Verb To Be Short Answers Exercises

Short answers with to be repeat the correct form after yes or no. For present questions, answer with am, is, or are: "Are you a student?" "Yes, I am." "Is she your sister?" "No, she isn't." For past questions, answer with was or were: "Was he at the party?" "Yes, he was." "Were they late?" "No, they weren't."

Be careful with positive short answers. Do not use contractions after yes: say "Yes, I am", "Yes, she is", and "Yes, they are", not "Yes, I'm", "Yes, she's", or "Yes, they're." Negative short answers can use contractions: "No, I'm not", "No, she isn't", "No, they aren't", "No, he wasn't", and "No, we weren't." Also change the pronoun when needed. "Am I in the right room?" is answered from the other person's view: "Yes, you are." Use the same careful matching with names and plural nouns. These short answers are useful in quick classroom, travel, family, and workplace conversations.