What is it?
The verb to be is used to describe people, things, places, feelings, ages, jobs, and situations.
The present forms are:
- am
- is
- are
Use am with I.
- I am tired.
Use is with he, she, and it.
- He is at home.
- She is a teacher.
- It is cold.
Use are with you, we, and they.
- You are ready.
- We are friends.
- They are busy.
When to use
Use to be to talk about:
- identity: I am Daniel.
- jobs: She is a nurse.
- age: He is twenty years old.
- feelings: We are happy.
- descriptions: The room is small.
- locations: They are at work.
- nationality: She is Canadian.
- weather and time: It is cold. It is six o’clock.
Use negative forms to say that something is not true.
- I am not tired.
- He is not at home.
- They are not ready.
Use questions to ask about identity, condition, location, age, or description.
- Are you tired?
- Is she at work?
- Are they students?
Structure
Positive sentences
Use:
subject + am/is/are + complement
| Subject | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I | am | I am ready. |
| he / she / it | is | She is busy. |
| you / we / they | are | They are outside. |
Common contractions are:
| Full form | Short form |
|---|---|
| I am | I’m |
| he is | he’s |
| she is | she’s |
| it is | it’s |
| you are | you’re |
| we are | we’re |
| they are | they’re |
Negative sentences
Use:
subject + am/is/are + not + complement
| Subject | Full form | Short form |
|---|---|---|
| I | am not | I’m not |
| he / she / it | is not | isn’t |
| you / we / they | are not | aren’t |
Examples:
- I’m not hungry.
- She isn’t at home.
- We aren’t late.
The forms he’s not, she’s not, you’re not, and they’re not are also correct.
Questions
Put am, is, or are before the subject.
am/is/are + subject + complement?
| Statement | Question |
|---|---|
| You are tired. | Are you tired? |
| She is at work. | Is she at work? |
| They are ready. | Are they ready? |
| I am late. | Am I late? |
Short answers
Use am, is, or are in short answers.
- Are you ready? — Yes, I am.
- Is he at home? — No, he isn’t.
- Are they busy? — Yes, they are.
- Is she a doctor? — No, she isn’t.
Do not normally use positive contractions in short answers.
- Correct: Yes, I am.
- Incorrect: Yes, I’m.
Examples
- I am a software developer.
- She is very tired today.
- They are at the bus stop.
- I’m not hungry.
- He isn’t at work.
- We aren’t ready yet.
- Are you from Canada?
- Is your brother at home?
- Are the children tired?
- Why is the door open?
Exceptions
Use am I not? in formal questions.
- Am I not invited?
In everyday English, aren’t I? is common in negative questions and question tags.
- Aren’t I invited?
- I’m late, aren’t I?
Do not use do, does, or did with to be.
- Correct: Is she tired?
- Incorrect: Does she be tired?
The verb to be does not use a separate main verb in simple descriptions.
- She is happy.
- They are at home.
Common mistakes
-
Incorrect: I is tired. Correct: I am tired. Explanation: Use am with I.
-
Incorrect: They is at home. Correct: They are at home. Explanation: Use are with they.
-
Incorrect: She not is ready. Correct: She is not ready. Explanation: Put not after is.
-
Incorrect: I don’t am hungry. Correct: I am not hungry. Explanation: Do not use do with to be.
-
Incorrect: Does he be at work? Correct: Is he at work? Explanation: Put is before the subject to form a question.
-
Incorrect: Are she tired? Correct: Is she tired? Explanation: Use is with she.
-
Incorrect: Is they ready? Correct: Are they ready? Explanation: Use are with they.
-
Incorrect: Yes, I’m. Correct: Yes, I am. Explanation: Do not normally use a positive contraction in a short answer.