Or sign in with your account on:

Not a member yet? Register

Elementary - To be

Monday, 08 June 2009
He is happy. He is happy. Man image created by Asier_relampagoestudio - Freepik.com

English grammar lesson on-line for elementary level students - An explanation of the verb 'to be' with audio explanation and printable exercises.

The verb 'to be' is an exception. It is the most irregular verb in English and has its own rules for the Negative and Question form.

Positive

I am happy.
He/She/It is

We/You/They

are

Positive - Contracted Form

I 'm from Italy.
He/She/It 's

We/You/They

're

Negative

I am not 23 years old.
He/She/It is not

We/You/They

are not

Negative - Contracted Form

I 'm not sad.
He/She/It isn't

We/You/They

aren't

Question Form

For the creation of the question form we invert the verb and the subject.

Am I Russian?
Is He/She/It
Are We/You/They

Short Answers

Yes, I am. (not Yes, I'm)
Yes, you are. (not Yes, you're)
Yes, he/she/it is (not Yes, he/she/it's)
Yes, we are (not Yes, we're)
Yes, they are (not Yes, they're)

No, I am not. or No I'm not.
No, you are not or No, you're not or No, you aren't
No, he/she/it is not or No he/she/it's not. or No, he/she/it isn't.
No, we are not.or No, we're not. or No, we aren't.
No, they are not. or No, they're not. or No, they aren't.

Media

To be English Power (C) 2010
Rate this item
(5 votes)
published in Verbs
Read 28593 times
Last modified on Monday, 25 September 2017 12:32
More in this category: Elementary - To have »

Free English lessons in your inbox

Subscribe to our Newsletter and receive free grammar lessons and exercises, graded readers with comprehension questions, and tips on how to improve your English. And stay updated on the WeLoveTeachingEnglish services.