9/18/23, 10:47 PM Verb "to be"

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Verb To Be
One of the most important verbs In English is the "to be" verb. Learn about its
meaning and uses in the English language.

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9/18/23, 10:47 PM Verb "to be"

Contents [ hide ]

How to use the “to be” verb

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Forms of “to be”

Base form: Be

Present

➕ Affirmative:
➖ Negative:
Past: Was / Were

Past Participle: been

Continuous: being

Passive form

Questions in English with the “to be” verb

Examples of the “to be” verb:

Printable Worksheets about the Verb “To Be” in English ️

Playlearn with Lingokids!

In English, verbs have a very important place in communication, they are the ones responsible for
expressing actions. Words like jump, run, speak… all are common and clear examples of verbs that
describe an action that a subject does. However, there is one verb that’s the most used in the
English language: the verb to be.

For children, learning the verbs -and especially this one- might be a difficult task. Verbs are
concepts that some kids might find hard to grasp, but through constant repetition using different
activities and exercises, learning about it can be easy, and even fun!

It’s essential for the little ones to learn the uses of the “to be” verb, after all, it’s used frequently
and for a lot of different purposes.

How to use the “to be” verb

The “to be” is a verb used to describe something or someone.

In English, it can be used to say different things according to the context. However, the most
common use of the to be verb is to talk about names, ages, feeling, nationalities, and professions,
especially when talking in the present tense.

The most tricky thing about this verb, however, is that It’s also one of the most irregular verbs in
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the English language. This means, that unlike regular verbs, which barely change when used when
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different subjects -or even in different tenses-, and when they do, they follow a pattern, the “to be”
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verb changes almost completely in most of its forms.
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9/18/23, 10:47 PM Verb "to be"

Forms of “to be”

Since the to be verb is highly irregular, it’s written in different ways according to the tense of the

Allverb (whether
Topics if it’s present, past,
Videos future, or even
Worksheets in mixed tenses),
Audiobooks Games and it also
Songsvaries according to
the subject. Let’s see the forms this verb can take when used next to the subjects.

Base form: Be

This is the most basic form of the verb, and it’s how we can find it in the dictionary. It’s mostly used
when using imperatives, and also as the infinitive. Some examples are:

Be nice to your sister! (imperative)

I like to be at my house. (infinitive)

Present

This form of the verb is mainly used in the simple present, and its meaning can change depending
on the use in the context. Also, when writing, the present form of the to be verb can be shortened.

Here is the to be for all the subjects in both long and short forms for affirmative sentences, and
also for negative sentences with to be.

➕ Affirmative:
I am – I’m

you are – you’re

he/she/it is – he’s/she’s/it’s

we/you/they are – we’re/you’re/they’re

➖ Negative:
I am not – I’m 
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you are not – You aren’t
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he/she/it isn’t
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9/18/23, 10:47 PM Verb "to be"

we/you/they aren’t

All Topics Let’s see someWorksheets

Videos examples of thisAudiobooks
for sentences with the “to be”
Games verb.
Songs

For names:
She is Sheila

For ages:
He is 6 years old.

For feelings:
Lauren and Sandra are happy.

For nationalities:
We are from Thailand.

For professions:
You aren’t a painter, you are a singer.

Past: Was / Were

When talking about the past, the to be verb changes its form again. This is how it looks with the
different subject pronouns.

I was – I wasn’t

you were – You weren’t

he/she/it was – he wasn’t/she wasn’t/it wasn’t

we/they/you were – we weren’t/they weren’t/you weren’t

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Some examples of the past form of the to be are:

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9/18/23, 10:47 PM Verb "to be"

I was at the school yesterday

You were 10 years old last year.

All Topics Billy and

Videos Elliot were students,
Worksheets now theyGames
Audiobooks are doctors.Songs

It was raining a while ago.

Past Participle: been

This is the form of the “to be” verb used with the perfect and passive tenses, and it is the same for
all the subjects.

It’s also used as an adjective in English sometimes.

She has been busy all day.

Lisa and Billy have been running for an hour.
He has been a teacher for a year now.

Continuous: being

The continuous form of the to be verb is used to make up the continuous tenses. Just as the past
participle, it’s the same for all the subjects.

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Elliot is being helpful. Help
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9/18/23, 10:47 PM Verb "to be"

Passive form

The “to be” verb, both in its present and past forms, can be used to make passive sentences.

The house was built in the mountains.

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The program is being recorded right now.

Questions in English with the “to be” verb

“To be” verb can be used to make questions in English in two different ways. The first one is to use
it normally with Wh- questions, like in the following sentences:

What‘s her name?

How old is Baby Bot?
How are they feeling?
Where are you from?
Do you know what my profession is?
What are you doing?

The second option, and also the most important, is to use the “to be” verb to make “yes” or “no”
questions in English. This type of questions are very simple, and they can be answered with a yes
or no.

Are you reading?

Yes, I am.

Is Lisa ready for bed?

No, she isn’t.

Examples of the “to be” verb:

I am Cowy, and I‘m from Ireland.

Elliot and Cowy are best friends.

Where are Billy and Elliot?

They are at the theater.

Bobby is helping Lisa with his homework.

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The river is very pretty.
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The flowers aren’t red, they are orange.
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9/18/23, 10:47 PM Verb "to be"

Are the dogs running in the field?

Yes, they are.

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Printable Worksheets about the Verb “To Be” in English ️

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content/uploads/2020/11/Verb_to_be_level_one.pdf)
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Playlearn with Lingokids!

Want to try learning all of this grammar through games, songs, and interactive activities?
Download the Lingokids app and discover the world of playlearning™ – a safe, game-based
learning experience that takes kids beyond the classroom.

Is your child ready to start Playlearning™?

Jumpstart your child’s Playlearning™ adventure by downloading the Lingokids app!

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