The verb "to be” can express two meanings: to be or to be. So, so much to say that I'm a teacher (I am the teacher), how much to say that I am at school (I am at school), the verb “to be”.
The verb "to be” in the present is conjugated in "am", "is" and "are". Below is a table to indicate the correct use of the verb "to be" in the present tense:
| Personal Pronouns (Personal pronouns) | Verb "to be" in the present |
| I | am (I am/I am) |
| you | are (is/is) |
| he | is (is/is) |
| she | is (is/is) |
| It | is (is/is) |
| we | are (we are/we are) |
| you | are (are/are) |
| they | are (are/are) |
Ex.:
you are a student. (You're a student).
he is my neighbor. (He is my neighbor).
She is at the supermarket. (She is in the supermarket).
the dog is outside. (The dog is outside).
we are friends. (We are friends).
You are my enemies. (You are my enemies).
they are upstairs. (They are up there).
For the negative form, just add "not” after the verb “to be" (am, is, are):
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they are not in their bedroom. (They are not in their room).
we are not nurses. (We are not nurses).
I am not your teacher. (I am not your teacher).
It is possible to abbreviate the verb “to be" like "not”. This form is widely used in conversation. Below is a list of possible abbreviations for the negative form:
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verb to be in the negative | |
| I am not | I'm not |
| you are not | You aren't |
| he is not | he isnt |
| she is not | she isn’t |
| It is not | It isn’t |
| we are not | we aren't |
| you are not | You aren't |
| they are not | they aren't |
For the interrogative form, just invert the verb "to be" (am, is, are), putting it at the beginning of the sentence:
Is she your sister? (Is she your sister?)
Are we on the right road? (Are we on the right road?)
Are you my classmate? (Are you my classmate?)
Layssa Gabriela Almeida e Silva
Brazil School Collaborator
Degree in Languages - English from the State University of Goiás - UEG
Improvement course in English by Zoni Language Centers - USA - USA
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SILVA, Layssa Gabriela Almeida e. "Verb to be"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/ingles/verbo-to-be.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.
