Verb To Be (Am, Is, Are, Was, Were)

Am, Is, Are — Easy

easy

Practise basic present forms with clear subjects

20 questions • 10 min

Am, Is, Are — Intermediate

medium

Proper nouns, compound subjects, and varied contexts

20 questions • 12 min

Am, Is, Are — Advanced

hard

Mixed present and past with time markers

20 questions • 14 min

Contractions — Basic

easy

Short forms: I'm, you're, he's, she's, we're, they're

20 questions • 10 min

Contractions — Advanced

medium

Positive and negative contractions together

20 questions • 12 min

Negative Forms — Basic

easy

Practise am not, isn't, and aren't

20 questions • 10 min

Negative Forms — Advanced

medium

Present and past negative: isn't, aren't, wasn't, weren't

20 questions • 12 min

Questions

medium

Form questions: Am I? Is she? Are they? Was he? Were you?

20 questions • 12 min

Short Answers

medium

Yes, I am. / No, she isn't. / Yes, they were.

20 questions • 12 min

Am, Is, Are: Negatives and Questions Multiple Choice

Multiple choiceeasy

Choose isn't, aren't, Am I…? or Yes, I am in 20 quick questions on present be

20 questions • 10 min

Was & Were

easy

Past forms: was and were in positive sentences

20 questions • 10 min

Past Negative & Questions

medium

Practise wasn't, weren't and past question forms

20 questions • 12 min

Identity and Description

Dictationeasy

Practise hearing and writing identity and description in complete sentences.

10 sentences • 7 min

Negative States

Dictationeasy

Practise hearing and writing negative states in complete sentences.

10 sentences • 7 min

Question Order with Be

Dictationeasy

Practise hearing and writing question order with be in complete sentences.

10 sentences • 7 min

Past States with Was and Were

Dictationeasy

Practise hearing and writing past states with was and were in complete sentences.

10 sentences • 7 min

Locations and Times

Dictationeasy

Practise hearing and writing locations and times in complete sentences.

10 sentences • 7 min

What is the verb "to be" in English?

The verb "to be" is the most important and most common verb in the English language. It is used to describe identity ("I am a student"), states ("She is happy"), location ("They are at home"), and age ("He is 25 years old"). Unlike other English verbs, "to be" has three present forms (am, is, are) and two past forms (was, were), making it highly irregular.

Identity & Profession

"I am a teacher."

"She is a doctor."

Feelings & States

"They are tired."

"He is hungry."

Location

"We are at school."

"The book is on the table."

Age & Description

"I am 30 years old."

"The house is big."

Key fact: Many languages (Spanish, Arabic, Russian, Chinese) either don't use a "be" verb or use it differently. That's why learners often forget to include it: ✗ "She happy" → ✓ "She is happy".

How do you conjugate the verb "to be" in the present tense (am, is, are)?

The verb "to be" has three forms in the present tense: am (used only with I), is (used with he, she, it, and singular nouns), and are (used with you, we, they, and plural nouns). This is the first grammar rule most English learners study at A1 level.

Subject	Verb	Example
I	am	I am a student.
You	are	You are kind.
He / She / It	is	She is a doctor.
We	are	We are friends.
They	are	They are at school.

Memory tip: Think of it as a simple rule: I → am, one person/thing → is, more than one → are. The only exception is "you", which always takes "are" even when talking to one person.

Verb To Be Present Tense - Am, Is, Are conjugation chart

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How do you make contractions with the verb "to be"?

Contractions combine the subject pronoun and the verb "to be" into a shorter form. They are extremely common in spoken English and informal writing. Learning contractions is essential because native speakers use them in almost every conversation.

Full Form	Contraction	Example
I am	I'm	I'm from Spain.
You are	You're	You're very tall.
He is / She is / It is	He's / She's / It's	He's my brother.
We are	We're	We're in the kitchen.
They are	They're	They're from Brazil.

Watch out! Don't confuse it's (= it is) with its (= possession). "It's cold" means "It is cold". "The dog ate its food" means the food belongs to the dog.

How do you make negative sentences with the verb "to be" (am not, isn't, aren't)?

To make a negative sentence with "to be", simply add not after the verb. In spoken English, we almost always use the contracted forms: isn't (is not), aren't (are not). Note that "I am not" contracts to "I'm not" — there is no "amn't" form in standard English.

II am not / I'm not

"I'm not tired."

3rdHe/She/It is not → isn't or he's not / she's not

"She isn't at home." = "She's not at home."

PlYou/We/They are not → aren't or you're not / we're not

"They aren't ready." = "They're not ready."

Key rule: With "to be", you never need "do/does/don't/doesn't" for negatives. ✗ "She doesn't be happy" → ✓ "She isn't happy".

How do you form questions with the verb "to be" (am/is/are)?

To form a yes/no question with "to be", simply move the verb before the subject. This is called inversion. Unlike other English verbs, "to be" does not need "do" or "does" to form questions. For wh-questions, put the question word first, then the verb, then the subject.

Statement	Yes/No Question
I am late.	Am I late?
She is a teacher.	Is she a teacher?
They are at home.	Are they at home?
He was tired.	Was he tired?
You were at the party.	Were you at the party?

Wh-Questions with Am, Is, Are

Where is the station?

What is your name?

How old are you?

Why are they late?

Remember: Never use "do/does" with "to be" questions. ✗ "Do you are happy?" → ✓ "Are you happy?"

How do you use short answers with the verb "to be"?

In English, we usually answer yes/no questions with short answers rather than just "yes" or "no". Short answers use the subject + the correct form of "to be". The most important rule: positive short answers cannot use contractions, but negative short answers can.

Question	Positive	Negative
Am I late?	Yes, you are.	No, you aren't.
Is she a doctor?	Yes, she is.	No, she isn't.
Are they ready?	Yes, they are.	No, they aren't.
Was he tired?	Yes, he was.	No, he wasn't.
Were they happy?	Yes, they were.	No, they weren't.

Critical rule: You cannot contract positive short answers. ✗ "Yes, I'm." ✗ "Yes, she's." → ✓ "Yes, I am." ✓ "Yes, she is."

How do you use "was" and "were" — the past forms of the verb "to be"?

The verb "to be" has two past forms: was (used with I, he, she, it, and singular nouns) and were (used with you, we, they, and plural nouns). These are used to talk about past states, locations, feelings, and descriptions. The negative forms are wasn't and weren't.

Subject	Positive	Negative	Question
I	I was	I wasn't	Was I...?
You	You were	You weren't	Were you...?
He / She / It	He/She/It was	He/She/It wasn't	Was he/she/it...?
We	We were	We weren't	Were we...?
They	They were	They weren't	Were they...?

Examples with Was and Were

"I was at the cinema yesterday."

I + past = was

"The children were in the garden."

They + past = were

"She wasn't at work last Monday."

She + past + not = wasn't

"Were you at the party last night?"

You + past question = Were...?

Verb To Be Past Tense - Was and Were conjugation chart

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What are the most common mistakes with the verb "to be" (am, is, are)?

The most common mistakes with "to be" come from first language (L1) interference. Many languages don't require a "be" verb, so learners forget it. Other errors include choosing the wrong form, using "do/does" incorrectly, and contracting positive short answers.

Forgetting the verb "to be" entirely

✗ "She happy."→✓ "She is happy."

Common for Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, and Russian speakers.

Using the wrong form of "to be"

✗ "They is happy."→✓ "They are happy."

Using "do/does" with "to be"

✗ "Do you are tired?"→✓ "Are you tired?"

Contracting positive short answers

✗ "Yes, I'm." / "Yes, she's."→✓ "Yes, I am." / "Yes, she is."

Confusing "was" and "were"

✗ "You was late."→✓ "You were late."

Remember: "you" always takes "were" in the past, even for one person.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Verb To Be

Sources

Grammar references and research cited on this page:

•
Swan, M. (2005) - Practical English Usage. Oxford University Press. Comprehensive reference on "be" as a main verb and auxiliary, contraction rules, and short answer formation.
•
Murphy, R. (2019) - Essential Grammar in Use. Cambridge University Press. A1-A2 grammar reference covering am/is/are, was/were, questions, negatives, and short answers with the verb "to be".
•
British Council - Verb "to be" learning resources. Free online grammar explanations and practice activities for beginner English learners.British Council
•
Cambridge English Profile - A1 Grammar Inventory. Research-based inventory of grammatical structures expected at CEFR A1 level, including the verb "to be" in all its forms.English Grammar Profile
•
Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) - A1 Descriptors. Defines "can use simple forms of to be" as a core A1 competency for English learners.Council of Europe

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