When it comes to learning any language and breaking down language barriers, polyglots always highlight knowledge of verbs. And it’s true: knowing verbs and knowing how to use them in various forms, you just need to “string” other words on them and you will already have whole sentences. In this situation, it is not surprising that most of the standard vocabulary of a native speaker of Russian, English, Chinese, and another arbitrarily chosen language is made up of this part of speech. But wait, this doesn’t mean that you should immediately start chaotically memorizing any verbs that catch your eye. If this makes any sense, it will be very small. Instead, it is better to analyze in detail those English verbs that are often and actively used in speech. This is exactly what we will do by studying the verb to be in English.
The verb to be, which is equivalent to the Russian “to be”, “to appear”, “to be”, is one of the most universal and most commonly used verbs in the English language. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that, unlike other representatives of this part, the verb to be is conjugated, changing in persons and numbers.
In addition, to be can be used as a semantic verb or assisted by another verb, acting as an auxiliary. But let's talk about everything in order.
The verb to be belongs to irregular verbs, therefore it has 3 forms. These forms are formed independently, without being explained by rules, so they simply need to be memorized:
The verb to be in the Past Simple or simple past tense in the number of its forms is reduced to two. Their use again depends on the person and number:
This, however, was not always the case. Previously, the future tense form shall be was used for first person pronouns (I / we). Now you can find it very rarely, so just knowing about its existence is enough. In all cases, use the form will.
Please note that other verbs in English are not conjugated. The fact is that there are no conjugations in this language at all, which greatly simplifies English grammar. The verb to be is an exception to the rule.
The forms of this verb in Simple tenses were presented above. All tense forms of the verb to be can be expressed in the following table:
| Simple (Simple) |
Continuous | Perfect (Perfect) |
|
| Past (Past) |
was / were | was / were being | had been |
| Present (Present) |
am/is/are | am / is / are being | have / has been |
| Future (Future) |
will be | will be being | will have been |
The verb to be may not be used in all tenses. So, in the Perfect Continuous the verb to be is not used. It can also be noted that continuous tenses with the verb to be are not very rare. The use of verbs in continuous forms is possible only in certain situations.
Verb to be in English: sentence forms
Affirmative form
The affirmative form of a sentence with the verb to be is constructed in a standard way: first comes the subject, followed by the verb to be in the required form as a predicate. Study the table:
Negative form
Negative forms of sentences with this verb are formed by adding the negative particle not after to be. No auxiliary verbs are required to use the form:
In both affirmative and negative sentences, the verb to be can be shortened:
There are no shortened forms for the past tense in the statement.
I am not, unlike other verbs, is shortened as I’m not. I amn't is used only in Scotland and Ireland.
Question form
The English question form depends on the type of question:
- In general questions or alternative questions, the verb be in the correct conjugation is placed before the subject. Tables for clarity :
The answer uses only the verb to be:
The answer uses an affirmative sentence:
If you want to use the future form of the verb, then will must be brought forward, while be will remain in its original place:
- In special questions, an English question word is added to the form above:
The answer is used in the affirmative form:
In your answer it is enough to use the verb to be:
- As part of a nominal predicate, which consists of a linking verb (to be) and a nominal part expressed by nouns or adjectives. In this case, the verb is translated into Russian as “is”.
Despite the fact that " There is” can be used, its presence will seem inappropriate, and the proposal will turn out somehow ugly. Judge for yourself:
The Russian language does not need this verb, so it is not usually used. The English language will not allow this, because the peculiarity of English sentences is that they are strictly ordered. In simple terms, if you, for example, are composing a complete affirmative sentence, then it must consistently use a subject and a verb, nothing else. In some way, a similar role to be can be associated with the obsolete “is”, which previously performed exactly the same function in the Russian language.
The verb to be in a nominal predicate can also be used to mean “be” in imperative sentences:
- As an auxiliary verb in Continuous and Perfect Continuous. In this case, the auxiliary verb to be is used with semantic verbs. The verb to be itself is usually not translated in such sentences. Study the examples in the table:
The verb to be can also be used to use the passive voice:
- In addition to the functions mentioned, the verb to be is also used as a component in the constructions:
- to be going to (getting ready);
| Lena is going to learn how to form verbs in Present Perfect tomorrow. | Tomorrow Lena is going to learn how to form verbs in the Present Perfect. |
| He is going to speak five languages. | He's going to speak five languages. |
| My family is going to London. | My family is going to London. |
| I was going to tell him but she didn’t allow me. | I was going to tell him, but she wouldn't let me. |
| George is going to make this operation in December. | George is going to have this operation in December. |
| We are going to buy some products. | We are going to buy groceries. |
| The students are going to do this whole list of exercises. | Students are going to do a whole list of exercises. |
- there is / are / (there is / exists);
- The use of the verb is also possible as a modal verb in the meaning of “should”, “agreed”, “agreed” when we are talking about obligations, orders, schedules and plans, the inevitability of events. In this case, to verb the to particle is added:
- And also when using the verb to be in English in the following constructions:
| to be good at (good to understand) |
We are good at this English grammar rule. | We are fluent in this rule of English grammar. |
| to be aware of (realize) |
We're aware of all possible risks. | We are aware of all possible risks. |
| to be late (be late) |
My co-worker was late for work because of the traffic jam. | My colleague was late for work due to traffic jam. |
| to be fond of | I'm fond of nature. | I love nature. |
| to be interested in (to be interested) |
They are interested in helping people. | They are interested in helping people. |
| to be sorry about (to regret something) |
I'm sorry about what happened. | I'm sorry about what happened. |
| to be sorry for (to feel sorry for someone) |
We are so sorry for your son. | We are very sorry for your son. |
| to be hungry (to be hungry) |
I am so hungry! I haven’t eaten since morning. | I'm so hungry! I haven't eaten since morning. |
| to be thirsty (to feel thirsty) |
After the marathon everyone was thirsty. | After the marathon, everyone was thirsty. |
| be about to (going to) |
Boris is about to start learning German and French languages. | Boris is going to start learning German and French. |
- Frequent uses of the verb are also associated with idioms. Here are some of them:
| be up to someone (depends on someone) |
We can either win or lose. It's up to you! | We will either win or lose. Everything depends on you! |
| be a man (be a man) |
Stop crying. Be a man! | Stop crying. Be a man! |
| be in love with (to be in love with) |
I should admit that I’m in love with her! She is gorgeous! | I must admit that I am in love with her! She's great! |
| be as stubborn as a mule (analogue in Russian: stubborn as a donkey) |
We can't work together because he doesn't want to listen to me. I say his approach is wrong but he is as stubborn as a mule. | We can't work together because he doesn't want to listen to me. I say his approach is wrong, but he is stubborn as a donkey. |
| be (a bit) on the expensive side (expensive / a bit expensive) |
That service is a bit on the expensive side. Maybe, we try to fix it ourselves, huh? | This service is a bit expensive. Maybe we can try to fix it ourselves, huh? |
| be on cloud nine (to be very happy) |
I'm on cloud nine! She said yes to me! Can you believe it? | I'm incredibly happy! She told me yes! Can you believe it? |
As you can see, the verb to be is very popular and varied, so it can be used in any situation with almost any tense. Once you understand the conjugations of this verb and its role in a sentence, you should not have any difficulty using it. Devote some time to English exercises on this topic to reinforce the material, compose your own examples, and most importantly, practice the language with native speakers. Because you won't find as much benefit in any exercise as you can get from people who use the language on a daily basis and can help you with any language barriers.
It is advisable to start learning verbs in English by studying the most common verb - verb to be — to be, is, appear.
Below is a table with changes in the verb to be by person (verb conjugation) in the present, past and future tense.
| Present tense | Past tense | Future tense | |
| I | am- I am | was | shall/will |
| You | are - he is | were | will |
| He, she, it | is- he, she, it is | was | will |
| We | are - you, you are | were | shall/will |
| You | are - we are | were | will |
| They | are - they exist | were | will |
In Russian, the verb “to be” can be omitted in affirmative sentences. For example: “He is at home”, “He is 25 years old”. In English You can't use sentences without a verb. The obligatory presence of a verb is necessary, although it may not be clearly translated into Russian. For example, to say “I am a pilot” in English you need to add the verb be, and as a result the sentence will take on the meaning “I am a pilot” - “I am pilot". Some more examples:
- I am 45 - I am 45 (I am 45)
- I am from Moscow - I am from Moscow (I am from Moscow)
- I am married - I'm married (I am married)
- He is Mark - His name is Mark (He is Mark)
Also in sentences abbreviated forms of the verb to be are used:
- I am = I"m
- He is = He's
- They are = They"re
- He is not = He isn't
- We are not = We aren't
Let's look at another difference between the Russian and English languages. In Russian, affirmative and interrogative sentences can differ only by a question mark at the end of the sentence. For example:
- He is a writer - a statement.
- Is he a writer? - question.
In the structure of speech in Russian, an interrogative sentence differs from an affirmative sentence by a special interrogative intonation. The English can say a statement with the same intonation as a question. The English get out of this situation by changing the word order in the sentence:
- He is a writer - He is a writer.
- Is he a writer - Is he a writer?
To ask a question you need to swap the subject he and auxiliary verb is(to be).
For negation in Russian the particle "ne" is used, and in English the particle " not", which is placed after the auxiliary verb be.
- He is not at home - He Not Houses.
- They are not enemies - They Not enemies.
To consolidate the forms of the verb to be in different persons and tenses, we conjugate the sentence “I am strong”:
Present tense:
| Present tense | Past tense | Future tense |
|
|
|
As an independent verb ( to be) is used to denote the age of people, the size of objects, the price of goods, time, weather, characteristics of people.
As an auxiliary verb be used to form continuous tenses and the passive voice (am/is/are/was/were).
Personal verb forms
| I | you | he, she, it | we | you | they | |
| am | are | is | are | are | are | |
| am being | are being | are being | are being | are being | are being | |
In combinations like “A is B”, such combinations are found everywhere in any language. For example:
I'm human.
My neighbor is a cook.
A dog is a pet.
As you can see, in Russian we do not insert the verb “to be” or “to appear” (in the present tense), but it is, as it were, implied:
I There is Human.
My neighbor is cook
Dog is pets.
However, in Russian we insert “to be” in the past and future tense:
House was cozy.
Holiday will chic.
By the way, in the old days there was a form of the verb “to be” for the present tense, remember the famous “Az am king" - "I am the king."
In English, linking verb to be used in present, past and future tenses.
To be is the only verb that changes by person
This verb seems not to have been taken from the English language; it changes in a completely atypical way for English. In English, verbs do not change by person (with the exception of the 3rd person singular form, which is formed in the same way for all verbs, by adding -s at the end). The verb to be is the only one that has special forms in different persons and numbers. Fortunately, these forms are few in number.
All times to be
Verb to be in the present tense
Present tense 3 forms: am, is, are.
Note: Some forms are abbreviated in colloquial speech, for example: I am - I’m. Abbreviations are given in parentheses.
I am a doctor - I am a doctor,
We are colleagues - we are colleagues,
You are my friend - you are my friend,
He (She) is the president - he (she) is the president,
It is your job is your job,
They are our children - they are our children.
Most of the table was occupied by “are” - it’s not difficult to remember.
Verb to be in past tense
Past tense It’s even easier to remember, there are only 2 forms: was- singular number, were- plural (you - is considered plural from the point of view of grammar, even when it has the meaning of singular). Abbreviations are not used in the past tense.
I was your teacher - I was your teacher,
We were soldiers - we were soldiers,
You were my classmate - you were my classmate,
She was your nanny - she was your nanny,
They were friends - they were friends.
Verb to be in the future tense
In the future tense still simpler - auxiliary verb + one single form of “be”. “Will” itself is not translated in any way; it serves as an indicator of the future tense.
I will be patient - I will be patient.
You will be happy - You will be happy.
Mark will be busy tomorrow – Mark will be busy tomorrow.
Negative and interrogative form with to be
Negatives with to be are built according to a simple pattern, in the present and past tense after to be you need to put a negative particle not, in the future not placed between will And be (will not be).
In the negative form you can also abbreviate, for example: I’m not..., we’re not.
Note: Negations with are, you, can be reduced in two ways:
Both methods are equivalent in meaning, both are used in oral speech (abbreviations are not typical for written language at all), but the first one is usually used because it is easier to pronounce and it is more understandable for the interlocutor, in it not sounds clearer.
| Singular | Plural | |
| Present tense | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | I am not | We are not |
| 2nd person | You are not | You are not |
| 3rd person | He (she, it) is not | They are not |
| Past tense | ||
| 1 person | I was not | We were not |
| 2nd person | You were not | You were not |
| 3rd person | He (she, it) was not | They were not |
| Future tense | ||
| 1 person | I will not be | We will not be |
| 2nd person | You will not be | You will not be |
| 3rd person | He (she, it) will not be | They will not be |
To form a question form, rearrange to b e to the beginning of the phrase (don't forget the interrogative intonation and question mark).
| Singular | Plural | |
| Present tense | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | Am I...? | Are we..? |
| 2nd person | Are you..? | Are you..? |
| 3rd person | Is he (she, it) ..? | Are they..? |
| Past tense | ||
| 1 person | Was I..? | Were we..? |
| 2nd person | Were you..? | Were you..? |
| 3rd person | Was he (she, it) ..? | Were they..? |
| Future tense | ||
| 1 person | Will I be ..? | Will we be ..? |
| 2nd person | Will you be ..? | Will you be ..? |
| 3rd person | Will he (she, it) be ..? | Will they be ..? |
How to permanently learn the conjugation of the verb to be
The verb to be is the main hinge in the mechanisms of English grammar. This is the most common word in the English language (not counting “the”, which is difficult to call a separate word). Advancing in grammar without knowing firmly what to be is like studying mathematics without knowing the multiplication table well. You need to not only learn it, but bring its use to automatism, so that you don’t think about which form to choose: am or are, was or were.
Here's how you can do it:
1. Conjugate all three tables in your head to remember them well.
Start with the present tense - the most difficult (although what is difficult there, there are only 3 forms). Conjugate out loud in order: I am, you are, he is, we are, you are, they are. To avoid getting confused by faces, point your finger at yourself, at your imaginary interlocutor (you can put a cat next to you), at “them,” at “us,” and so on. Do the same with the past tense and the future. I'm sure you can handle the future on the first try - there is only one form.
2. Make up short phrases with the verb to be and practice with them.
Make up different phrases for all persons, numbers, tenses. Make cards with these phrases and learn them not only in order, but also randomly - mixing tenses, faces, numbers. Your task is to see a phrase in Russian and immediately remember it in English. “Immediately” means instantly, without hesitation. To do this, run the cards with a stopwatch, trying to set a speed record (read more about this method of working with cards).
3. Teach to be in affirmative, negative and interrogative forms.
When you remember the affirmative form well, go through the negative and interrogative forms. You shouldn't have any problems building these forms.
4. Exercise regularly until it “bounces off your teeth.”
Even if you memorize the forms of the verb to be perfectly, you need to repeat them, otherwise they will be forgotten. Repeat the exercise with cards from time to time, checking if you have forgotten the words, conjugate to be in your mind when you have a minute. Repetition is the key to strong memorization. If you devote only 10-15 minutes a day to repetition, then after a week you will remember it very well. As you continue to study (and use English in general), you will use this “hinge” very often, so you will never be able to forget it.
Cards for learning the verb to be
It's best if you make the cards yourself, substituting the words you choose, but you can use these too. The cards are divided into three groups: to be in affirmative, interrogative, and negative form. Don't forget that Quizlet has as many
Personal pronouns and the verb to be
Personal pronouns and the verb to be
After several lessons in the Biglang textbook, you already know how to describe surrounding objects in English, both in the singular and in the plural:
This is a cup, the cup is big and red. It's new.
The cups are big and red.
However, we have not yet learned to describe ourselves or people in other faces. For example, we cannot say: you are kind, I am an American, you are smart, etc. In order to fill this gap, we need to know how to say I, You, He, She, etc. in English, as well as learn all forms of the verb to be- be.
Let's start with personal pronouns.
Note: Pronouns in the nominative case - I, you, we, he, you, etc., are called personal.
I - I
You - you / you
He - he
She - she
It - it, this
We - we
They - they
English inanimate nouns do not have genders, but people do. Therefore, the pronouns he and she refer only to people. He - to a man, and she - to a woman. The pronoun it refers to non-living (inanimate) objects. They apply to both inanimate objects and people.
That's why pronouns have such a name that they are used instead of names - i.e. instead of nouns. Let's look at an example of replacing nouns with corresponding pronouns:
Mr. Brown - he
The girl - she
The table - it
Mr. and Mrs. Brown - they
The tables - they
Try right now to memorize English personal pronouns and say them in English:
You
We
He
I
She
It
You
Personal pronouns are a very important topic in the English language. Know them and don’t confuse them, now they will meet all the time. However, they will not occur on their own, but necessarily with verbs. To say, for example: I'm smart, you're beautiful, we're friends - we definitely need to use a verb to be(be).
There is one interesting point in the English language that may seem unusual and somewhat offend the Russian ear. In English, the verb “to be” must be used in sentences in which this verb is absent in Russian:
The lamp is white - The lamp (is) white
The girl is nice - The girl (is) cute
The pencils are long - Pencils (are) long
In order to say I'm big or You're sweet, in English you also need to say I there is a big one, You there is a sweetheart, but in this case we cannot use the form is .
Is is only one form of the verb to be, referring to the third person singular (he, she, it). Let's look at all the forms of this verb.
I am - I am
You are - you are
He is - he exists
She is - she is
It is - it is
We are - we are
They are - they are
Remember the conjugation of the verb to be and use the correct forms all the time.
Now let's try to connect full-fledged sentences:
I am smart - I am intelligent
You are beautiful - You are beautiful
We are friends - We are friends
He is American - He is American
She is tall
They are happy - They are happy
You and Mike are good boys
Say it yourself:
I'm joyful
You're tall
We are smart
She's beautiful
Are you friends
In fact, as you can understand, forms of the verb to be can be used not only with pronouns, but also with full nouns:
The boys are intelligent
Mr. Brown is old
Rebecca is tall
The houses are white
These phrases are already familiar to you. We already used them, but we didn’t know that is and are are two forms of the same verb to be.
Practice your acquired knowledge through exercises.
Exercises
Exercises
Exercise 1
Say the following personal pronouns in English
He, I, We, You, She, They, It, You
Exercise 2
Example:
Tom - he;
The houses - they.
1. Kate and Jane - __________________;
2. Mary - __________________;
3. Peter and I - __________________;
4. David and you - __________________;
5. You and I - __________________;
6. The children and you - __________________;
7. We and you - __________________;
8. The dog - __________________;
9. The women - __________________;
10. The book - __________________.
Exercise 3
Put the verb to be in the correct form
1. You - _____________;
2. We - _____________;
3. I - _____________;
4. He - _____________;
5. They - _____________;
6. She - _____________;
7. It is _____________.
Exercise 4
Replace persons and objects with appropriate pronouns
Example:
The trees are green - They are green
1. The girls are blonde; 2. Patrick is a teacher; 3. Lisa is a nice girl; 4. Mike and Sam are good friends; 5. Charles and I are students; 6. You and Rebecca are Canadians; 7. You and I are very intelligent; 8. The flower is yellow.
Exercise 5
Answer yes to the questions using the correct pronoun.
Example:
Are you American? - Yes, I am American
1. Are they Russian? 2. Is he Pete? 3. Are you a student? 4. Is she beautiful? 5. Are we friends? 6. Is the bridge long? 7. Are the children nice? 8. Is Kate blonde? 9. Are you teachers? 10. Is Michael tall?
Exercise 6
Put the sentences in negative form
Example:
Mary is a teacher - Mary is not a teacher = Mary isn't a teacher = She isn't a teacher
1. We are happy; 2. The cat is gray; 3. They are very nice; 4. I am a football player; 5. He is Chris; 6. It is interesting; 7. You are Russian; 8. She is very tall; 9. We are young; 10. Nick and Daniel are very good boys.
Exercise 7
Give negative answers to the questions using the correct pronoun.
Example:
Are you and Mike friends?
- No, we are not friends.
1. Is Mary blonde? 2. Are you happy? 3. Is the house white? 4. Are the walls black? 5. Am I right? 6. Are George and Rob students? 7. Are you and I French? 8. Are you and they football players? 9. Is Andy a waiter? 10. Are you partners?
Exercise 8
Pluralize the sentences using the correct pronoun
Example:
I"m a teacher - We are teachers
The lake is big - The lakes are big - They are big
1. She is a student; 2. The car is red; 3. Mike is ready; 4. I am busy; 5. The book is not interesting; 6. He is a waiter; 7. The river is long; 8. Mary is tall and beautiful.
Exercise 9
Ask direct questions to proposals
Example:
I am a student - Are you a student?
Kate is blonde - Is she blonde?
1.Mr. Brown is old - _________________________;
2. Lucy is young - _________________________;
3. Chris and Bob are busy - _________________________;
4. The dog is brown - _________________________;
5. The film is new - _________________________;
6. I"m tired - _________________________;
7. Steve and I are old friends - _________________________;
8. You are very intelligent - _________________________;
9. You are good teachers - _________________________;
10. The shops are very expensive - _________________________.
Exercise 10
Translate the sentences into English
1. I am a student; 2. You are Americans; 3. She is very sweet; 4. They are young; 5. We are waiters; 6. Are you waiters? 7. He is not ready; 8. Are you happy? 9. Are Patrick and Mary good friends? 10. I'm not French.