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Present Tense of 'Be'

The present tense of 'be' is used to describe current states or actions and includes the forms "am," "is," and "are." These forms are essential for constructing sentences in English and vary depending on the subject of the sentence.

Forms of 'Be' in the Present Tense

The present tense of "be" has three forms: am, is, and are. Use "am" with "I," "is" with singular subjects, and "are" with plural subjects. Here are some examples:

  • I am happy.
  • She is a teacher.
  • They are students.

Conjugation Table:

Subject
Verb Form
I
am
He/She/It
is
We/You/They
are

Using 'Be' with Different Subjects

The form of "be" changes with the subject. For singular subjects, use "is," and for plural subjects, use "are."

Examples:

  • I am a student.
  • He is a doctor.
  • It is sunny.
  • We are friends.
  • You are welcome.
  • They are busy.

Common Mistakes

Mixing up "is" and "are":

  • Incorrect: She are a teacher.
  • Correct: She is a teacher.

Forgetting to use "am" with "I":

  • Incorrect: I is happy.
  • Correct: I am happy.

Forming Negative Sentences with 'Be'

To make negative sentences, add "not" after the verb. Use contractions for informal speech:

  • I am not (I’m not) tired.
  • He is not (isn’t) coming.
  • They are not (aren’t) ready.

Practice Exercise

Convert these sentences to negative form:

  1. I am ready.
  2. He is my friend.
  3. They are here.

Asking Questions with 'Be'

To ask questions, invert the subject and the verb. For yes/no questions, place the verb before the subject:

  • Are you okay?
  • Is she there?
  • Am I late?

For WH-questions, add a question word at the beginning:

  • Where are you?
  • What is this?
  • Who is he?

Practice Exercise

Form questions for these statements:

  1. You are happy.
  2. She is a teacher.
  3. They are students.

Additional Rules and Examples

Use "is" for singular nouns and pronouns:

  • The cat is sleepy.
  • My brother is tall.

Use "are" for plural nouns and pronouns:

  • The cats are sleepy.
  • My friends are tall.

Practice Exercise

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of "to be":

  1. I ____ hungry.
  2. She ____ my sister.
  3. They ____ in the park.
  4. We ____ students.
  5. It ____ raining.

Common Mistakes and Corrections

Incorrect: You is funny.

  • Correct: You are funny.

Incorrect: They am going home.

  • Correct: They are going home.

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