Verb To Be (A1 Grammar)

The verb to be is one of the most important verbs in English. We use it to talk about names, ages, jobs, nationalities, feelings, and situations.

Present Forms of To Be

In the present simple, the verb to be has three forms:

Use am, is, or are to make positive sentences.

✅ I am 20 years old.

✅ He is my brother.

✅ We are from France.

✅ They are teachers.

Add not after the verb to be.

I am not tired.

She is not at home.

They are not ready.

In everyday English, we often use shorter forms.

Put am, is, or are before the subject.

Are you a student?

Is he your friend?

Are they from England?

Are you French? → Yes, I am. / No, I am not.

Is she a doctor? → Yes, she is. / No, she isn't.

Are they students? → Yes, they are. / No, they aren't.

❌ I is happy.

✅ I am happy.

❌ She are a teacher.

✅ She is a teacher.

❌ They is my friends.

✅ They are my friends.

Ready to test your knowledge? Try our Verb To Be quizzes.