Qu'est-ce que c'est ?
Le verbe to be est utilisé pour décrire des personnes, des choses, des lieux, des sentiments, des âges, des métiers et des situations.
Les formes du présent sont :
- am
- is
- are
Utilisez am avec I.
- I am tired.
Utilisez is avec he, she et it.
- He is at home.
- She is a teacher.
- It is cold.
Utilisez are avec you, we et they.
- You are ready.
- We are friends.
- They are busy.
Quand l'utiliser
Utilisez to be pour parler :
- d'identité : I am Daniel.
- de métiers : She is a nurse.
- d'âge : He is twenty years old.
- de sentiments : We are happy.
- de descriptions : The room is small.
- de lieux : They are at work.
- de nationalité : She is Canadian.
- du temps qu'il fait et de l'heure : It is cold. It is six o'clock.
Utilisez les formes négatives pour dire que quelque chose n'est pas vrai.
- I am not tired.
- He is not at home.
- They are not ready.
Utilisez les questions pour demander l'identité, l'état, le lieu, l'âge ou une description.
- Are you tired?
- Is she at work?
- Are they students?
Structure
Phrases affirmatives
Utilisez :
sujet + am/is/are + complément
| Sujet | Forme | Exemple |
|---|---|---|
| I | am | I am ready. |
| he / she / it | is | She is busy. |
| you / we / they | are | They are outside. |
Les contractions courantes sont :
| Forme complète | Forme contractée |
|---|---|
| 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 |
Phrases négatives
Utilisez :
sujet + am/is/are + not + complément
| Sujet | Forme complète | Forme contractée |
|---|---|---|
| I | am not | I'm not |
| he / she / it | is not | isn't |
| you / we / they | are not | aren't |
Exemples :
- I'm not hungry.
- She isn't at home.
- We aren't late.
Les formes he's not, she's not, you're not et they're not sont également correctes.
Questions
Placez am, is ou are avant le sujet.
am/is/are + sujet + complément ?
| Phrase affirmative | 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? |
Réponses courtes
Utilisez am, is ou are dans les réponses courtes.
- 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.
N'utilisez normalement pas de contractions affirmatives dans les réponses courtes.
- Correct : Yes, I am.
- Incorrect : Yes, I'm.
Exemples
- 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
Utilisez am I not? dans les questions formelles.
- Am I not invited?
En anglais courant, aren't I? est courant dans les questions négatives et les question tags.
- Aren't I invited?
- I'm late, aren't I?
N'utilisez pas do, does ou did avec to be.
- Correct : Is she tired?
- Incorrect : Does she be tired?
Le verbe to be n'utilise pas de verbe principal séparé dans les descriptions simples.
- She is happy.
- They are at home.
Erreurs courantes
-
Incorrect : I is tired. Correct : I am tired. Explication : Utilisez am avec I.
-
Incorrect : They is at home. Correct : They are at home. Explication : Utilisez are avec they.
-
Incorrect : She not is ready. Correct : She is not ready. Explication : Placez not après is.
-
Incorrect : I don't am hungry. Correct : I am not hungry. Explication : N'utilisez pas do avec to be.
-
Incorrect : Does he be at work? Correct : Is he at work? Explication : Placez is avant le sujet pour former une question.
-
Incorrect : Are she tired? Correct : Is she tired? Explication : Utilisez is avec she.
-
Incorrect : Is they ready? Correct : Are they ready? Explication : Utilisez are avec they.
-
Incorrect : Yes, I'm. Correct : Yes, I am. Explication : N'utilisez normalement pas de contraction affirmative dans une réponse courte.