When it comes to learning any language and breaking down language barriers, polyglots always highlight knowledge of verbs. And it’s true: knowing verbs and being able to use them in various forms, you just need to “string” other words on them and you will already have whole sentences. Given this situation, it is not surprising that most standard vocabulary A native speaker of Russian, English, Chinese, and another arbitrarily chosen language is precisely this part of speech. But wait, this doesn’t mean that you should immediately start chaotically memorizing any verbs that catch your eye. If this makes any sense, it will be very small. Instead, it is better to analyze in detail those English verbs, which are often and actively used in speech. This is exactly what we will do by studying the verb to be in English.
The verb to be, which is equivalent to the Russian “to be”, “to appear”, “to be”, is one of the most universal and most commonly used verbs in the English language. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that, unlike other representatives of this part, the verb to be is conjugated, changing in persons and numbers.
In addition, to be can be used as a semantic verb or assisted by another verb, acting as an auxiliary. But let's talk about everything in order.
The verb to be belongs to irregular verbs, therefore it has 3 forms. These forms are formed independently, without being explained by rules, so they simply need to be memorized:
The verb to be in the Past Simple or simple past tense in the number of its forms is reduced to two. Their use again depends on the person and number:
This, however, was not always the case. Previously, the future tense form shall be was used for first person pronouns (I / we). Nowadays you can find it very rarely, so just knowing about its existence is enough. In all cases, use the form will.
Please note that other verbs in English are not conjugated. The fact is that there are no conjugations in this language at all, which makes it much easier English grammar. The verb to be is an exception to the rule.
Above were the forms of this verb in Simple times. All tense forms of the verb to be can be expressed in the following table:
| Simple (Simple) |
Continuous | Perfect (Perfect) |
|
| Past (Past) |
was / were | was / were being | had been |
| Present (The present) |
am/is/are | am / is / are being | have / has been |
| Future (Future) |
will be | will be being | will have been |
The verb to be may not be used in all tenses. So, in Perfect Continuous(perfect continuous) the verb to be is not used. It can also be noted that continuous tenses with the verb to be are not very rare. The use of verbs in continuous forms is possible only in certain situations.
Verb to be in English: sentence forms
Affirmative form
The affirmative form of a sentence with the verb to be is built standard scheme: the subject comes first, followed by the verb to be in the required form as a predicate. Study the table:
Negative form
Negative forms of sentences with this verb are formed by adding the negative particle not after to be. No auxiliary verbs are required to use the form:
In both affirmative and negative sentences, the verb to be can be shortened:
There are no shortened forms for the past tense in the statement.
I am not, unlike other verbs, is shortened as I’m not. I amn't is used only in Scotland and Ireland.
Interrogative form
The English question form depends on the type of question:
- IN general issue or alternative issues The verb be in the required conjugation is placed before the subject. Tables for clarity :
The answer uses only the verb to be:
The answer uses an affirmative sentence:
If you want to use the future form of the verb, then will must be brought forward, while be will remain in its original place:
- In special questions, an English question word is added to the form above:
The answer is used in the affirmative form:
In your answer it is enough to use the verb to be:
- As part of a nominal predicate, which consists of a linking verb (to be) and a nominal part expressed by nouns or adjectives. In this case, the verb is translated into Russian as “is”.
Although " There is” can be used, its presence will seem inappropriate, and the proposal will turn out somehow ugly. Judge for yourself:
The Russian language does not need this verb, so it is not usually used. The English language will not allow this, because the peculiarity of English sentences is that they are strictly ordered. In simple terms, if you, for example, are composing a complete affirmative sentence, then it must consistently use a subject and a verb, nothing else. In some way, a similar role to be can be associated with the obsolete “is”, which previously performed exactly the same function in the Russian language.
The verb to be in a nominal predicate can also be used to mean “be” in imperative sentences:
- As an auxiliary verb in Continuous and Perfect Continuous. In this case, the auxiliary verb to be is used with semantic verbs. The verb to be itself is usually not translated in such sentences. Study the examples in the table:
The verb to be can also be used to use the passive voice:
- Besides the functions mentioned, the verb to be is also used as component in designs:
- to be going to (getting ready);
| Lena is going to learn how to form verbs in Present Perfect tomorrow. | Tomorrow Lena is going to learn how to form verbs in the Present Perfect. |
| He is going to speak five languages. | He's going to speak five languages. |
| My family is going to London. | My family is going to London. |
| I was going to tell him but she didn’t allow me. | I was going to tell him, but she wouldn't let me. |
| George is going to make this operation in December. | George is going to have this operation in December. |
| We are going to buy some products. | We are going to buy groceries. |
| The students are going to do this whole list of exercises. | Students are going to do a whole list of exercises. |
- there is / are / (there is / exists);
- The use of the verb is also possible as a modal verb in the meaning of “must”, “agreed”, “agreed”, when we're talking about about obligations, orders, schedules and plans, the inevitability of events. In this case, to verb the to particle is added:
- And also when using the verb to be in English in the following constructions:
| to be good at (good to understand) |
We are good at this English grammar rule. | We are fluent in this rule of English grammar. |
| to be aware of (realize) |
We're aware of all possible risks. | We are aware of all possible risks. |
| to be late (be late) |
My co-worker was late for work because of the traffic jam. | My colleague was late for work due to traffic jam. |
| to be fond of | I'm fond of nature. | I love nature. |
| to be interested in (to be interested) |
They are interested in helping people. | They are interested in helping people. |
| to be sorry about (to regret something) |
I'm sorry about what happened. | I'm sorry about what happened. |
| to be sorry for (to feel sorry for someone) |
We are so sorry for your son. | We are very sorry for your son. |
| to be hungry (be hungry) |
I am so hungry! I haven’t eaten since morning. | I am so hungry! I haven't eaten since morning. |
| to be thirsty (feel thirst) |
After the marathon everyone was thirsty. | After the marathon, everyone was thirsty. |
| be about to (going to) |
Boris is about to start learning German and French languages. | Boris is going to start learning German and French. |
- Frequent uses of the verb are also associated with idioms. Here are some of them:
| be up to someone (depends on someone) |
We can either win or lose. It's up to you! | We will either win or lose. Everything depends on you! |
| be a man (be a man) |
Stop crying. Be a man! | Stop crying. Be a man! |
| be in love with (to be in love with) |
I should admit that I’m in love with her! She is gorgeous! | I must admit that I am in love with her! She is gorgeous! |
| be as stubborn as a mule (analogue in Russian: stubborn as a donkey) |
We can't work together because he doesn't want to listen to me. I say his approach is wrong but he is as stubborn as a mule. | We can't work together because he doesn't want to listen to me. I say his approach is wrong, but he is stubborn as a donkey. |
| be (a bit) on the expensive side (expensive / a bit expensive) |
That service is a bit on the expensive side. Maybe, we try to fix it ourselves, huh? | This service is a bit expensive. Maybe we can try to fix it ourselves, huh? |
| be on cloud nine (to be very happy) |
I'm on cloud nine! She said yes to me! Can you believe it? | I'm incredibly happy! She told me yes! Can you believe it? |
As you can see, the verb to be is very popular and varied, so it can be used in any situation with almost any tense. Once you understand the conjugations of this verb and its role in a sentence, you should not have any difficulty using it. Devote some time English exercises on this topic to reinforce the material, make up your own examples and most importantly - practice the language with native speakers. Because you won't find as much benefit in any exercise as you can get from people who use the language on a daily basis and can help you with any language barriers.
What's the difficulty? Why is the topic so simple, but there are so many errors? Because when starting to study English, not everyone changes their thinking, but continues to think in Russian. Verb "be" is present in Russian, but... we miss it when we build a sentence in the present tense. In the past, the verb "to be" had many present tense forms: you are, are, are, the essence and so on. But in modern Russian only “is” is preserved: I am, he is, we are and so on. But no one says that, “is” remains “in the mind”! Therefore, it seems very strange to us that this very “is” needs to be inserted into English.
In English the verb to be has three present tense forms: am, is, are.
If you are talking about yourself ( I), then use the verb am:
I am a teacher. - I (am) a teacher.
I am happy. - I (am) happy.
If you are talking about he(He), she(she), or it(it), use the form is:
He is a doctor. - He (is) a doctor.
She is beautiful. - She (is) beautiful.
It is my dog. - This (is) my dog
If you are talking about we(We), you(you you), they(they) then use the form are:
We are friends. - We (are) friends.
You are hungry. - You (are) hungry.
They are my parents. - They (are) my parents..
Many textbooks say that the verb to be is not translated into Russian. Agree that the word “is” looks rather strange in our example sentences, but if you want to speak English, you will have to think this way, especially in the early stages of learning. To be can be translated by verbs "to be", "to be", "to exist", although this gives the statement some formal coloring, you can also put a dash.
Another observation from practice that you need to pay attention to. Sometimes they forget about the three forms and say this: I be a teacher. It's something like: I be a teacher. Of course, you should get rid of such an error if you notice it in your speech.
To use the verb to be correctly, you need to remember the main cases of its use. Because to be acts primarily as a linking verb, its main function is to connect parts of a sentence.
1. The verb to be connects a noun (pronoun) and an adjective.
Since to be is indispensable in descriptions, when characterizing or describing something using adjectives, do not forget to connect words using a linking verb:
I am fine. - I (am) fine.
My son (he) is happy. - My son (is) happy.
The children (they) are healthy. - The children (are) healthy.
This book (it) is interesting. - It's an interesting book.
Please note that if the subject of a sentence is a noun, then to select correct form verb to be, you should replace the noun with the appropriate pronoun: son-he; children- they; book- it.
2. The verb to be is used when they want to say who or what the subject of discussion is.
In other words, answering questions like: Who is this? What is this?, in your answer use to be. To be is also required if you are introducing yourself or representing someone:
I am your teacher. - I'm your teacher.
She is my sister Mary. - This is my sister Mary.
They are my colleagues. - They are my colleagues.
3. The verb to be is used when talking about professions.
Mary is a writer. - Mary is a writer.
John is a businessman. - John is a businessman.
My friends are engineers. - My friends are engineers.
If you are talking about someone's profession, then the verb to be can be translated as "to be", but such a translation is not always appropriate.
4. To be is used when talking about nationalities.
It’s not for nothing that many English textbooks begin with studying the names of countries and nationalities, so it’s very convenient to practice using the verb to be:
I'm American. - I am American.
Anna is Russian. - Anna is Russian.
Max is Canadian. - Max is Canadian.
My partners are Chinese. - My partners are Chinese.
You can find detailed information about nationalities in English.
5. To be is used when talking about age.
A common mistake is to use the verb have in this case. Although some languages use have when talking about age, in English you always use to be in the correct form:
I am thirty (years old). - I am thirty years old.
My sister is twenty-five (years old). - My sister is twenty-five years old.
The students are eighteen (years old). - Students are eighteen years old.
6. The verb to be should be used if you are talking about the location of something.
Verbs "to be", "to be located" may be used if the content of the proposal allows:
I am in the kitchen. - I am in the kitchen.
We are at home. - We're home.
Her bag is on the table. - Her bag is on the table.
The cat is in the box. - Cat in a box.
London is in Great Britain. - London is located in Great Britain.
7. To be (or rather its forms is and are) is an important part of the phrase there is/there are.
We will not talk about this turnover here, because we have already published detailed material on this topic. You can read more about the turnover there is/there are, but first we recommend that you finish reading this article so as not to get confused.
There are several verbs in the English language that are not very common, and their use is not always clear to people who have just begun to learn the language. One of these verbs is the verb to be, and is, in turn, is one of the forms of this verb. So what does is mean? Is is the 3rd person singular present tense form of the verb to be. Simply put, we can only use it after the words he (he), she (she), it (it) or words that can be replaced by this pronoun. For example: President, this word can be replaced by the pronoun he, accordingly, after it in English there will be is. But we cannot replace the word clouds with any of these pronouns; only “they” is suitable for it, which is not in this list. Therefore, we can no longer use is after it.
So, the verb to be, and therefore its form is, can be used as:
- semantic independent verb, i.e. a verb that carries the meaning of being or existing. For example: He is at home - He is at home. The meaning of the word is is that he IS at home, but in translation into Russian this word is superfluous, and we omit it. Or She is beautiful - She is beautiful (She IS beautiful). The fact is that in Russian a sentence can do without a verb, but in English there must be a verb;
- auxiliary verb, i.e. a verb that helps form tense forms for other verbs. In such cases, it is not translated at all, but serves as an assistant. For example: She is writing a letter now. - She is writing a letter now. The tense is present continuous. Here it is important to remember how this or that tense is formed, and is itself will also be in the 3rd person, singular, present tense;
- modal verb, i.e. a verb that does not itself denote any action, but expresses an attitude towards it. It expresses either a planned action or instructions and orders. And always after is in such sentences there is a particle to. In such cases is is translated as “should”, but in different meanings. Let's look at examples that will explain everything to us. Marry is to arrive on Friday – Mary must arrive on Friday (planned action). The boss says he is to call her, because it is his job - The director says that he should call her because it is his job.
This is what is means... Of course, it cannot be studied separately, because it is closely related to other forms of the verb to be, which can only be understood together. Only when the grammatical material is mastered in the system will it be easy to master it.
To be or not to be? That is not the question... The sea deity Proteus of the ancient Greeks could (like the sea) take on any form. What are we talking about?
Moreover, the verb “to be” is known in the world not only as the most vital and always relevant, but also as the most changeable (protean) in the English language, constantly changing and accepting different shapes, sometimes not so noticeable to us.
Considering that it is used so often in English speech, it is rather sad that "to be" should be the most fickle and slippery verb in the language. Let's get to know him better. C"mon!
What is the verb to be and why is it needed?
The verb To Be (am, is, are) is the basis of English grammar. If you misunderstood or understudied this material, then your entire study of the English language will most likely be unsuccessful. Therefore, if you feel that there is a gap somewhere in this material, then it is better to stay longer on this article.
It is this verb that underlies the construction of approximately 30 percent of all English grammatical constructions and is where you should start studying English grammar.
For example, to say “I am a student,” we must insert the desired form of the linking verb “to be” and the sentence will take on the meaning “I am a student." - “I (am) a student.”
We must carefully choose the correct verb form for the object, depending on whether it is singular or plural. This is usually easy. We wouldn’t write: “The troops were moving to the border.” Well, where is this good?
However, some proposals require more close attention. For example, how would you write:
The majority of Facebook users are (or is?) upset about the increase in spam.
Most Facebook users are upset about the increase in spam.
In fact, in this sentence everything depends on your accent - if it is focused on users— put “ are", if on group of people— « is».
Plural or singular depends on your choice. If you find it difficult what exactly to focus on, then choose what sounds best to you. It is unlikely that your chosen form of “to be” will upset anyone.
By the way, “majority” is used only with countable nouns: “he ate the majority of cookies", but not "he ate the majority of the pie". instead we will say: “he ate most of the pie."
Translation into Russian of the verb To Be
“To be” is translated as “to be”, “to be”, “to exist”, “to appear” or not translated at all, and can be in Present (am, is, are), Past (was, were) and Future (will ( be)/shall (be)) tenses. The form of the verb depends on who is doing the action.
Unlike the Russian language, in English the linking verb is never omitted, due to the strictly fixed word order:
Rule To Be: subject ( subject) + predicate ( verb) + addition ( object).
- As independent verb(to be, to be, to exist or not translated):
I am at home.
I am at home.
She was at the Institute yesterday.
She was at the institute yesterday.
Not is in New York.
He (be) in New York.
- IN interrogative form of the verb “to be” is placed before subject to and does not require auxiliary verb to form an interrogative or negative form. The same thing happens in the continuative (durative) form of the verb (Continuous).
Is he in New York?
Is he (to be) in New York?
Was she at the Institute yesterday?
Was she at the institute yesterday?
- Negative the form is formed using the negation " not", which is put after verb "to be".
She was not (wasn't) at the Institute yesterday.
She wasn't at the institute yesterday.
Not is not (isn't) in New York.
He is not (located) in New York.
IN colloquial speech"not" usually merges with "to be" to form abbreviations:
is not = isn't
are not = aren't
The verb "to be" is also shortened with personal pronoun:
I am = I"m
We are = we"re
He is = he's
- As auxiliary verb.
Used for education verb forms continuous tenses ( Continuous) and continuous perfect tenses ( Perfect Continuous).
They are reading a book.
They are reading a book.
He is sleeping now.
He is sleeping now.
We have been working here for 10 years.
We have been working here (for) 10 years.
Auxiliary Verbs, By the way , can also be combined with the basic form of "to be" to form simple answers:
Is Jack in class this morning?
Well, he might be.
Is anyone helping Jack with his homework?
I'm not sure. Jane could be.
“to be” is also used to form the passive voice ( Passive Voice):
Active: Didn't buy a new magazine.
He bought a new magazine.
Passive: A new magazine was bought.
New magazine bought.
- As verb-ligaments(to be, to appear).
I am a doctor.
I am a doctor.
Not is a doctor.
He is a doctor.
Her new hat is red. Her new hat is red.
- In the design " there is/there are"(to be, to be).
There is a table in the room.
There (is) a table in the room.
In this sentence " there" is a formal subject. The active subject is the noun that follows the verb "be" (is), i.e. "table".
If this subject is in plural, then the verb “to be” must also be plural.
There are tables in the room.
There (are) tables in the room.
At time change the form of the verb changes to be»:
There was a table in the room.
There was a table in the room.
There were tables in the room.
There were tables in the room.
Translation of sentences with the construction “there is/there are” begins with translation circumstances places.
Negative form:
There is no table in the room. (There isn't a table...).
In the room there is (no) table.
There is no water in the bottle. (There isn't any water in the bottle.)
In a bottle no water.
Interrogative form:
Is there a man in the house?
In the house is there a man?
Are there(any) apples in the greengrocers?
In vegetable Are there any apples in the store?
- “To be” often works in conjunction with others verbs:
He is playing the piano
She will be arriving this afternoon.
- And sometimes “to be” will stand myself By to myself. Especially in simple answers to equally simple questions:
Who's going to the movies with me tonight?
I am.
Who's responsible for this mess?
She is.
Present:
I am to (not to) / We are to (not to) / You are to (not to);
He/she/it is to (not to) / They are to (not to).
Past:
I was to (not to) / We were to (not to) / You were to (not to) You were to (not to);
He/she/it was to (not to) / They were to (not to).
- To be ( Present) is used only With Indefinite Infinitive (indefinite infinitive).
They are to be here.
They should be here.
- "To be" ( Past) used with Indefinite Infinitive(indefinite infinitive) and with Perfect Infinitive(perfect infinitive), which means that the action was not performed:
She was(supposed) to be in the cinema.
She should have been in the movies.
- The modal verb "to be" can be used to express responsibilities, which is based on previous agreements (plan, schedule etc.)
We are to go to the cinema.
We should go to the cinema.
- We also use this modal verb to express order or instructions:
You are to go to school.
You have to go to school.
- We use "to be" if something categorically forbidden V negative form.
Children are not allowed to drink alcohol.
Children are prohibited from drinking alcohol.
- "To be" is used for urgency council or wishes:
You are to drive straight.
Drive straight.
- "To be", in passive voice(constructed using the infinitive “to be”) and Past Participle— 3 form irregular verb or adding the ending “- ed" to the correct one), describes opportunity:
She was not to be heard.
It was impossible to hear her.
You were to be heard very good on the concert.
You could be heard very well at the concert.
Conclusion
We have covered all the main important nuances this tricky verb. IN last time We draw your attention to the fact that when you say a phrase and doubt whether you should put the verb be there, you can always test yourself by asking questions to the sentence: am I who/what, is where, is what?
If in translation the words “is, is, is” give the sentence a logical meaning, then in English such a sentence will be correct.
We hope this article helped you understand the verb to be, which is simple only at first glance. Cheers!
Big and friendly EnglishDom family
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The construction there is / there are is used to report the location of objects and persons. Remember a simple rule: If Russian offer begins with the adverbial adverbial place (the first word of the Russian sentence answers the question “where?”), then we will start the English sentence with there is / there are. For example: “There is a mouse in the box” - There is a mouse in the box. In this case, the very circumstance of place (in the box) must be placed at the end of the sentence. English sentences with the construction there is / there are are translated from the end (while There is... there are is not translated). For example: There is a bench in the garden - There is a bench in the garden.
If the sentence begins with a subject (“who?” or “what?”), this construction is not used, we translate it as it is: the car is in the street.
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Let us compare two sentences “there is a vase on the table” and “a vase on the table”. The first begins with the adverbial place, and the second with the subject, respectively, to translate the first sentence we use There is a…. - “there is a vase on the table”, and we translate the second sentence without this construction - “the vase is on the table”. If the subject (the thing referred to in the sentence) is singular, then there is is used, and if it is plural, then there are.
- Please note that (is, are) in such sentences can be translated as “lies”, “stands”, “hangs”, “grows”, “is located”: There are toys in the box - In the box lie toys, there is a big tree in front of my house - In front of my house growing a big tree.
- When listing items, There is used is, if the first item listed is singular (There is a copy book, three pencils and a ruler on the table) and there are, if the first item listed is in the plural (There are three pencils, a copy book and a ruler on the table).
Word order in affirmative, interrogative and negative sentences with the construction there is / there are
Prepositions of place are function words that connect members of a sentence and are closely related to the use of the construction there is / there are, so we consider them in this post. First, let’s remember the prepositions of place and direction in English
- On – on: there is an apple on the plate – there is an apple on the plate
- In – inside: there are pens in the bag – there are pens in the bag
- Above/over – above: there is a picture above the fireplace – a picture hangs above the fireplace
- At - at: at the wall - at the wall
- Near - near, around, nearby: near my house - near my house
- Under - under: under the table - under the table
- Below - below, under: below the window - below the window
- Behind - behind: behind the tree - behind the tree
- To - indicates movement towards an object: to school - to school, to work - to work, to a friend - to a friend
- Into - inside: into the room - to the room
- From - indicates movement from an object: from school - from school, from work - from work, take the cup from that boy - take the cup from that boy, take the book from the table - take the book from the table
- Out of - from (from within): out of the bag - from the bag
- In front of - in front of: in front of my house - in front of my house
- Between - between: between the cupboard and the sofa - between the closet and the sofa
- Up - up: up the street - up the street
- Through - through, through: through the window - through the window
- Across - across (crossing): across the street - across the street
- Beside/next to - next to (next in a row): sit next to me - sit next to me
- We recommend paying attention to the difference between the prepositions in and into. Phrases with the preposition in answer the question “where?” - in the cupboard - in the closet, in the bag - in the bag, in the box - in the box. Phrases with the preposition into answer the question “where?” - into the cupboard - into the closet, into the bag - into the bag, into the box - into the box.
More about the preposition into watch in our video:
- Remember the exceptions: on a tree - in the tree, on the street - in the street, in a picture - in the picture.
Prepositions in English perform many functions, they act as case endings, which do not exist in the English language, are an integral part of countless expressions and should in no case be neglected.
