn’t). |
Use of Verb to be:
We use the verb to be
- with an adjective.
I am tall. It is green. They are beautiful.
- with a noun.
It‘s my pet. They are children.
- to talk about our age or nationality.
He is 12 years old. She is from Mexico. We‘re Spanish.
- for a location.
It‘s in the centre of the city. The books are in my bag.
- as part of other tenses (auxiliary).
I am listening to music. We are playing tennis.
My dress is made in Spain.
Note: In short affirmative answers, there is no contraction: ‘Is he Italian?’- ‘Yes, he is.’ NOT ‘Yes, he’s.’