The verb to be shows a state, condition, or gives information about the subject. It is used as both a main verb and an auxiliary verb. In this lesson, we will learn the use of the verb to be in the affirmative, negative, and interrogative forms with example sentences.

As a main verb:

  1. I am a teacher.
  2. You are my best friend.
  3. She is an artist.
  4. We are on the same team.
  5. They are students at the local university.

As an auxiliary verb:

An auxiliary verb (also called a helping verb) is a verb used together with a main verb to help form tenses, voices, questions, or negatives.

  1. I am playing the guitar.
  2. You are reading a book.
  3. He is swimming in the pool.
  4. We are watching a movie.
  5. They were eating breakfast when I came in.

1. Be verb in different forms

the verb to be: forms and examples - Summary table
Be verb forms
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1. The verb be

The verb be is irregular. This means that its form changes depending on the subject and the tense.

In English, be is used to talk about identity, age, feelings, jobs, places, descriptions, and temporary behaviour.

1.1 Present simple: am / is / are

We use the present simple of be to talk about facts, identity, feelings, descriptions, jobs, ages, and places.

Subject Positive Short form Negative Negative short form Question
I I am I’m I am not I’m not Am I?
you you are you’re you are not you aren’t / you’re not Are you?
he he is he’s he is not he isn’t / he’s not Is he?
she she is she’s she is not she isn’t / she’s not Is she?
it it is it’s it is not it isn’t / it’s not Is it?
we we are we’re we are not we aren’t / we’re not Are we?
they they are they’re they are not they aren’t / they’re not Are they?

In questions, we put am, is, or are before the subject.

Negative questions in the present

Negative questions are often used when we expect agreement, confirmation, or surprise.

Full form Short form
Am I not? —
Are you not? Aren’t you?
Is he not? Isn’t he?
Is she not? Isn’t she?
Is it not? Isn’t it?
Are we not? Aren’t we?
Are they not? Aren’t they?

Example: Aren’t you cold? means “I think you may be cold.”

1.2 Past simple: was / were

We use was and were to talk about past states, past feelings, past places, and past situations.

Subject Positive Negative Negative short form Question
I I was I was not I wasn’t Was I?
you you were you were not you weren’t Were you?
he / she / it he was he was not he wasn’t Was he?
we we were we were not we weren’t Were we?
they they were they were not they weren’t Were they?

1.3 Future simple: will be

We use will be to talk about a future state, situation, feeling, place, or description.

Form Structure Example
Positive subject + will be I will be ready.
Short form subject + ’ll be I’ll be ready.
Negative subject + will not be I will not be late.
Negative short form subject + won’t be I won’t be late.
Question will + subject + be? Will you be there?
Negative question won’t + subject + be? Won’t you be there?

The form is the same for all subjects: I will be, you will be, he will be, we will be, they will be.

1.4 Present continuous: am / is / are being

We use am / is / are being when someone is behaving in a certain way at the moment. It usually describes temporary behaviour, not a permanent personality.

Form Structure Example
Positive subject + am / is / are + being He is being very quiet today.
Negative subject + am not / isn’t / aren’t + being She isn’t being rude.
Question am / is / are + subject + being? Are you being serious?

Be being is grammatically possible, but it is not common in everyday English. It is mainly used to describe temporary behaviour.

1.5 Past continuous: was / were being

We use was / were being to describe temporary behaviour in the past.

Form Structure Example
Positive subject + was / were + being He was being difficult.
Negative subject + wasn’t / weren’t + being They weren’t being honest.
Question was / were + subject + being? Was she being serious?

1.6 Present perfect: have / has been

We use have / has been when a past situation is connected to the present.

Form Structure Example
Positive I / you / we / they + have been They have been busy.
Positive he / she / it + has been She has been ill.
Short form ’ve been / ’s been I’ve been tired. / He’s been busy.
Negative haven’t been / hasn’t been We haven’t been ready.
Question have / has + subject + been? Have you been here before?

1.7 Past perfect: had been

We use had been to talk about a state or situation that happened before another moment in the past.

Form Structure Example
Positive subject + had been I had been tired before the meeting started.
Short form subject + ’d been She’d been nervous before the exam.
Negative subject + hadn’t been They hadn’t been ready.
Question had + subject + been? Had you been there before?

1.8 Future perfect: will have been

We use will have been to say that a state or situation will be complete before a future time.

Form Structure Example
Positive subject + will have been By Monday, I will have been here for a week.
Short form subject + ’ll have been By Monday, I’ll have been here for a week.
Negative subject + won’t have been He won’t have been ready for long.
Question will + subject + have been? Will they have been here long?

1.9 Quick summary

Tense Main form Example
Present simple am / is / are She is happy.
Past simple was / were They were late.
Future simple will be I will be ready.
Present continuous am / is / are being He is being quiet.
Past continuous was / were being She was being careful.
Present perfect have / has been We have been busy.
Past perfect had been I had been ill.
Future perfect will have been They will have been ready.

2. Use of the verb to be

The verb to be has many uses. It is used to say who someone is or what they do. It can also show where someone or something is. In addition, we use to be to talk about feelings or emotions. It helps describe what a person or thing is like. We also use to be when we talk about time and dates.

2.1 Describing identity or occupation

1. He is an engineer.

2. She is a student.

3. They are firefighters.

4. We are musicians.

5. He is a chef.

6. I am a pilot.

7. She is a lawyer.

8. He is a police officer.

9. They are athletes.

10. Are you a graphic designer?

2.2 Indicating location

1. The computer is on the table.

2. The cat is under the bed.

3. The park is near our house.

4. The keys are in the drawer.

5. She is in the kitchen.

6. The shoes are by the door.

7. They are at the cinema.

8. The phone is on the desk.

9. The children are in the playground.

10. He is in the office.

11. The library is across the street.

2.3 Describing feelings or emotions

1. I am bored.

2. She is angry.

3. She is excited about the trip.

4. They are sad because of the news.

5. I am nervous about the presentation.

6. He is surprised by the gift.

7. She is disappointed with the results.

8. They are proud of their achievements.

9. I am scared of the dark.

10. He is afraid of snakes.

2.4 Describing characteristics

1. The house is big.

2. The dog is friendly.

3. The cake is delicious.

4. He is tall.

5. She is kind.

6. The weather is cold.

7. He is intelligent.

8. The flowers are colourful.

9. The dress is elegant.

10. This book is very informative.

2.5 Talking about time and dates

1. What time is it?

2. It’s noon.

3. Tomorrow is Tuesday.

4. It is 7 o’clock in the morning.

5. The meeting is on Wednesday.

6. Her birthday is on October 21st.

7. It is 1:45 p.m.

8. The concert is on Friday night.

9. The deadline is September 15th.

10. It is 12:30 in the afternoon.

11. Today is the first day of summer.

12. The party is on Saturday evening.

13. The appointment is at 10 a.m. sharp.

14. Today is the 5th of May.

15. It is 6:15 in the evening.

3. Common expressions using 'be'

Many idioms and expressions use the verb to be. For example, when someone says they are on cloud nine, they are extremely happy.

The expressions below are commonly used in English.

To be on cloud nine

To be extremely happy or ecstatic

Ever since he got the promotion, he's been on cloud nine.

To be in hot water

To be in trouble

If you don't finish your project on time, you'll be in hot water with the boss.

To be in the same boat

To be in the same situation as someone else

Don't worry, I haven't finished my essay either. We're in the same boat.

To be a piece of cake

To be very easy

Don't stress about the test, it's a piece of cake.

To be over the moon

To be very happy

She was over the moon when she found out she got the job.

To be on the ball

To be alert and knowledgeable

You always have to be on the ball in business negotiations.

To be under the weather

To feel sick or unwell

I think I'm catching a cold. I've been feeling under the weather all day.

To be up in the air

For something to be uncertain or unresolved

Our vacation plans are still up in the air. We haven't decided where to go yet.

To be all ears

To listen carefully and attentively

Tell me about your day, I'm all ears.

To be on the fence

To be undecided about something

I'm on the fence about buying the new phone or keeping my old one.

To be out of the loop

To not have current knowledge or information

I didn't know they were getting married. I guess I'm out of the loop.

To be on pins and needles

To be anxiously awaiting something

I've been on pins and needles waiting for the test results.

To be in stitches

To be laughing uncontrollably

The comedian was so funny, the whole audience was in stitches.

To be in over one's head

To be involved in a situation too difficult to manage

I thought I could handle the situation, but now I feel I'm in over my head.

Try to use these expressions in your daily conversation. Talk to yourself, practice with a friend, or join an English conversation group. The more you use them, the more natural they will feel.

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