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Verb To Be Questions Exercises

A1 Level

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Question 1 of 200 correct so far

Question 1

Complete each question with the correct form of the verb 'to be': Am, Is, Are, Was, or Were.

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Grammar review

Questions with be put the verb before the subject: "She is ready" becomes "Is she ready?" There is no do or does.

First check the time: use am/is/are for the present and was/were for the past. Then match the verb to the subject. I tell beginners to do those two checks in that order. If a sentence has no time clue, more than one tense can sometimes work. Question 8 is a good example of that.

Quick Rule

present: am/is/are + subject? | past: was/were + subject?

1.Was the film good last night?
2.Are the children ready?
3.Were your parents at the concert?

💡 Tips for Success

•Questions swap the subject and verb: She is → Is she...?
•Present: Am I? Is he/she/it? Are you/we/they?
•Past: Was I/he/she/it? Were you/we/they?

Frequently Asked Questions

Do questions with "be" need "do" or "does"?

No. Say "Are you ready?", not "Do you are ready?" The verb "be" moves before the subject by itself. The same applies in the past: "Was he late?" and "Were they at home?"

How do I choose between "was" and "were"?

Use "was" with I, he, she, it and singular nouns. Use "were" with you, we, they and plural nouns. A past-time clue such as "yesterday" or "last weekend" tells you to use one of these past forms.