Exploring the Be Verb

 

The Be Verb in Present Tense

1.  The Be verb is the name used for these verbs: am, is, and are.

Singular = one	Plural = two or more
Subject Pronoun + Verb	Subject Pronoun + Verb

I	am		we	are
you	are		you	are
he	is		they	are
she	is
it	is

                            

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2.     Use am only with the pronoun I.               

                Example: I am a student.       

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3.        Use are with you singular, you plural, we, they, and plural nouns.

  Examples:

You are a student.	Pronoun	(one person)
You are students.	Pronoun	(two people or more)
We are students.	Pronoun	( two or more people with I)
They are students.	Pronoun	(two people or more)
They are books.	Pronoun	( two things or more)
The students are smart.	Noun	(two or more people)

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4.        Use is with he, she,  it and singular nouns.

Examples:                                      

He is a student	Pronoun	(one person)
She is a student	Pronoun	( one person)
It is a book.	Pronoun	( one thing)

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The Contraction of the Be Verb with Personal Pronouns

When people speak, many times they put the pronoun and the be verb together to make one word.  The one word is called a contraction.  When they write a contraction, they use an apostrophe(') to join two words.

  

Full Form	Contraction
I am	I’m
you are	you’re
we are	we’re
they are	they’re
he is	he’s
she is	she’s
it is	it’s

 

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The Negative Form of the Be Verb with Personal Pronouns

Write not after the verb to make it negative.

Singular
Affirmative	Negative	Negative Contraction
am + not
I am	I am not	I’m not
are + not
you are	you are not	you aren’t
is + not
he is	he is not	he isn’t
she is	she is not	she isn’t
it is	it is not	it isn’t

Plural
Affirmative	Negative	Negative Contraction
are + not
we are	we are not	we aren’t
you are	you are not	you aren’t
they are	they are not	they aren’t

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The Interrogative of the Be Verb in Present Tense

To make a question, put the verb before the subject.  Use a question mark (?) at the end of the sentence.

Example:

Statement	She is a student.
Question	Is she a student?
Statement	I am a student.
Question	Am I a student?
Statement	You are a student.
Question	Are you a student?
Statement	He is a student.
Question	Is he a student?
Statement	She is a student.
Question	Is she a student?
Statement	It is a book.
Question	Is it a book?
Statement	We are students.
Question	Are we students?
Statement	You are students.
Question	Are you students?
Statement	They are students.
Question	Are they students?

 

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Short Yes/No Answers with the Be Verb

Write yes + subject + be verb. Write a comma after yes.  Do not contract the subject and the verb.

Affirmative
Question	Are you a student?
Answer	Yes, I am.
Question	Is he a student?
Answer	Yes, he is
Question	Is it cold?
Answer	Yes, it is.
Question	Are we students?
Answer	Yes, we are.
Question	Are they students?
Answer	Yes, they are.

Write no + subject + be verb.  Contract the verb and not except with I. 

Negative
Question	Are you a student?
Answer	No, I am not
Question	Is he a student?
Answer	No, he isn’t.
Question	Is it cold?
Answer	No, it isn’t.
Question	Are we students?
Answer	No, we aren’t.
Question	Are they students?
Answer	No, they aren’t.

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