verb to be completely explained 4
How to use “to be” verbs
Are you confused by “to be” verbs? It’s okay. “To be” verbs change almost more than any other verb. In other words, they are very irregular. Let’s learn how to use “to be” verbs correctly. Refer back to this lesson when you have questions about how to use them in the future
?What are “to be” verbs
“To be” verbs are: are, am, is, was, were, been and being. They are used to describe or tell us the condition of people, things, places and ideas. For example, they could tell us the subject’s age, nationality, job or other traits
Forms of “To be” by tense
There are many English tenses, but the main ones you will use are present, past, present progressive and present perfect
Subject Verb Agreement When Using “to be” verbs
The correct “to be” verb to use depends on your subject and tense. This chart shows you proper subject verb agreement with “to be” verbs.
Note: Contractions are short forms that will sound more like how people speak.
Feel free to print this out for reference
Example sentences using “to be” verbs
These are examples of how you will see “to be” verbs most often
“To be” verbs in positive present tense sentences
I am American
He is a teacher
She is happy
They are at the movies
“To be” verbs in negative present tense sentences
I am not angry
She is not at school
It is not broken
We are not students
“To be” verbs in affirmative past tense sentences
I was hungry
She was at the movies
You were there
It was great
They were excited
“To be” verbs in negative past tense sentences
I was not there
You were not here
He wasn’t a teacher
We weren’t at the restaurant
Questions using “to be” verbs
To make questions with be verbs, use this order: To be verb + subject + complement
?Was I there
?Were you sad
?Was she at school
?Was it a good movie
?Were they late
Advanced Section
The previous section contained examples of what most beginners need to learn for using “to be” verbs correctly. In this section, we’ll be covering many other ways to use them
The present perfect form
The present perfect form is used for describing experiences or events that have happened in the past when the exact time is not important
It uses this structure: subject + has/have + been + complement
Examples
I have been there
You have been good
It has been difficult
He has been an electrician
We have been here all day
They have been well-behave
Asking questions using the present perfect form
Questions in the present perfect perform form use the structure: Has/have + subject + been + complement
Examples
?Have I been mean
?Have you been worried
?Has he been there
?Have they been anxious
The Present Progressive Form
The present progressive form is for describing continuous or ongoing actions happening right now vs the simple present which describes habits or things which happen now and again
Use this structure for the present progressive tense for “to be” verbs
Subject + be verb + verb + ing
Examples
I am watching television
You are pushing the wrong button
He is looking at the window
She is studying
It is raining
We are traveling
They are thinking
Question tags using “to be” verbs
You can add a question tag to the end of a statement to turn it into a question. To put question tags onto sentences using “to be” verbs, use this structure
statement + “to be” verb + pronoun. The “to be” verb used in the question tag must be the same one used in the statement
Note: When adding question tags, if the “to be” verb in the statement is positive, then the one in the question tag must be negative. If the “to be” verb statement is negative, the one in the question tag, must be positive
Just think
+statement – question tag
-statement + question tag
Examples
I wasn’t being rude, was I? (negative statement with positive question tag)
It was good, wasn’t it? (positive statement with negative question tag)
You were there, weren’t you? (positive statement with negative question tag)
It wasn’t too bad, was it? (negative question tag with positive question tag)
They weren’t angry, were they? (negative statement with positive question tag)
The linking “To be” verb (descriptions)
The linking “to be” verb describes the condition of the subject. Below are a few sentence structures using the linking “to be” verbs
In statements that describe, you’ll see this structure in which the sentences have a “to be” verb linking the subject to a subject complement or adjective complement
Subject + “to be” verb + complement
Examples
I am excited
It is boring
She is the leader
They are at the bank
Sometimes when answering a question you can see just a subject and “to be” verb used as in this structure
subject + “to be” verb
Examples
?Q: Are you the doctor
A: I am
?Q: Is she the teacher
A: She is
Adding adverbs to your sentences with linking “to be” verbs
Reminder: Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs in order to tell us how, when, where, why, how often or to what extent
Structure: Subject + “to be” verb + adverb +complement or
Adverb, subject + “to be” verb + complement
Examples
I am always on time
It is never boring
Sometimes, it is difficult
“To be” verbs for discussing possibility or giving suggestions
When describing possibilities you’ll typically use the following structure
Subject + modal verb (could, should, would, might etc) + be + complement
Note: “be” stays in this base form directly after a modal verb
Examples
He could be a superstar
She might be late
You should be nice to your parents
When giving suggestions, it is a little more complicated
Examples
subject + modal verb (suggest)+ object + be + complement
subject + modal verb (advise)+ object + to be + complement
I suggest you be nice to your mother
I advise you to be cooperative
Imperatives: giving commands using “to be” verbs
When giving imperatives or commands, “to be” verbs stay in the base form of be and typically stay at the beginning of the sentence. In these sentences, the subject is implied so it doesn’t have to be written, that is why you only see the “to be” verb followed by the complement
Structure: “to be” verb + complement or
Do not + “to be” verb + complement
Examples
Be a good student
Be nice to your teacher
Don’t be mean to him
When to use “to be” verbs as infinitives
Infinitives are to plus a verb in order to make a noun. So you’ll see them in the subject or object of a sentence. They are used to describe the abstract, so they most often are used with a modal verb of desire
I want to be a singer
He likes to be the best at what he does
They hope to be friends
When making these negative, you’ll put do not or does not before the modal verb
Examples
Note: following don’t or doesn’t modal verbs such as like, want, need, or hope will stay in base form
I don’t want to be difficult
He does not like to be mean
She doesn’t want to be a musician
The passive voice using “to be” verbs
In sentences using the passive voice, the person or thing which is performing the action is either in the object of the sentence or even omitted. When written, the noun performing the action is normally found following a preposition such as “by
The most common passive voice construction is this
Subject + “to be” verb + verb or
Subject + “to be” verb + verb + by + object
In these constructions, the “to be” verb will follow the standard rules for subject verb agreement. The examples below have sentences using “to be” verbs in different tenses
Examples
Present: The car is powered by electricity
Present progressive: The work is being done
Past: The building was demolished by the crew
Future: The meal will be prepared by the chef
Present perfect: The coffee had been made
We have covered many ways in which you can use “to be” verbs. Follow our blog for more lessons like this one. Also, if you would like to find out more about studying English online or in the United States, contact us here. FLS International offers live online classes, in-person classes, cultural tours and more
The simple present of the verb to be
This page will present the simple present of the verb to be
its form
and its use
The verb to be
The verb to be is the most important verb in the 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
you can watch the following video
Affirmative forms of the verb to be
| Subject Pronouns | Full Form | Contracted Form |
|---|---|---|
| I | am | ‘m |
| you | are | ‘re |
| he/she/it | is | ‘s |
| we | are | ‘re |
| you | are | ‘re |
| they | are | ‘re |
Interrogative forms of the verb to be:
| Am | I |
| Are | you |
| Is | he/she/it |
| Are | we |
| Are | you |
| Are | they |
Negative Forms of the verb to be
| Subject Pronouns | Full Form | Contracted Form |
|---|---|---|
| I | am not | m” not |
| you | are not | aren’t |
| he/she/it | is not | isn’t |
| we | are not | aren’t |
| you | are not | aren’t |
| they | are not | aren’t |
Examples
?Is Brad Pitt French
No, he isn’t. He‘s American
?What about Angelina Joli? Is she American, too
Yes, she is. She is American
?Are brad Pitt and Angelina Joli French
No, They aren’t. They are American
Use of the simple present of to be
The principal use of the simple present is to refer to an action or event that takes place habitually, but with the verb “to be” the simple present tense also refers to a present or general state, whether temporary, permanent, or habitual
I am happy
She is helpful
The verb to be in the simple present can be also used to refer to something true at the present moment
She is 20 years old
He is a student
Remember
I, you, he, she, it, you, they are subject pronouns (also called personal pronouns, a term used to include both subject and object pronouns.)
am, are, is are forms of the verb to be in the simple present
‘m, ‘re, ‘s are short (contracted) forms of am, are, is
‘m not, aren’t, isn’t are short (contracted forms) of am not, are not, is n
Infinitive Verb
Do you know the difference between an infinitive verb and a base verb? Do you know when and how to use infinitive verbs? Learn the answers to these questions with definitions and examples of infinitive verbs
Defining an Infinitive Verb
An infinitive verb is essentially the base form of a verb with the word “to” in front of it. When you use an infinitive verb, the “to” is a part of the verb. It is not acting as a preposition in this case
Some examples of infinitive verbs include
to be
to have
to hold
to sleep
to spend
Infinitives are never conjugated with -ed or -ing at the end because they are not used as verbs in a sentence. They’re one of the three types of verbals, which are verbs used as an adjective, noun or adverb. The other verbals are gerunds and participles
Infinitive Verb vs. Base Verb
Infinitives include the basic (unconjugated) form of a verb, but they don’t function the same way. The most basic form of a verb is the base form. The base form is just the verb, without the “to.” You’ll see verbs in their basic forms in the dictionary, but not in written sentences that require conjugation
Base forms of verbs include
be
have
hold
sleep
spend
Using an Infinitive Verb
You can use infinitives in several ways. Because they function as nouns, adjectives and adverbs, they can appear almost anywhere. Now that you can spot an infinitive, take a look at the various ways they pop up in the English language
Object of a Sentence
The most common way to use infinitive verbs is as a direct object or an indirect object. When the subject performs an action, the infinitive can answer the question “What?” as the object of that action
Examples of the above infinitives used as direct include
I want to be an astronaut. (The verb is want)
Shane asked to have another hamburger. (The verb is ask)
The manager promised to hold the job for me. (The verb is promise)
Try to sleep a little more before our flight. (The verb is try)
Chuck hopes to spend less than $30 on his haircut. (The verb is hope)
After Adjectives
You can use infinitive verbs after adjectives to clarify meaning. Adjectives that include the words “too” or “enough” require infinitives to fill in the rest of the meaning
the video is here
For example
It’s too hard to be an astronaut. (The adjective is too hard)
Shane is too full to have another hamburger. (The adjective is too full)
The manager is nice to hold the job for me. (The adjective is nice)
It’s smart to sleep before our flight. (The adjective is smart)
Chuck is wealthy enough to spend $30 on his haircut. (The adjective is wealthy enough)
Subject of a Sentence
Infinitives do appear as the subject of a sentence from time to time. One of the most famous examples of an infinitive as the subject of a sentence is Hamlet’s immortal phrase, “To be or not to be” from Shakespeare’s Hamlet
You might see infinitives appear in sentences like this
To be an astronaut is my dream
To have a hamburger was what Shane wanted
To hold the job was what the manager promised
To sleep before the flight is a good idea
To spend $30 on a haircut is out of the question
Even though they’re grammatically correct, these sentences sound a bit awkward. You’re better off changing these subjects to gerunds, which are -ing words that function as nouns (for example: “Being an astronaut is my dream.” or “Sleeping before the flight is a good idea.”)
Bare Infinitives
A bare infinitive is an infinitive without “to.” It’s not the same thing as a base verb; bare infinitives are still used as verbals in a sentence. You’re most likely to see bare infinitives with modal verbs (would, could, can, should, will, may, might, ought to, shall, and others)
For example
I could be an astronaut
Shane might have another hamburger
?Can the manager hold the job for me
You should sleep a little more before our flight
Chuck won’t spend more than $30 on his haircut
You’ll also see bare infinitives after other verbs, such as let, hear, feel, make, see, need, help, watch, smell, or any other verb that indicates perception. It also follows the word better in English, as in “You’d better ask permission.” instead of “You’d better to ask permission.”Advertisement
Sentence Examples of Verbs Followed by Infinitives
You’ve seen more infinitives than you think in your everyday reading. Take a look at these sentences to find common verbs that precede infinitives
afford – We can’t afford to eat out every night
agree – Let’s agree to disagree
aim – I aim to please
appear – She appears to have the chicken pox
arrange – I’ll arrange to meet you at 3:00
attempt – We attempted to contact him several times
beg – She begged to stay up past her bedtime
?care – Would you care to dance
choose – He’ll always choose to eat pizza if given the choice
claim – They claim to have been home all night
?dare – Do you dare to approach me
decide – We decided to get married in a hot air balloon
demand – I demand to know who said that
deserve – You deserve to have all you want in life
determined – They are determined to finish the race
?expect – Do you expect to see her any time soon
fail – She failed to achieve any of her goals
happen – I happen to have all the things you need
help – It would help to be able to swim
hesitate – He hesitated to ask for the day off
hope – She hopes to be engaged by the end of the summer
learn – We’re learning to communicate better
long – Oh, how he longed to hold her in his arms
?manage – Have you managed to complete your work on time for once
mean – I didn’t mean to hurt you
need – You need to think before you speak
neglect – He neglected to tell his parents about the accident
offer – Jim offered to help me pack
?plan – What do you plan to do after college
prepare – I’m preparing to run away
pretend – Don’t pretend to sleep when I’m talking to you
proceed – We then proceeded to drink until we blacked out
promise – I promise to love you forever
refuse – She refused to sign the documents
resolve – He has resolved never to fight again
seem – They seem to be having some sort of argument
stop – We stopped to use the restroom and stretch
?swear – Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth
tend – I tend to laugh when I’m nervous
threaten – He threatened to shoot me if I didn’t give him my wallet
use – My brother bought spray paint, which he used to cover up the graffiti
volunteer – They volunteered to paint kids’ faces at the fair
vow – We vowed to love and cherish one another
?want – Do you really want to hurt me
/wish – Do you wish to see me cry
would hate – I would hate to be in his shoes
would like – The gentleman would like to accompany the lady home
would love – I would love to dance
would prefer – He would prefer to go bowling, but she wants to see a movie
am is are شرح كل القواعد في درس واحد
تعلم كل قواعد am is are في اللغة الإنجليزية و التي تشمل زمن المضارع البسيط و المضارع المستمر و بعض ازمنة المبني للمجهول لتتمكن من تكوين الجملة بتلك الكلمات.
الفعل “يكون” في اللغة الانجليزية Verb to Be
Be
مصدر الفعل بمعنى يكون
التصريف في زمن المضارع البسيط
am و تأتي مع I
أنا أكون = I am
is و تأتي مع He – She – It – اسم مفرد
هو يكون He is
هي تكون She is
هو\هي لغير العاقل يكون It is
are و تأتي مع They / we/ you
هم يكونون they are
نحن نكون we are
انت تكون – انتم تكونون You are
ماذا يأتي بعد Verb to be في المضارع البسيط؟
صفة Adjective
He is tall.
هو طويل.
She is good at science.
هي جيدة في العلوم.
I am sick.
أنا مريض.
They are friendly.
هم ودودون.
اسم Noun
I am a doctor.
أنا طبيب.
Sara is a child.
سارة طفلة.
You are the manager.
انت المدير.
حرف Preposition
She is in a bad situation.
هي في موقف سيء.
The book is on the table.
الكتاب فوق الطاولة.
ظرف Adverb
They are here.
هم هنا.
You are inside the house.
انت داخل المنزل.
Verb to be في صيغة السؤال
?How is she
كيف حالها؟
?Is this tool useful
هل هذه الأداة مفيدة؟
Verb to be في صيغة النفي
They are not my friends
هم ليسوا أصدقائي
I am not happy
انا لست سعيدا
This is not funny
هذا ليس مضحكا
زمن المضارع المستمر The Present continuous Tense
Am / is / are + V .ing
am / is / are أفعال مساعدة
He is doing his homework now
هو يقوم بواجبه ألآن
I am cooking at the moment
أنا أطبخ في هذه اللحظة
?What are they doing now
ماذا يفعلون ألآن؟
I am not talking about you
أنا لا أتكلم عنك
am is are في المبني للمجهول
المضارع البسيط
I eat apples daily
Apples are eaten daily
أنا أكل التفاح كل يوم
التفاح يؤكل كل يوم
I am eating apples now
Apples are being eaten now
أنا أكل التفاح ألآن
التفاح يؤكل ألآن
طريقة نفي الافعل المساعدة
- am = في حال النفي تصبح am not
- is = في حال النفي تصبح is not
- are = في حال النفي تصبح are not
امثلة على النفي
- Mohammed is not a teacher
محمد ليس معلماً - They are not in the classroom
هم ليسو في الفصل (القاعة الدراسية) - I am not from the city
انا ليس من المدينة
اختصار الكلمات في حال النفي
- am = لا يوجد لها اختصار
- is = تصبح isn’t
- are = تصبح aren’t
درس ( 2 ) قاعدة am / is / are في السؤال.
قاعدة am / is / are في صيغة السؤال:
كما شرحنا في الدرس الأول درس (1) أننا نستخدم am / is / are في محل الفعل إذا غاب الفعل، وقاعدتها هي:
| am | I |
| is | he / she / it |
| are | they / we / you |
أما إذا أردنا أن نسأل شخص ما سؤالاً فإننا نستخدم القاعدة السابقة للدرس الأول ولكن بجعل الفعل المساعد am / is / are يأتي في بداية الجملة، وقاعدتها:
| I | am |
| he / she/ it | is |
| we / they / you | are |
إذاً كل مافعلناه هو أننا وضعنا الفعل المساعد في أول الجملة وهذه أمثلة على ذلك:
am I late? هل أنا متأخر؟
is he late? هل هو متأخر؟
are you late? هل أنت متأخر؟ أو هل أنتم متأخرون؟
كما ترى في المثال السابق am / is / are أتت في بداية الجملة وتعني “هل“.
أما إذا أردنا الإجابة على الأسئلة فإننا نطبق ما شرحناه في الدرس الأول درس (1) وهي ببساطة أن نبدأ بالاسم ثم الفعل المساعد وللمثال:
السؤال: are you late? هل أنت متأخر؟
الجواب: yes I am late نعم أنا متأخر.
لاحظ في المثال السابق هناك فرقين في الجملتين:
الفرق الأول : هو أن الفعل المساعد يأتي في أول الجملة عند السؤال كصيغة “هل” بينما في الإجابة يأتي بعد الأسم مباشرة كصيغة إجابة لغياب الفعل.
الفرق الثاني: هو أن في صيغة السؤال في الضمير المخاطب are يكون الجواب في صيغة الإجابة am لأن المخاطب بدأ يتكلم عن نفسة كما أسلفنا في توضيحها في درس (1).
شرح القاعدة: في 4 خطوات:
- في صيغة السؤال للضمير المفرد المخاطب نستخدم are “هل” يكون الجواب am لان الجملة تغيرت من ضمير مخاطب في السؤال الى ضمير متكلم في الجواب.
- وأما في صيغة السؤال للضمير المفرد الغائب is “هل” فتكون الإجابة بإستخدام نفس الفعل المساعد is لأن الشخص السائل والمجيب يتكلمون عن شخص ما ليس حاضر معهم، للمثال:
سؤال: is she late? هل هي متأخرة
الجواب: yes, she is late. نعم هي متأخرة
لاحظ هنا لم يتغير الفعل المساعد is في صيغة السؤال ولا في الجواب كما حدث لنا مع الفعل المساعد are في حين السؤال و am في حين الجواب، وذلك بسبب أن is تأتي محل الفعل في الضمير الغائب أي حين تتكلم مع شخص عن شخص أخر فأنت تسأل هل هي متأخرة والجواب سيكون نعم هي متأخرة.
3. وأيضا لايتغير الفعل المساعد عندما نستخدم are في صيغة سؤال لضمير الجمع الغائب ” they ” هاؤلاء ، للمثال:
are they late? هل هم متأخرون؟
yes, they are late. نعم إنهم متأخرون.
هنا لم تتغير are لا في صيغة السؤال ولا في الجواب وذلك بسبب أن السائل والمجيب يتكلمون عن مجموعة أشخاص اخرون وليس عن شخص مفرد غائب.
لاحظ عند سؤال شخص مفرد مخاطب ( أي يتكلم معك ) فإننا نستخدم are you late عند السؤال، وفي الجواب نستخدم yes I am late وهنا حولنا are التي سمعناها من السائل الى am التي سنقولها في الجواب وذلك بسبب أنه السائل يسأل شخص أمامة ويخاطبة.
4.عندما يسأل شخص ما مجموعة أشخاص يتكلمون معة فإن صيغة السؤال are ” هل” لاتتغير حتى في الإجابة، للمثال:
are you late? هل أنتم متأخرون؟
yes we are late. نعم نحن متأخرون.
هنا لم تتغير are لا في السؤال ولا في الجواب وذلك بسبب أن السائل يسأل مجموعة أشخاص أمامة ويخاطبهم وليس السؤال موجة لشخص واحد.
الخلاصة:
أنة في صيغة السؤال للمفرد المخاطب نستخدم “are” ويكون الجواب للشخص الذي إستقبل السؤال بـ “am” لأن السؤال كان ضمير مفرد مخاطب والجواب بالطبع سيكون ضمير مفرد متكلم. للمثال:
سؤال: are you late? هل أنت متأخر؟
الجواب: yes, I am late. نعم أنا متأخر.
أنه في صيغة السؤال عن المفرد الغائب نستخدم ” is” ويكون الجواب للشخص الذي إستقبل السؤال بإستخدام “is” لإجابة نيابة عن الشخص الغائب بنفس الصيغة لأن السائل والمجيب يتكلمون عن شخص ما ليس حاضراً معهم، للمثال:
سؤال: is he late? هل هو متأخر؟
الجواب: yes, he is late. نعم هو متأخر
أنه في صيغة السؤال عن الجمع الغائب والحاضر نستخدم” are” ويكون الجواب للشخص الذي إستقبل السؤال بإستخدام “are” للإجابة سواء عن أنفسهم كمجموعة أشخاص أو للإجابة عن مجموعة أشخاص غير حاضرين، للمثال:
سؤال سؤال عن مجموعة أشخاص غائبون: are they late? هل هم متأخرون؟
الجواب: yes, they are late. نعم هم متأخرون
سؤال مجموعة أشخاص حاضرون يتكلمون مع السائل: are you late? هل أنتم منتأخرون؟
الجواب: yes, we are late. نعم نحن متأخرون.
إذاً يتكرر الفعل المساعد am / is / are في جميع الحالات الا في حالة واحدة وهي في حالة ان السؤال موجة لشخص مفرد حاضر يتكلم مع السائل فيكون السؤال بـ are والأجابة بـ am وأما بقية الحالات فإن السؤال سواءً am / is / are يكون الجوابة بنفس الفعل المساعد المستخدم في السؤال.
أتمنى أن أكون وفقت في شرح هذه القاعدة بوضوح وإذا واجهت أي صعوبات في الفهم يمكنك التواصل معي عبر
وإذا أردت أن أشرح لك أي قاعدة أخري فلا تتردد بالسؤال فأنا حاضر للمساعدة في أي وقت..
