Present Tense of the Verb to Be | Page 1
Introduction
"To be" connects two ideas: Idea 1 = Idea 2. Idea 1 can be a person, animal, thing, or any idea. Idea 2 can be anything that is connected to Idea 1 (for example, a noun, adjective, place, and so on).
In this lesson, let’s learn about “to be” in the present tense.
Conjugation in the Present Simple Tense
With singular and plural pronouns
Singular subjects
I am
you are
he is
she is
it is
Other singular subjects
everyone is
no one, nobody is
Other plural subjects
everyone is
no one is
nobody is
Note. “No one” and “nobody” have the same meaning.
Example sentences
I am a student.
Samira is from California.
She is from California.
Japan is in Asia.
It is in Asia.
You and I are good friends.
We are good friends.
Everyone here is a student.
No one is sick.
Negative of “Be” in the Present
To make the verb “be” negative, you place “not” after it.
With “no one” or “nobody,” you do not need to use “not.”
To make “everyone” negative, you usually put “not” before it.
Example sentences
I am not a student.
Samira is from California.
She is not from California.
Japan is in Asia.
It is not in Asia.
You and I are not good friends.
We are not good friends.
Not everyone here is a student.
No one is sick.
(Do not use “not.”)
Contractions
Especially when you speak, you often contract the conjugated verb “to be” with the pronoun. That means the pronoun and the verb become one word. Contractions between the verb and “not” are also common when you speak.
Contractions with pronouns
Singular
I am I’m
you are you’re
he is he’s
she is she’s
it is it’s
Plural
we are we’re
you are you’re
they are they’re
Examples
- I am hungry. I’m hungry.
- He is from Egypt. He’s from Egypt.
- You are a good friend. You’re a good friend.
- It is 7:30 a.m. It’s 7:30 a.m.
- We are late. We’re late.
Contractions with nouns (informal)
Contractions between is and nouns are common when you speak and sometimes in informal writing. Do not use it in formal or academic writing.
Examples
- The dog is outside. The dog’s outside.
- Kareem is from Egypt. Kareem’s from Egypt.
- The coffee machine is new. The coffee machine’s new.
- Your taxi is here. Your taxi’s here.
- The students are late. (no possible contraction)
Contractions with “not”
Contractions with “Not”
When you contract is and not not, you get isn’t.
When you contract are and not, you get aren’t.
When you contract am and not, you get ain’t, but this word is not accepted in standard grammar. If you are taking an English test, for example, do not use “ain’t.”
It is considered “bad English,” but many people use it depending on the variety of English they speak. You hear it in music and poetry, but it is not used in standard English.
Examples
- I’m not hungry. (no contraction with not)
- He’s not from Egypt. He isn’t from Egypt.
- You’re not a good friend. You aren’t a good friend.
- It’s not 7:30 a.m. It isn’t 7:30 a.m.
- We’re not late. We aren’t late.
Asking and Answering Questions with Be
To ask a question with “be,” put the verb before the subject. To answer a question, use the correct form of the verb.
Look at the following examples with questions and short answers.
- Am I wrong? — No, you are not. You're correct.
- Am I wrong? — No, you aren’t. You're correct.
- Am I wrong? — Yes, you are. Sorry.
- Are giraffes from Africa? — Yes, they are.
- Are giraffes from Asia? — No, they are not. They are from Africa.
- Are giraffes from Asia? — No, they aren't. They're from Africa.
- Are you a doctor? — Yes, I am. I’m a cardiologist.
- Is your name John or Joe? — It’s John.
- Is your name John or Joe? — It is John.
- Is your name John or Joe? — It’s John.
When You Cannot Use Contractions with Be
Continue the lesson to learn when you cannot use contraction with the verb “to be.”