Present Simple with 'be'
The verb 'be' is special in English. Unlike other verbs, it changes completely in the Present Simple. It has three forms: am, is, and are.
After mastering 'be', you'll be ready to learn about other verbs in the Present Simple.
How to Form the Present Simple with 'be'
Positive Sentences
The verb 'be' has three forms in the Present Simple: am, is, are. Which form you use depends on the subject.
| Subject | Full Form | Short Form |
|---|---|---|
| I | I am | I'm |
| you | you are | you're |
| he / she / it | he is / she is / it is | he's / she's / it's |
| we | we are | we're |
| they | they are | they're |
Examples:
- I am a teacher.
- She is from Germany.
- They are happy.
- We're students.
- It's cold today.
Negative Sentences
To make the negative, add 'not' after the verb. There are two short forms for most subjects.
| Subject | Full Form | Short Form |
|---|---|---|
| I | I am not | I'm not |
| you | you are not | you aren't / you're not |
| he / she / it | he is not / she is not / it is not | he isn't / she isn't / it isn't |
| we | we are not | we aren't / we're not |
| they | they are not | they aren't / they're not |
Examples:
- I'm not tired.
- He isn't at home.
- They aren't ready.
- We're not late.
- It isn't expensive.
Questions
For questions, put am / is / are before the subject.
| am/is/are | Subject | Rest of sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Am | I | late? |
| Are | you | ready? |
| Is | he / she / it | here? |
| Are | we | on time? |
| Are | they | students? |
Examples:
- Are you OK?
- Is she from Spain?
- Are they at school?
- Am I right?
- Is it difficult?
Short Answers
In short answers, we use 'Yes, [subject] + am/is/are' or 'No, [subject] + am not/isn't/aren't'. We don't use contractions in positive short answers.
- Are you ready? — Yes, I am. / No, I'm not.
- Is he here? — Yes, he is. / No, he isn't.
- Are they students? — Yes, they are. / No, they aren't.
Wh- Questions
Add a question word (who, what, where, when, why, how) at the beginning of the question.
| Question word | am/is/are | Subject | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where | are | you | from? |
| What | is | your name | ? |
| Who | is | that | ? |
| Why | are | they | late? |
| How | is | she | ? |
Examples:
- Where are you from?
- What is your name?
- Who is that man?
- Why are they angry?
- How old is your brother?
When do we use 'be' in the Present Simple?
Practice Exercises
Positive Sentences
Practice forming positive sentences with 'be'
Negative Sentences
Practice forming negative sentences with 'be'
Yes/No Questions
Practice forming yes/no questions with be
'Wh' Questions
Practice forming 'wh' questions with be
Mixed Practice
Practice all forms together