ESL Grammar Course
A1: Beginner
The Verb ‘To Be’
The verb ‘to be’ is the most fundamental verb in English. We use it to describe who someone is, what something is, where things are, and how people feel. It’s the foundation for building almost any sentence.
Scope & Content:
- Affirmative: Making positive statements (e.g., “I am a student.”).
- Negative: Making negative statements (e.g., “She is not here.”).
- Interrogative: Asking questions (e.g., “Are you from Brazil?”).
⚠️ Attention: Common Challenges
1. One Verb for Two Ideas: In English, the verb ‘to be’ is used for both permanent characteristics and temporary states or feelings.
- “I am Brazilian.” (A permanent characteristic)
- “I am tired.” (A temporary feeling)
2. The Subject is Mandatory!: This is a very important rule. In English, every sentence MUST have a subject (`I`, `you`, `he`, `she`, `it`, `we`, `they`). You cannot start a sentence with the verb ‘to be’ in these cases.
- Correct: “It is cool.” (Incorrect:
Is cool.) - Correct: “He is here.” or “It is here.” (Incorrect:
Is here.)
Conjugation Tables
Affirmative (+)
| I am | I’m |
| You are | You’re |
| He/She/It is | He’s/She’s/It’s |
| We are | We’re |
| They are | They’re |
Negative (-)
| I am not | I’m not |
| You are not | You aren’t |
| He/She/It is not | He/She/It isn’t |
| We are not | We aren’t |
| They are not | They aren’t |
Interrogative (?)
| Am I…? |
| Are you…? |
| Is he/she/it…? |
| Are we…? |
| Are they…? |