What the Verb To Be Is
Most verbs name an action. Be names none: it links the subject to what it is or what it is like. It has three present forms — am, is, are — and which one you need is decided entirely by the subject in front of it.
BE + NOUNThis person is that thing
Of am, is and are, a singular he, she or it takes is.
She is a nurse.
Nothing is being done. Is simply joins she to a nurse.
BE + ADJECTIVEThis is what they are like
Of am, is and are, a plural subject takes are.
The children are hungry.
An adjective cannot be a sentence's verb, so be goes in front of it.
That is why be turns up in nearly every beginner sentence about names, jobs, ages, feelings, weather and places: whenever the sentence contains no action, English still needs a verb, and be is the verb it reaches for.
TRY IT
- Question 1
"I a student at Hà Nội University."
- Question 2
"The children hungry."
The three forms
POSITIVE
Sam / is / arenoun / adjective / place
She is a nurse.
The form follows the subject, and what comes after be can be a noun, an adjective or a place.
NEGATIVE
Sam / is / arenot...
She isn't a nurse.
Not always follows be and never precedes it. Is not shortens to isn't, are not to aren't.
QUESTION
Am / Is / AreS...?
Is she a nurse?
Nothing is added and nothing is removed — be simply moves in front of the subject.
AM / IS / ARE AT A GLANCE
- Iam
- heis
- weare
- the busis
- my parentsare
I → am · he / she / it and any singular noun → is · you / we / they and any plural noun → are
If you can replace the subject with he, she or it, use is; if you can replace it with we or they, use are; I standing alone takes am. Watch the plural noun as you do it: the -s on students, books or parents marks the noun as plural — it is not a verb ending — so what follows is are.
Nam is late and Lan is late, but Nam and Lan are late — together they are they. The same goes for My brother and I are at school and You and Nam are at school: and has built a plural subject, so neither is nor am can follow it.
TRY IT
- Question 1
"Nam and I in the same class."
- Question 2
"She at home — she is at work."
- Question 3
" this your bag?"
What can follow be
A JOB OR A ROLE
My mother is a nurse.
Be joins a person to a noun that describes them.
Signal words: a student · a driver · my neighbour
AN ADJECTIVE
The children are hungry.
No article, no extra word — the adjective follows be directly.
Signal words: tired · happy · cold · busy · ready
A PLACE
The keys are on the table.
Be plus a place phrase says where something is.
Signal words: at home · in Huế · on the table
AN AGE
My sister is nine years old.
English gives an age with be, not with have.
Signal words: I am twenty. · He is nine years old.
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. Names contract too when spoken: Nam's a doctor. Note that it's with an apostrophe means it is; its without one means something else entirely, and the lesson on possessives sorts the two out.
Be vs. ordinary verbs
Be is the one verb that says no and asks a question without borrowing anything. An ordinary verb has to call in do or does; be needs nobody.
| BE | AN ORDINARY VERB | |
|---|---|---|
| Positive | She is a nurse. | She works in a hospital. |
| Negative | She isn't a nurse. | She doesn't work here. |
| Yes/No question | Is she a nurse? | Does she work here? |
| Short answers | Yes, she is. · No, she isn't. | Yes, she does. · No, she doesn't. |
| Wh- question | Where is she from? | Where does she live? |
| Never say | Do you a student? | Is she work here? |
Read the two columns downwards and one pattern does all the work: on the left, is itself takes the not, moves to the front to ask, and comes back at the end of the answer. On the right, does does all three jobs and work never changes. Mixing the columns produces the two sentences in the last row, and both are impossible.
The short answers hide one more rule: an answer ends on the verb, and English does not end a sentence on a contraction. Yes, I am is required and Yes, I'm is not English — even though I'm ready is perfectly ordinary in the middle of a sentence. Negatives have no such problem, so No, I'm not is fine.
Wh- questions follow the left column too: the question word goes first, and be still stands in front of the subject after it — What is your name?, Where are you from?, Who is that man?, How old are you? Only the question word is new; the swap that makes a question has already happened.
am not is the one combination English refuses to squeeze into a single word, so you shorten the subject instead: I'm not tired.
TRY IT
- Question 1
" you from Hà Nội?"
- Question 2
"Are you a student?" — "Yes, ."
Common mistakes
Incorrect:She very tired today.
Correct:She is very tired today.
An adjective cannot be the verb of a sentence, so be has to appear in front of it.
Incorrect:My parents is teachers.
Correct:My parents are teachers.
Parents is plural, and every plural subject takes are.
Incorrect:Nam and I am in the same class.
Correct:Nam and I are in the same class.
And has made a plural subject; am belongs to I standing alone.
Incorrect:I have twenty years old.
Correct:I am twenty years old.
English states an age with be; only some other languages use have for this.
Incorrect:You is my English teacher.
Correct:You are my English teacher.
You takes are whether it stands for one person or for a whole class.
Incorrect:The weather are lovely today.
Correct:The weather is lovely today.
Weather is a singular word in English — you can replace it with it, so it takes is.
Incorrect:I amn't ready.
Correct:I'm not ready.
Am not has no one-word short form, so the subject contracts instead.
Incorrect:She not is my sister.
Correct:She isn't my sister.
Not always comes after be, never in front of it.
Incorrect:Do you a student?
Correct:Are you a student?
Be asks its own questions; do belongs to ordinary verbs like work and live.
Incorrect:Yes, I'm.
Correct:Yes, I am.
A short answer cannot end on a contraction, so the full form is the only choice.
Incorrect:You are ready?
Correct:Are you ready?
An English question needs the words to swap places, not just a rising voice.
Incorrect:Where you are from?
Correct:Where are you from?
The question word goes first, but be still stands in front of the subject after it.
Quick check · 7 questions
Choose the correct form of be:
You are my best friend.
- A. are — Correct
- B. is
- C. am
Answer: A. are
You takes are even when you are speaking to one person. English has no separate singular you.
Choose the correct form of be:
My teachers are very kind.
- A. are — Correct
- B. is
Answer: A. are
Teachers ends in -s, so it is plural and stands in for they. Every plural subject takes are.
Choose the correct form of be:
Hoa and Mai are sisters.
- A. are — Correct
- B. is
- C. am
Answer: A. are
Hoa is a sister and Mai is a sister, but joined by and they become they, so the verb is are.
Which sentence is correct?
I am hungry.
- A. I hungry.
- B. I am hungry. — Correct
- C. I am hungry am.
Answer: B. I am hungry.
An adjective cannot be the verb of an English sentence. Something has to link the subject to it, and with a plain adjective that something is be.
Choose the correct negative:
We aren't at school today.
- A. aren't — Correct
- B. not are
- C. no are
Answer: A. aren't
Not always follows be rather than preceding it, and are not shortens to aren't.
Choose the word that starts the question:
Is your mother a teacher?
- A. Is — Correct
- B. Does
- C. She is
Answer: A. Is
Be borrows nothing: it moves in front of the subject by itself. Keeping the statement order and raising your voice leaves you with a statement.
Choose the correct verb for age:
My son is five years old.
- A. is — Correct
- B. has
- C. have
Answer: A. is
Many languages say someone has a number of years. English does not: it uses be, which is why "I have twenty years old" is the classic slip.
See whether it really stuck.
Start the quiz · 12 questions
