The Verb “To Be” Explained, With Examples

Hi students! Welcome to another exciting lesson in English grammar. Today, we’re going to talk about one of the most important and commonly used verbs in the English language: the verb “to be.” Whether you’re just starting to learn English or looking to sharpen your skills, understanding “to be” will help you build stronger sentences and communicate more clearly.

What Is the Verb “To Be”?

The verb “to be” is used to talk about:

• • Existence: I am here.
  • Occurrences: The meeting is tomorrow.
  • Characteristics: She is tall.

It’s a highly versatile verb that can act as:

1. A main verb (e.g., I am happy).

2. An auxiliary (helping) verb to form continuous and passive tenses (e.g., He is running; The book was written).

3. A linking verb to connect the subject to additional information (e.g., The sky is blue).

Because “to be” is irregular, its form changes depending on the subject and tense. Below is a breakdown of its forms and their corresponding uses.

Forms of the Verb “To Be”

Present Tense

Examples:

• • I am a student.
  • She is kind.
  • They are ready.

Past Tense

Examples:

• • I was tired yesterday.
  • They were at the park.

Other Forms

1. Bare Infinitive: be

Example: I want to be a doctor.

2. Present Participle: being

Example: He is being polite.

3. Past Participle: been

Example: They have been here before.

Uses of “To Be”

1. As a Main Verb

When “to be” is the main verb, it often describes identity, characteristics, or conditions.

Examples:

• • I am happy.
  • The sky is blue.
  • We were excited.

2. As a Linking Verb

“To be” connects the subject of a sentence with information about the subject (a noun, pronoun, or adjective).

Examples:

• • She is a teacher. (connecting subject with a noun)
  • They are strong. (connecting subject with an adjective)

3. As an Auxiliary (Helping) Verb

“To be” helps other verbs form tenses, especially:

• • Continuous Tenses (action in progress):
    He is running.
    They were studying.
  • Passive Voice (subject receives the action):
    The book was written by an author.
    The game is being played.

The Continuous Tenses with “To Be”

Present Continuous

Structure: [am/is/are] + [present participle]

• • I am learning English.
  • They are playing soccer.

Past Continuous

Structure: [was/were] + [present participle]

• • She was reading a book.
  • We were watching TV.

Future Continuous

Structure: [will be] + [present participle]

• • He will be studying tomorrow.

The Perfect Tenses with “To Be”

“To be” is also part of perfect tenses when combined with the auxiliary verb have and the past participle has been:

Present Perfect

Structure: [has/have] + [been]

• • I have been busy lately.
  • She has been a great help.

Past Perfect

Structure: [had] + [been]

• • They had been friends for years before moving apart.

Future Perfect

Structure: [will have] + [been]

• • By tomorrow, he will have been here for two hours.

Using “To Be” in Questions and Negatives

Questions

When asking questions, invert the subject and the verb “to be.”

Examples:

• • Are you ready?
  • Was she at the party?

Negatives

To make “to be” negative, add “not” after it.

Examples:

• • I am not tired.
  • They were not late.
  • She will not be coming.

Contractions:

• • I’m not (I am not)
  • He isn’t (He is not)
  • We weren’t (We were not)

Special Uses of “To Be”

Imperatives

Use “be” to give commands or advice.

Examples:

• • Be quiet!
  • Don’t be late.

With Modal Verbs

The bare infinitive be is used with modal verbs like can, must, should, and might.

Examples:

• • You must be careful.
  • They might be at the park.

Practice Time!

Here are a few exercises to test your understanding:

1. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of “to be”:

• • I _____ excited about the trip.
  • They _____ not at the library yesterday.
  • She _____ helping her friend right now.

2. Rewrite these sentences as questions:

• • He is a good player.
  • They were at the museum.

3. Make these sentences negative:

• • I am learning English.
  • We were late for the train.

Answers

1. am, were, is

2. Is he a good player? Were they at the museum?

3. I am not learning English. We were not late for the train.