The verb to be means what. Rule - am is are in English, education and usage

Knowing English opens many doors. That is why it is actively studied in almost all countries of the world. Currently, more than a billion people around the planet use this language on a regular basis. This number includes those for whom English is their native language, as well as those who use it as a foreign language: for contacts with business partners, communication with foreign friends, entertainment of various kinds and, in fact, study. In general, learning any foreign language increases mental activity, logical and abstract thinking, as well as the ability to navigate unexpected situations.

How to Master English Grammar

For many students of English, its grammatical structure poses a certain difficulty. In reality, there is nothing complicated there (especially if you compare, for example, with the Russian language!), it is enough to understand the important patterns once and remember the basic forms well. However, memorization comes through practice: doing exercises, reading, writing letters or essays, oral communication. The best way to master English grammar is to do it naturally.

It often happens that a person knows a rule, but cannot apply it in his speech. Such difficulties are eliminated by practice - and the more and more varied it is (writing, reading, speaking, listening), the faster and better the result.

Remember also that each person has his own, purely individual, pace of mastering new knowledge and the ability to apply it in the practice of his own speech. For example, if you are studying in a group where some students master grammatical rules faster and more correctly than you, there is no need to lose heart. you, too, will one day begin to speak English confidently and without mistakes. The main thing is to keep training.

Verb forms “is”/“are”: use in speech

If you have recently started learning English, then you are familiar with this situation: you want to say something, but the fear of making a mistake gets in the way and causes timidity. To avoid this, try to understand the rule and, most importantly, practice the exercises more.

One of the common grammatical difficulties arises when the verb connectives “is”/“are” are confused. The use of data to be depends solely on the person of the pronoun in each specific case. We are talking about a pronoun that functions as a subject. For example:

I am a student. - I am a student.

If the subject is a noun or proper name, then you need to mentally replace it with the appropriate pronoun. Then a conjugation scheme will definitely come to mind, including the connecting verbs “is”/“are”, the use of which often causes difficulties.

Kate (?) a student -> She is a student.

To be sure which form of the verb to use, you need to firmly remember the principle of conjugation.

to be (present tense)

Statement

Negation

Question

Cases such as the use of “is” in English usually refer to descriptive situations. When we want to characterize something that is in the singular (we can replace it with the pronoun it), or someone acting as “he” or “she”, then, without a doubt, we need to use the form “is”. Examples:

It is great. - (That's) great.

He is old. - He's old.

She is a doctor. - She's a doctor.

The main thing that needs to be firmly understood: “am”, “is”, “are”, the use of which sometimes causes difficulties, are not three different verbs, but one and the same - the verb to be (to be).

Conjugation of the verb to be (past tense)

Now let's look at the next issue that causes difficulties for some English learners, namely the rules for using “was”/“were”. This is also one and the same verb, and not two different ones at all. Moreover, these two verb forms are directly related to “am”, “is”, “are”. Can you guess why? That's right, it's all the same verb to be.

And now more about these correspondences. The past tense form “was” is used only in the singular and corresponds to the pronouns: I, it, he, she. The form “were” is used with the pronouns you, we, they and is most often used in the plural. For example:

I was at home. - I was at home.

It was hot. - It was hot.

They were happy. - They were happy.

There are only two situations where the predicate verb “were” in a sentence can refer to a singular subject. The first case: when the pronoun “you” implies the translation of “you” or “You” (that is, one person). The second case: the so-called conditional clauses, in which the form “if I were” is possible.

Have you been to...

In communication between people, situations often arise when you need to ask a person about his past experience: where he was, what he did, whether he finished the job he started. In such cases, a special construction is used from the forms of two verbs: to have + semantic verb.

Often the already well-known “to be” appears. Depending on the subject used (and what pronoun can be used to replace it), there are two varieties: “have been” and “has been”. The first is used with the pronouns you, we, they, the second - with I, it, he, she. For example:

Have you been to Europe? -Have you been to Europe?

She has been on the excursion. - She was on an excursion.

As a rule, the use of has been is associated with such situations when we mean:

some lived experience;
completeness or result of some matter;
the importance of the fact that the action was performed (while the time of its occurrence is not particularly important);
the need to emphasize how long this action has been taking place.

Let's look at the last mentioned situation in a little more detail.

How long...?

In such cases, the tense is used. It is formed according to the scheme: + been + Ving, where V is a semantic verb. For example:

I have been studying English for 3 months. - I have been studying English for 3 months now (that is, I started studying in the past and have continued to do so for a certain period of time).

He hasn’t been riding a bike for a long time. - He hasn’t ridden a bike for a long time (that is, he stopped riding sometime in the past, hasn’t ridden for a long time and still hasn’t ridden a bike).

I'm going to do...

In English, in addition to the usual future tense, the construction “to be going to” is actively used. The use of this grammatical construction refers to situations where you are planning or know exactly what you will do. Often this construction is used to predict what (in your opinion) should happen soon: it will rain, there will be a traffic jam on the road, whether someone will like or not like a gift given to them. “Intend”, “get together” - this is how the phrase “to be going to” is most often translated. Its use in a sentence is associated with the change to be to “am”, “is”, “are”.

For example:

I am going to learn English next month. - I intend to learn English starting next month.

We are going to visit granny at the weekend. - We are going to visit grandma this weekend.

It's going to rain. - It's going to rain.

I'm used to...

In conclusion, let’s look at the use of “be used to”. This stable construction is used quite often in colloquial speech. Its meaning is “to get used to something.” For example:

It is used to Russian winter. - He is accustomed (used) to the Russian winter.

He is used to living in winter cold. - He is used to (used to) living in the winter cold.

However, you need to watch and listen carefully so as not to confuse “be used to” with the very similar construction “use to” (and its corresponding past tense form, “used to”).

What is the difference between these two expressions? Firstly, in the meaning: “be used to” - “get used to”, “use to” - “do something in the past, but now no longer” (analogous to the Past Simple). This is best understood through examples.

Be used to

I’m used to my work hours. - I'm used to my working day.

He is used to TV noise. - He got used to the noise of the TV.

I used to live here before. - I lived here before (but I don’t live here anymore).

I didn’t use to have a mobile phone 10 years ago. - I didn’t have a mobile phone 10 years ago (but now I do).

From the examples, the second difference between these two, at first glance very similar, structures is obvious. The one that is translated “get used to” is equipped with the verb to be (am, is, are). And the other one, accordingly, is not. Simple attentiveness, a little practice - and you will easily learn to distinguish between these two “insidious” formulations.

The same applies to any grammar. Understand the essence and practice more often: in exercises, reading, writing or oral communication. As the British say: “Practice makes perfect.” This can be translated into Russian as: “The master’s work is afraid.” So let the most difficult and tricky grammatical rules be afraid of your determination. Have a great time!

It is simply necessary to make friends with the verb to be. If in the first stages it will help you construct simple sentences, then in the subsequent stages with its help you will learn complex constructions of the passive voice and long tense forms.

Let's start getting acquainted with dictionary meaning . The verb to be is translated “to be, is, is.” Although, despite the presence of this word in a sentence, you will not always find its Russian version; it is often omitted. Some experts in this field recommend translating it for yourself at the very beginning, so you don’t lose the predicate.

They are at home. — They (are) at home.

We are students. — We (are) students.

I am a girl. — I (am) a girl.

He is a doctor. — He (is) a doctor.

Conjugation of the verb to be

Looking at the examples, you will ask what “is, am, are” is, because we are talking about to be. This is the secret. If the remaining parts of speech of this group can either change the ending or not change at all, then this “fruit” in most cases takes a completely different form (exceptions are cases when an infinitive is required: after modal verbs, in imperative sentences).

It all depends subject and tense. Let's look at the Present Simple. If it's a pronoun I, then we need to change be on am, she (he, it) - is, they (you, we) - are. The subject most often comes first, so it is easy to recognize. Very often one is confused by the fact that the main member of a sentence is expressed not by a pronoun, but by a noun. What to do in this case? For example, my mother (mother) - who is this? - she means she, and with this pronoun we use is.

The table of the verb to be will help you sort everything out:

Pronoun	to be in Present	to be in Past	to be in Future
I (i)	am a student	was a student	will be a student
He (he)	is a student	was a student	will be a student
She (she)	is a student	was a student	will be a student
It (it, this)	is a student	was a student	will be a student
We (we)	are students	were students	will be students
You (you)	are a student	were a student	will be a student
They (they)	are students	were students	will be students

Construction of sentences

So, with to be you can build different types of sentences without using other auxiliary verbs.

+ (affirmative) The book is boring. - The book is boring. (Subject + to be + minor)

— (negative) The book is not boring. — The book is not boring. (Subject + to be + not + minor)

? (interrogative) Is the book boring? — Is the book boring? (To be + subject + minor)

Short forms:

I am = I’m, she (he, it) is = she’s (he’s, it’s), we (they, you) are = we’re (they’re, you’re)

am not = am not, is not = isn’t, are not = aren’t; was not = wasn’t, were not = weren’t

Functions in a sentence

In sentences, to be can play different roles. The most basic functions are:

1. As a semantic verb

Peter is my friend. - Petya is my friend.

They were at home. - They were at home.

The solution was completely unexpected. — The decision was completely unexpected.

I cannot be at work. - I can't be at work.

Be attentive. - Be careful.

2. As an auxiliary verb

In the Present Continuous, where any form of the verb to be is not translated (has no lexical meaning, only grammatical).

I am reading their decision to my sister right now. “I’m reading their decision to my sister right now.”

They were drinking coffee when I came. — They were drinking coffee when I arrived.

She will be sleeping at this time tomorrow. — She will be sleeping at this time tomorrow.

In passive designs

The letter was written to my sister. — The letter was written to my sister.

These flowers are grown every year. — These flowers are grown every year.

The money has already been stolen. — The money has already been stolen.

The terrifying story will be forgotten tomorrow. - The terrible story will be forgotten tomorrow.

3. As a linking verb, which is translated “is to; means this” in the examples.

Pessimism is a lack of hope. — Pessimism is the absence of hope.

One plus two is three. - One plus two (equals) three.

Our aim is to raise the social level. — Its task is to raise the social level.

This problem is of great interest. — This problem is of great interest.

4. How to modal verb used to mean “must, should, planned action or arrangement.” The forms of the verb to be are used: was/were or is/am/are.

We were to meet last Friday. — We were supposed to meet last Friday.

Mary and John are to marry in June. — Mary and John will get married in June.

Use in various combinations has to be learned by heart, since their basics do not obey any rules. Let's look at the most used atpersistent expressions:

to be about + inf. - to get ready to do something

to be back - return

to be present - to be present

to be up - end

to be well - to be healthy

to be ready for - to be ready

to be absent, to be away - to be absent

to be good at - to have the ability to do something

to be married - to be married

to be ill - to be sick

to be engaged - to be engaged

to be on duty - to be on duty

to be sorry for smb (about smth) - to regret someone (something)

to be acquainted with - to be familiar with

to be interested in - to be interested in something

to be in time - to be on time

to be fond of - to get carried away

to be right - to be right

to be over - end

to be glad - to be pleased

to be late - to be late

to be hungry (thirsty) - to be hungry (thirst)

to be wrong - to be wrong

to be mistaken - to be mistaken

to be on - to go (about the film)

to be tired - to be tired

to be on pension - to be retired

to be afraid of - to be afraid

to be worth doing smth - it’s worth doing something

to be sure - to be sure

Well, let's summarize. There shouldn't be any problems with the conjugations of the verb to be if you memorize them thoroughly. At first, it will be enough to understand the use of this “changeable nature”, and gradually, mastering other grammatical rules, you will understand all the other features and details.

It is advisable to start learning verbs in English by studying the most common verb - verb to be — to be, is, appear.

Below is a table with changes in the verb to be by person (verb conjugation) in the present, past and future tense.

	Present tense	Past tense	Future tense
I	am- I am	was	shall/will
You	are - he is	were	will
He, she, it	is- he, she, it exists	was	will
We	are - you, you are	were	shall/will
You	are - we are	were	will
They	are - they exist	were	will

In Russian, the verb “to be” can be omitted in affirmative sentences. For example: “He is at home”, “He is 25 years old”. In English You can't use sentences without a verb. The obligatory presence of a verb is necessary, although it may not be clearly translated into Russian. For example, to say “I am a pilot” in English you need to add the verb be, and as a result the sentence will take on the meaning “I am a pilot” - “I am pilot". Some more examples:

I am 45 - I am 45 (I am 45)
I am from Moscow - I am from Moscow (I am from Moscow)
I am married - I'm married (I am married)
He is Mark - His name is Mark (He is Mark)

Also in sentences abbreviated forms of the verb to be are used:

I am = I"m
He is = He's
They are = They"re
He is not = He isn't
We are not = We aren't

Let's look at another difference between the Russian and English languages. In Russian, affirmative and interrogative sentences can differ only by a question mark at the end of the sentence. For example:

He is a writer - a statement.
Is he a writer? - question.

In the structure of speech in Russian, an interrogative sentence differs from an affirmative sentence by a special interrogative intonation. The English can say a statement with the same intonation as a question. The English get out of this situation by changing the word order in the sentence:

He is a writer - He is a writer.
Is he a writer - Is he a writer?

To ask a question you need to reverse the subject he and auxiliary verb is(to be).

For negation in Russian the particle "ne" is used, and in English the particle " not", which is placed after the auxiliary verb be.

He is not at home - He Not Houses.
They are not enemies - They Not enemies.

To consolidate the forms of the verb to be in different persons and tenses, we conjugate the sentence “I am strong”:

Present tense:

Present tense	Past tense	Future tense
I am strong - I'm strong You are strong - You are strong He is strong - He is strong We are strong - We are strong You are strong - You are strong They are strong - They are strong	I was strong - I was strong You were strong - You were strong He was strong - He was strong We were strong - We were strong You were strong - you were strong They were strong - They were strong	I shall/will be strong - I will be strong You will be strong - You will be strong He will be strong - He will be strong We shall/will be strong - We will be strong You will be strong - You will be strong They will be strong - They will be strong

As an independent verb ( to be) is used to denote the age of people, the size of objects, the price of goods, time, weather, characteristics of people.

As an auxiliary verb be used to form continuous tenses and the passive voice (am/is/are/was/were).

Personal verb forms

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

What is the verb to be?

In English there are several verbs that are “responsible” for the grammatical structure of sentences.

In its basic meaning, the verb to be is understood as “to be, to remain, to be.” This verb has a significant distinctive feature - it can be conjugated, that is, change in numbers and persons. This phenomenon is not typical for English verbs in general.

Forms to be

As you can see from the table, the plural form is not difficult to remember - it is repeated in all three persons - are.

The singular form requires memorization.

This table reflects the fact that when the verb to be is changed in persons and numbers, the root of the word is completely replaced with suppletive forms. This is why English language learners mistakenly consider the forms am, is, and are not forms of the verb to be, but independent grammatical units.

Short forms for conjugating the verb to be:

In use, the verb form can be shortened for ease of pronunciation. So, verbs with pronouns are written/read as follows:

Declension table for the verb to be in the present simple tense

You cannot do without the verb to be when forming any verb tense. Let us dwell in detail on the Present Simple Tense.

The sentence structure will look like this:

The combination of the verb to be as an auxiliary linking verb and the main verb is equivalent to a compound nominal predicate in Russian, that is, any nominal part of speech (noun, adjective) can be part of such a predicate.

I	am	a teacher	of English language
I	—	Teacher (n)	English language
He	is	an engineer	at office
He	—	Engineer (n)	In the office
She	is	a doctor	at hospital
She	—	doctor (n)	in the hospital
It	is	a table
This	—	table (n)
We	are	boys
We	—	boys (n)
You	are	handsome	man
You	—	Beautiful (adjective)	man
They	are	happy
They	—	happy (adjective)

Verb form are

To use the forms is and are correctly, you just need to learn the rule according to which their use strictly depends on the number.

Let's say this if we are dealing with a sentence in which the main member of the sentence is a personal pronoun.

However, if the subject is a noun, then it can also be easily mentally replaced with a personal pronoun and, depending on the number, use one form or another.

Let's look at an example.

He is a writer - He is a writer (singular)

They are writers - They are writers (plural).

Please note that in the second case all words are put in the plural form!

Why is?

In the plural, mentally change the noun “Tom” to the pronoun “he”, look at the conjugation table for the verb to be and select the form is.

Tom and Sally are singers.

We explain why we used are: we change the combination Tom and Sally to the pronoun they, and similarly select from the table the corresponding form of the verb to be.

Forms of the verb to be in the present simple tense are used quite often in writing and in speech. In a communication situation, their short forms are mostly heard.

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Using forms of the verb to be in interrogative and declarative sentences

Here you should also use forms depending on person and number. However, the pattern of asking a question will differ from a declarative sentence - the word order will look like this:

Auxiliary verb being

The verb to be in the form being is used in a completely non-standard form.

This form is used exclusively when forming the passive voice.. Verbs in the passive voice, as a rule, correspond to Russian passive past participles. Such verbs are used in the tenses of the groups Present (present) and Past (past) tenses.

For example, I am being admitted/ I was being admitted.

Conclusions

So, in order to correctly use one or another form of the verb to be, follow the instructions:

Learn verb forms - it's not as hard as it seems at first glance;
Determine what number the sentence is;
If the sentence does not contain a personal pronoun, mentally select one;
Choose the verb form according to number, person;
Don't forget to change the word order when asking the question.

“To be, or not to be, that is the question,” wrote the well-known classic. Today we will talk about the Shakespearean verb itself, which appears like an eminence grise in English sentences and is often not translated at all. Let's explain the uses of the verb to be and figure out what forms it has.

Forms of the verb to be in the present and past tenses

The form of the verb to be changes depending on the subject and tense.

Pay attention to short negative forms - they are used in an informal style of communication, and in business correspondence it is preferable to use full forms. In British English, both short negative forms are used (you’re not = you aren’t) without much difference in meaning, but Americans prefer the form with not (you’re not). For example:

Is he married? - Is he married?
No, he isn't. - No.

He looks happy, but actually he's not. - He looks happy, but he's not.

Functions of the verb to be in an English sentence

To be as a linking verb “to be”
Let's remember the structure of an English sentence:
Let's take two sentences as an example:
Meryl Streep works as an actress. - Meryl Streep works actress.
Meryl Streep is an actress - Meryl Streep actress.
In the first example, the structure of English and Russian sentences is the same: the subject is Meryl Streep, the predicate is works.
In the second case, there is no predicate in the Russian sentence, since the linking verb “to be” (“is”, “to appear”) in the present tense is usually omitted in the Russian language - Meryl Streep is an actress. But in English we cannot do without a predicate.
Please note that in the past and future tenses the linking verb “to be” is no longer omitted in the translation.
Meryl Streep was an actress in the past; now she is a politician, and in the future she will be a president - In the past Meryl Streep was actress now she politician, and in the future she will president.
Most often the linking verb to be is used when we:
- We talk about who or what the subject is
  He is an architect - He's an architect.
- We talk about the quality that the subject has
  Sofia and Kerry are beautiful. - Sofia and Kari are beautiful.
- We use to be when we want to talk about age, height, size or price
  He "s tall although he "s only fifteen years old. - He is tall, although he is only fifteen years old.
- Pointing to a person or object
  The verb to be is often used in combination with the demonstrative pronouns this (this, this, this), that (that, that, that), these (these), those (those), in order to denote a person or thing.
  This is Martin, my friend. - This is Martin, my friend.
  These are my books. - These books are mine.
  That was my car. - That was my car.
  Those were my classmates. - Those people were my classmates.

To be as an auxiliary verb

Group of Continuous times

For the tenses of the Continuous group we use the following scheme:

Present Continuous	Present Perfect Continuous
He is reading a scientific magazine now. - He is now reads scientific journal.	John hasn't been working so hard lately. - Lately John Not so hard works.
Past Continuous	Past Perfect Continuous
My friends were hiking last weekend. - My friends went camping last weekend.	Geraint's legs were stiff because he had been cycling for six hours. - Geraint's legs went numb because he rode a bicycle 6 o'clock.
Future Continuous	Future Perfect Continuous
I will be watching a tennis match on Friday at 8 p.m. - I I'll watch tennis match on Friday at 8 pm.	In 2019, Beyonce will have been running Beyond Productions for 15 years. - In 2019 it will be 15 years since Beyoncé manages the company Beyond Productions.

Passive voice

Passive voice formation scheme:

Present Simple Passive Voice	Present Perfect Passive Voice
Laughter is prohibited in this gloomy house. - Laughter prohibited in this gloomy house.	This dog has been taken care of. - About this dog taken care of.
Past Simple Passive Voice	Past Perfect Passive Voice
My father was made redundant at the factory. - My father reduced at the factory.	Nobody told me that this problem had been already solved. - Nobody told me that this problem already existed decided.
Future Simple Passive Voice	Future Perfect Passive Voice
These heroes will never be forgotten. - These heroes never will be forgotten.	I hope the project will have been completed by tomorrow. - I hope there will be a project tomorrow will be completed.

Common constructions using the verb to be

The verb to be can be part of constructions common in English speech - these are set expressions that are not always literally translated into Russian.

There + to be
The construction there + to be is used to indicate the presence or absence of something/someone. If we indicate a location, we put it at the end of the sentence.
There were many questions. - There were a lot of questions.
There is a baby in the car. - There's a child in the car.
Note that in this construction we pronounce there as /ðə(r)/ instead of /ðeə(r)/.
Here + is/are
This design is used to convey an object to someone. Here + is/are is used only in the present tense in affirmative sentences. We do not translate here as “here”, but omit it.
Here's your tea. - Your tea.
Here you are. - Here, take it.
Do not confuse this construction with the basic meaning of the word here. Look at the example:
Here we are, and here you are. - We are here, and you are here.
To be going + to do
This design helps to talk about your future plans when you have already made a decision and intend to implement your plans.
I 'm going to buy a kitten today. - Today I I'm going to buy kitten
And to be going + to do can be used in predictions when we have reason to believe that some action or event will happen in the future.
It 's going to rain. - It's going to rain.
This construction is used so often in colloquial speech that going to do has been shortened to going to do, a variation that is especially common in American English.
It's so cold here. She 's gonna freeze! - It's so cold here. She will freeze!
To be about + to do
Using this construction, in colloquial speech they often talk about an action or event that will happen in the near future.
James, we are about to run out of petrol! - James, we're about to will end petrol!
I was about to call you. - I'm just was going to you call.
To be + to do
Often in this construction the verb to be is called modal, because we are talking about a preliminary agreement due to which some action must be performed.
We use to be + to do in the following situations:
- Future plans and agreements
  This construction is often used in formal English, for example when announcing official events.
  The President is to visit Murmansk next month. - To the President to be visited Murmansk next month.
- Orders, instructions, prohibitions
  I don't understand why you are to turn your phone off on the plane. - I don't understand why should be turned off phone on the plane.
- In conditional sentences with the conjunction if
  Usually the if part contains the condition, and the second part of the sentence contains the result or consequence. But if in the part with if you use the construction to be + to do, then it will indicate the result/goal. Compare:
  If we leave now (condition), we won't be late for the flight (result). - If we let's leave now we we won't be late for the flight.
  If we are to get in the airport by noon (goal), we have to leave now (condition). - If we must hit to the airport before noon, we need to leave Now.