The verb be is used very often in English grammar. The verb be is used as an auxiliary verb or a main verb. In this lesson, we will learn all about it.

Functions of 'To Be'

2.

Main Verbs

1. 'To Be' as an Auxiliary Verb

Use

The verb 'to be' as an auxiliary verb has no specific meaning and it is used to show the tense or voice of the main verb. There are two ways in which the verb 'to be' is used:

'To be' is used in to make a present participle and form a progressive aspect. For example:

Example

I am learning French.

'Am' here makes a present continuous tense.

She was looking at the mirror.

'Was' here makes a past continuous tense.

They will be doing exercises.

'Be' here makes a near-future tense.

The verb 'to be' as an auxiliary verb is used in the passive voice. For example:

Example

I was told to be there.

'Was' here makes a simple past passive.

Those books will be sold later.

'Be' here makes a simple future passive.

Position in a Sentence

The position of the auxiliary verb 'be' is changed in a sentence depending on the presence of the verb have or modal verbs. In other words, the tense, then the voice of the verb is prioritized. Look:

Example

They are doing exercise.

'Doing' is the main verb and the auxiliary verb 'are' comes before it.

It has been made.

The auxiliary verb 'been' is placed after 'has' because 'has' makes the perfect tense.

_Has it been made? _ No, it hasn't been made yet.

As you see, we make questions and negations with 'has.'

It will have been made.

The modal verb comes before 'have been.'

Contraction & Negation of 'To Be'

This table shows some examples of the contraction, negation, and negative contractions of the verb to be:

contraction

negation

negative contraction

I am

I'm

I am not

I'm not

she is

she's

she is not

she isn't/she's not

they are

they're

they are not

they aren't/ they're not

I was

-

I was not

I wasn't

they were

-

they were not

they weren't

For example:

Example

I'm not a doctor, I'm a dentist.

They're over there.

2. 'To Be' as a Main Verb

Use

The verb 'to be' as the main verb adds a specific meaning to the sentence. It can be used in two ways:

The verb 'to be' can be the linking verb and connect the subject complement to the subject. In other words, linking verbs add more information to the sentence. Look:

Example

I am happy.

There is a book over there.

The verb 'to be' can also be intransitive and take an adverb or a prepositional phrase. Look:

Example

I am there.

'There' is an adverb.

She will be 20.

She will be at the grocery store.

'At the grocery store' is a prepositional phrase.

Position in a Sentence

The verb 'to be' as the main verb acts like other main verbs and expresses the action of the doer. Note that, the verb 'be', unlike other verbs, does not take the auxiliary verb 'do' in questions or negations. For example:

A:

Are you there?

B:

No, I'm not there.

Conjugation

Here is the conjugation with the verb 'to be.' Look:

present

singular

plural

I am

we are

you are

you are

she/he/it is

they are

past

singular

plural

I was

we were

you were

you were

she/he was

they were

progressive

present

past

I am doing

I was doing

she/he is doing

she/he was doing

we/you/they are doing

we/you/they were doing

past participle

singular

plural

I have/had been

we have/had been

you have/had been

you have/had been

she/he has been

they have/had been

Comments

(3)
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Håkan Henriksson
Jul 2024
From the text above: "Note that, the verb 'be', unlike other verbs, does not take the auxiliary verb 'do' in questions or negations." The ground rule is as written above. So, how about "Don't be silly!" In this case, the be-verb does seem to take do-support in order to form a negative (?).
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Fatemeh Vahed
Jan 2024
It was really useful. Of course I knew them but I reviewed them. I should say that I love English too much! More than my mother tongue! I just have a question, do English speakers observe all of the grammars in English? Because my brother said that they didn't and they spoke native English. Also, when I watch movies, I figure out that they don't observe some of the grammars and I always correct them and tell my brother that I use the grammars correctly and even correct them as a foreigner! How can it be possible?😂
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Ko'charov Muzaffar
Mar 2023
I am a student
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