The Verb to Be

Verb To Be

In this lesson we will learn about 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:

Affirmative forms of the verb To Be

Contractions of To Be are very frequent when we are speaking.

Multiple Choice

She ____ a student.

• am

• is

• are

Multiple Choice

They ____ in the park.

• am

• is

• are

Multiple Choice

I ____ a teacher.

• am

• is

• are

Negative Forms of the verb to be

The negative of To Be can be made by adding not after the verb.

Fill in the Blanks

What is the contraction of is not?

Fill in the Blanks

What is the contraction of are not?

Interrogative forms of the verb To Be

We create simple yes/no questions by inverting the order of subject and the “To be” verb.

Fill in the Blanks

Change the following sentence to question.

He is happy.

Fill in the Blanks

Change the following sentence to question.

We are in the school.

Short answers

Multiple Choice

Is he 8 years old?

• Yes, he is.

• Yes, he isn't

• No, He is

• No, he isn't

Multiple Choice

Is it a big dog?

• Yes, it is.

• Yes, it isn't.

• No, it is.

• No, it isn't.

Poll

Are you a good student?

• Yes, I am.

• No, I'm not.

• Yes, you are.

• No, you aren't.