They are tired of changing into the past tense. Using the verb “to be” in the past tense

It is with this verb that you need to start learning English grammar. Verbs in English do not change for persons, but the verb to be is an exception. Using this verb, we will learn to compose simple sentences that do not contain a verb in Russian, for example, “I am a student,” “he is at home,” “this is interesting,” etc. In English it is unacceptable to form without a verb that performs the action, and to be serves as a linking verb. For example, to say “I am a student,” we must insert the desired form of the linking verb to be and, as a result, the sentence will take on the meaning “I am a student” - “I (am) a student.”

Forms of the verb to be in the present tense

In the present tense, the verb to be has three forms: AM, IS, ARE:

• Remember: to be and AM, IS, ARE are not 4 different ones, but forms the same verb:

(We hope our dragon will help you remember this)

Let's look at how the verb to be changes in the present tense

Affirmative form

• We are friends - we are friends
• They are busy - they are busy
• The book is thick - the book is thick
• It is a cat
• She is clever - she is smart

Negative form

To form a negative conjugation form of a given verb, you need to put the negative particle “not” after one of the required forms of the verb (am, is or are). Here are some examples of negative sentences:

• I am not hungry – I am not hungry
• He is not busy - he is not busy
• The room is not big – the room is not big

Question form

To form an interrogative form, you need to put the appropriate form of the verb (am, is or are) at the beginning of the sentence:

• Are you Peter? -Are you Pete?
• Is this a room? – Is this a room?
• Are you hungry? -Are you hungry?
• Is he busy? – Is he busy?

• To understand how verbs live in the English language, let's first remember at least one verb of the Russian language in its initial form, for example, the verb “to live”. As you know, Russian verbs in their initial form end in “-т”, and later, when conjugated, the ending changes. As for the English language, the verb in its initial form is used together with the particle to, for example, we say to be – would t, find t Xia, i.e. if the particle to precedes the verb, this means that the verb is in the initial form, and when further using the verb with persons, this particle is omitted. Let's give an example: “To be or not to be” - there are two verbs in the sentence - and both are in the initial form, and they must be used together with the particle to, and, accordingly, we will translate into English as “to be or not to be”. If we have before us the sentence “I (am) a student,” i.e. we have changed the verb to suit the person of the subject, then the particle to is omitted and the proper form of the verb is used, in this case am.
• Unlike the verb to be, other verbs in English are not conjugated, for example, the verbs “live, sit, love” in the initial form are translated into English “to live, to sit, to love”, i.e. with a particle to, and when conjugated - without to, for example, “I live, sit, love” will be translated into English as “I live, sit, love,” i.e. initial form of a verb in English without a particletonot used, but when conjugatedtofalls. The initial form in English is called the Infinitive - Infinitive.

More about the particle to watch our video tutorial:

Verb conjugation tobe in the present tense

Now let's learn how the verb to be changes (conjugates) in the present tense. As mentioned above, in Russian, sentences like “I am a student, she is a doctor, we are workers” are formed without a predicate verb. But to translate these sentences into English, you need to put the appropriate form to be after the subject - “I am a pupil, she is a doctor, we are workers.”

Please note the translation of the following sentences in affirmative, negative and interrogative forms into English:

Verb conjugation tobe in past and future tense

In the past tense, the verb to be has two forms - was and were (was, was, were)

In the future tense, the verb to be is conjugated as follows

Note: In modern English the form shall is rarely used to form the future tense of verbs (although its use is not a grammatical error), the form is used for all persons will. Therefore, sometimes there are discrepancies in different textbooks.

To summarize, consider the following table:

Here are some commonly used verb expressions: to be which you should learn and conjugate yourself using the conjugation table:

• To be happy/unhappy – to be happy/unhappy
• To be glad - to be joyful
• To be hungry/to be full up– to be hungry/full
• To be fond of - to love, be carried away by something
• To be busy - to be busy
• To be late (for) - to be late (for)
• To be in time for – to be on time
• To be present at – to be present at (for example, in a lesson)
• To be absent (from) – to be absent
• To be married – to be married
• To be single - to be single / not married
• To be lucky - to be lucky
• To be ready (for) - to be ready (for, for example, a lesson)
• To be afraid (of) – to be afraid
• To be interested (in) - to be interested in something
• To be ill / well - to be sick / to feel good
• To be angry (with) - to be angry, angry (at someone)

Let's conjugate together the expression to be married in affirmative, interrogative and negative sentences. What did you get?

Today we continue to study the tenses of the English language. I hope you have carefully studied the article and are already confidently composing sentences with the verb to be in the present tense. Now we will learn to talk about the past tense, using the forms of the verb to be - was and were.

The verb to be in the past tense, as a rule, does not cause difficulties for students, because it has a direct translation “was”, “were”. In the grammar tables below you will become familiar with the formation of the affirmative, interrogative and negative forms of the verb to be in the past tense. And to consolidate, as always, a little independent work.

Compare the affirmative and interrogative forms. In Russian they differ only in intonation. But in English, the verb to be in the past tense requires a change in word order when forming a question. Violation of this rule will

THE PAST INDEFINITE TENSE
(THE PAST SIMPLE)
TO BE

Affirmative form
Past Simple (verb to be)
+

Question form
Past Simple (verb to be)
(yes/no questions – general questions) ?

Question form
Past Simple (verb to be)
(WH - ? - special questions) ?

Negative form
Past Simple (verb to be)
—

So, today we looked at another table - verb to be in past tense. Such grammar tables really useful and easy to use. And you will return to them more than once to refresh your knowledge. If you have any questions on the topic or need additional explanations, write in the comments. I will answer all questions. Expect new articles in the section.

Exercises for Past Simple (verb to be):

Times in English.

The verb To Be is the most common verb in the English language.
Today we'll look at:

• how is it translated,
• forms of the verb To Be,
• how and where to use the verb To Be,
• rules and examples,
• verb To Be in all tenses.

If you are a complete beginner and just starting to learn English, first you need to understand what the verb to be is and in what cases it should be used. For a better understanding, I will give clear examples.

When to use the verb To Be - examples

When we need to indicate:

- profession, age, relationship,
- your location, citizenship,
- indicate the existence of something
- qualities of character,
- color and properties of objects,
- state of feeling or health,
- compare something/someone with something,
- indicate the actual process of action.

Examples:

I am a taxi driver, cook, director, translator, guy, citizen, etc..

She is my mother / sister / mother-in-law / friend / neighbor / good person / in love / busy, etc.

He is good/bad/smart/funny/mean/cool/happy/sexy, etc.

It / It is real / rainy / healthy / red / easy, etc..

We are from Russia / in the park / at school / on the street / at work, etc..

They are better than.. / richer than.. / higher than.. faster than, etc..

More examples of what you can say using the verb To Be

What is this? Who is this? Where are you?
This is my home. This is Russia. Here's my friend.
The water is icy. The roads are good. Today is Friday.
Tomorrow is my birthday.
Wonderful day! It's complicated.
Are you ready? Is it dangerous?

Be careful.
Behave yourself.
Be happy.
Be a man!

She was right.
I'll be a lawyer.
We were great!

I'm reading /right now/
I'm driving / right now /

How to say all of the above in English, see the end of the article with translation.

Verb To Be NEVER not used with main verbs.

You can't say:
I am seeing. She is watching. He's going. They are working. We know.
I am seeing. She is watching. He's going. They are working. We know.

Verb To Be translation into Russian

The general meaning of the word To Be is - to be, is, be, appear, exist.
But when directly translated into Russian in the present tense, these words are usually omitted.

Examples of translation in the present tense:

1. I’m home = I’m at home. /I'm at home/
2. She is a doctor = She is a doctor. /She is a doctor/
3. It’s in Russia = This is in Russia / This is or exists in Russia /

In the future tense, the verb has the form: will be and is translated as: I will, I will, I will.

In the past tense, the verb has the form: was/were and is translated as: was, were, was.

I was happy = I was happy.
They were right = They were right.
It was rainy last night = It was rainy last night.

To Be verb forms and abbreviations

The verb To Be is often shortened both in writing and in spoken language.
Remember these contractions and practice them.

I am = I'm
You are = You're
He is = He's
She is = She's

It is = It's
We are = We're
They are = They're

Examples of affirmative sentences of the verb To Be

I am a girl. I'm a girl.
You are a boy. You're a boy.

He is clever. He's smart.
She is my sister. She's my sister.

It is a cat. This is a cat.
It's me. It's me.

We are friends. We are friends.
They are students. They are students.

Verb To Be - Negative Sentences

To say:

- I am NOT a taxi driver,
- I'm NOT at home,
- she is not from Russia,
- he is NOT evil,
- this is NOT true - i.e. in a negative form, then after the verb To Be we put a particle - Not -

See examples and abbreviations

I am not = I’m not
You are not = You're not
He is not = He’s not
She is not = She’s not
It is not = It’s not
We are not = We're not
They are not = They're not.

Verb To Be examples of negative sentences

I am not tired. I'm not tired.
You are not a robot. You are not a robot.

He is not a driver. He's not a driver.
She is not rich. She's not rich.

It is not a dog. This is not a dog.
We are not ready. We're not ready.
They are not married. They are not married.

Verb To Be Interrogative sentences

To say:

- Am I beautiful?
- Is he good?
— Are they from Russia?
-Are you ready? — first we put the verb to be, then the pronoun.

Look at the examples:

Am I..? Are you..?

Is he..? Is she..? Is it..?

Are they..? Are we..?

Am I nice? Am I good?
Are you tall? Are you tall?

Is he your dad? Is he your dad?
Is she pretty? Is she beautiful?
Is it a cat? Is this a cat?

Are we kids? Are we children?
Are they students? Are they students?

The verb To Be is an Irregular verb.
This means that the verb changes its form not only depending on the gender of the noun, but also on what tense it is in.

Check out the examples below.

Verb To Be in all tenses

Below are the conjugation tables for the verb To Be in three main tenses: this is the Simple group - present, past and future. This is quite enough for the initial stage and up to the intermediate level.

Conjugation of the verb To Be in the present tense Present Simple

Statement	Negation	Question
I am a doctor	I'm not a doctor	Am I a doctor?
You are a doctor	You are not a doctor	Are you a doctor?
He is a doctor	He is not a doctor	Is he a doctor?
She is a doctor	She is not a doctor	Is she a doctor?
It is a doctor	It is not a doctor	Is it a doctor?
We are doctors	We are not doctors	Are we doctors?
They are doctors	They are not doctors	Are they doctors?

Conjugation of the verb To Be in the Past Simple

Statement	Negation	Question
I was right	I wasn't right	Was I right?
You were right	You were not right	Are you right?
He was right	He wasn't right	Was he right?
She was right	She was not right	Was she right?
It was right	It was not right	Was it right?
We were right	We weren't right	Were we right?
They were right	They were not right	Were they right?

Conjugation of the verb To Be in the future tense Future Simple

Statement	Negation	Question
I will be in Moscow	I will not be in Moscow	Will I be in Moscow?
You will be in Moscow	You will not be in Moscow	Will you be in Moscow?
He will be in Moscow	He will not be in Moscow	Will he be in Moscow?
She will be in Moscow	She will not be in Moscow	Will she be in Moscow?
It will be in Moscow	It will not be in Moscow	Will it be in Moscow?
We will be in Moscow	We will not be in Moscow	Will we be in Moscow?
They will be in Moscow	They will not be in Moscow	Will they be in Moscow?

Verb To Be to form action right now

In fact, the verb To Be participates in the formation of tenses of the Continuous group.

Examples:

I'm reading. I'm reading (right now).
She is sleeping. She /now/ is sleeping.
We are going to the movies. We are going / now / to the cinema.

I was watching a video. I watched the video.
They were walking down the street. They were walking down the street.

And lastly,

Question words with the verb To Be

If a sentence uses question words, the question word comes first, then the verb to be.

When will you be home? When will you be home?
What is it? What is this?
Who is tired? Who's tired?

Now, consolidate the material you have covered.
Let's go back to our initial phrases that we say in life.
Check yourself if you translated them correctly.

1. I am a taxi driver, cook, director, translator, guy, citizen.
2. She is my mother, sister, mother-in-law, friend, neighbor, good person, in love, busy.
3. He is good, bad, smart, funny, stingy, cool, happy, sober, sexy.
4. It/It is real, rainy, healthy, red, easy.
5. We are from Russia, in the park, at school, on the street, at work.
6. They are better than.. / richer than.. / taller than.. faster than...

1. I’m a taxi driver. I'm a cook. I'm a boss. I'm a translator. I'm a guy. I'm a citizen.

2. She is my mother. She is my sister. She is mother-in-law. She is my girlfriend. She is my neighbor. She is a nice person. She's in love. She is busy.

3. He is kind person. He is a bad person. He is smart. He's funny. He is stingy. He is cool. He is happy. He is sober. He is sexy.

4. It is real. It's rainy. It's healthy. It's red. It's easy.

5. We are from Russia. We are in the park. We are at school. We are outside. We are at work.

6. They are better than..
They are richer than..
They are higher than..
They are faster than...

More examples using the verb To Be with translation into English

1. What is this? Who is this? Where are you?
2. This is my home. This is Russia. Here's my friend.
3. The water is icy. The roads are good. Today is Friday.
4. Tomorrow is my birthday.
5. Wonderful day! It's complicated.
6. Are you ready? Is it dangerous?

7. Be careful.
8. Behave yourself.
9. Be happy.
10. Be a man!

11. She was right.
12. I will be a lawyer.
13. We were great!

14. I'm reading / right now /
15. I'm driving /right now/

SEE HOW TO SAY THIS IN ENGLISH

1. What is it? Who is it? Where are you?

2. This is my house. It's Russia. Here is my friend.

3. The water is icy. The roads are good. Today is Friday.

4. Tomorrow is my birthday.

5. It’s a wonderful day! It's difficult.

6.Are you ready? Is it dangerous?

7. Be careful.
8. Be good.
9. Be happy.
10. Be a man!

11. She was right.
12. I’ll be a lawyer.
13. We were super!

14. I'm reading.
15. I'm driving.

Add to favorites

Video lesson: To be in past and future tenses

Let us remind you that to be is an irregular verb ( am/is/are - was/were - been), which in Present Simple(present simple tense) has 3 forms: am, is, are. Let's consider what forms this verb has in Past Simple(past simple) and Future Simple(future simple tense).

To be in the past simple tense (in Past Simple)

Verb to be in the past simple tense (in Past Simple) has 2 forms: was(units) / were(plural), which translated into Russian means “was, was / were.”

Affirmative forms

Listen to how the shapes are pronounced to be in the past tense /.
I was- I was
He wasn't- he was
She was- she was
It was- it was
We were- we were
You were- you were / you were
They were- They were

He was busy. - He was busy.
It was interesting. — It was interesting.
They were in the park yesterday. — They were in the park yesterday.

Negative forms

not, which comes after was / were:

I was not— I wasn’t — I wasn't
He was not— he wasn’t — He wasn't
She was not— she wasn’t — She wasn't
It was not— it wasn’t — It wasn't
We were not- we weren't - We weren't
You were not- you weren’t / you weren’t - You weren't
They were not— they weren’t — They weren't

Listen to how the short negative forms [ˈwɒz.ənt] / are pronounced.

She was not at home. — She wasn't at home.
They weren't busy yesterday. — Yesterday they were not busy.

Question forms

To generate questions was/ were placed at the beginning of the sentence, that is, placed before the subject. Please note the short answers to questions like these (short answers use pronouns only):

Was I? - Yes, I was. / No, I wasn’t.
Was he? - Yes, he was. / No, he wasn’t.
Was she? - Yes, she was. / No, she wasn’t.
Was it? - Yes, it was. / No, it wasn’t.
Were we? - Yes, we were. / No, we weren’t.
Were they? - Yes, they were. / No, they weren’t.

Were are you at home yesterday? — No, I wasn't.— Were you at home yesterday? - No, I wasn’t.
Was is he busy? — Yes, he was.— Was he busy? - Yes, he was busy.

To be in the future simple tense (in Future Simple)

To form forms of the future simple tense, an auxiliary verb is required will. For all faces form Future Simple at the verb to be will be like this: will be(I will, I will, I will, I will, I will, I will) - 'll be(short form).

I will be busy tomorrow. - I'll be busy tomorrow.
He will be a doctor. - He will be a doctor.
They will be students next year. — They will be students next year.

Negation is formed using a particle not which follows the auxiliary verb will:

will not be=won't be(short form)

I won't be busy tomorrow. - I won't be busy tomorrow.
He will not be a doctor. - He won't be a doctor.
They won't be students. - They will not be students.

To generate questions will We put it at the beginning of the sentence, that is, we put it before the subject:

Will he be? Will they be?

Will you be busy tomorrow? — No, I won't.— Will you be busy tomorrow? - No, I won’t.
Will they be students? — Yes, they will.— Will they be students? - Yes, they will.

Remember: short answers are formed according to the following formula:

Yes, will

No,+ appropriate pronoun + won't

An auxiliary verb can also be used to form the future tense shall, but only with pronouns I And we. In modern English shall rarely used:

I shall be / We shall be
I shall not be (I shan't be) / We shall not be (We shan't be)
Shall I be? / Shall we be?

Now we will get acquainted with one of the most important verbs of the English language - the verb to be, which means to be, to exist. This verb changes its form depending on in what tense and with what subject it is used. For now we will consider only the present tense.

So, in the present tense, the verb to be has three forms: am, is, are.

I am a doctor. - I am a doctor.

I am a doctor.

He is a doctor. - No is a doctor.

He is a doctor.

You are a doctor. - You are a doctor.

You are a doctor.

Using forms of the verb "to be"

So, let's take a closer look at in which case which form of the verb to be should be used:

Case 1. If we speak in the first person singular, i.e. we use the pronoun "I", which means "I", we use the form "am". Thus, it turns out “I am” - “I am.”

I am a teacher.

I'm a teacher. (I am the teacher)

Case 2.If we speak in the third person singular, using, for example, the pronouns "he, she, it", which mean "he, she, it", we use the form "is". That is, “He is” - “He is”, “She is” - “She is”, “It is” - “It is”.

She is a teacher.

Case 3. If we say “we”, which means “we”, “you”, which means “you” or “you”, and “they”, which means “they”, we must use the “are” form. For example, “We are” - “We are”, or “You are” - “You are”, “You are”, or “They are” - “They are”.

We are teachers.

We are teachers. (We are teachers)

The verb "to be" in English is often used as connection between subject and object. In all of the above examples, it performed exactly this function. Let's look at one of the proposals in more detail.

She is a teacher.

She's a teacher. (She is a teacher)

In this sentence "She" is the subject, "a teacher" - addition, and the verb "to be" is in the form "is" is a linking verb. Unlike the Russian language, in English the linking verb is never omitted, since the English sentence has a strictly fixed word order: subject + predicate + object.

Negative form of the verb "to be"

Now let's look at how the negative form of the verb "to be" is formed. It's quite simple - in order to form a negative form, you just need to put a negative particle "not" after the verb "to be":

I am happy.

I'm happy.

I am not happy.

I Not happy.

He is a doctor

He's a doctor.

He is not a doctor.

He Not doctor.

You are a teacher.

You are a teacher.

You are not a teacher

You Not teacher.

Please note that in colloquial speech the negative particle “not” often merges with the verb “to be”, forming reductions:

is not = isn't	He is not a doctor. = He isn't a doctor.
are not = aren't	You are not a teacher. =You aren't a teacher.