To be (am, is, are)

The Verb "To Be" (am, is, are)

The verb to be is the foundation of English grammar and means "to be," "to exist," or "to be located". In English, this verb is mandatory in a sentence even when there is no other action, acting like an equals sign (=) between the subject and information about it.

1. Forms in Present Simple

The form of the verb changes depending on the subject:

  • I → am (Example: I am a student).

  • He, She, It (and singular nouns) → is (Example: He is happy, The cat is black).

  • We, You, They (and plural nouns) → are (Example: They are friends, The cats are black).

2. When to Use

You must use am, is, or are when talking about:

  • Names & Identity: I am Anna.

  • Professions: He is a teacher.

  • Age: I am 25 years old.

  • Location: We are at home.

  • Qualities & Feelings: She is beautiful, I am tired.

  • Weather & Time: It is sunny, It is 2 o'clock.

3. Negatives and Questions

  • Negation: Simply add not after the verb.

    • I am not hungry.

    • They are not late.

  • Questions: Move the verb to the first place (before the subject).

    • Is he your brother?.

    • Are they ready?.

4. Short Forms (Contractions)

In spoken English and informal writing, short forms are very common:

  • Positive: I'm, he's, she's, it's, we're, you're, they're.

  • Negative: He isn't, they aren't.

  • Note: There is no contraction for am + not (like "amn't"); you must use I'm not.

5. Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Skipping the verb: Do not say "I student." Always say I am a student.

  • Extra verb: Do not use "to be" with other normal actions in the Present Simple. Do not say "I am work every day"; say I work every day.

  • Wrong form: Using are with he or is with they.

Practise

Exercise 1: About myself

My name is Aruzhan. I am 15 years old. My birthday is the 18th of May and it’s coming up very soon. I think I have a weird personality, which is bothering me sometimes. I am insecure, agressive and anxious person. But I promise I am working with it right now. I am keen on anime and visual novels. My favourite visual novel is ‘The kid at the back’. It is like typical american stereotypes about high schoolers but I love it anyway. There is a cute lowkey emo boy who is being bullied, we helped him in library and thet’s how he became obsessed with us. I know I have a strange taste. I want to be an IT-specialist and maybe someday develop my own visual novel.

Exercise 2: My mother

My mom is the kindest person in the world. She is a librarian. Mom is 43 years old. She have two kids including me. Can I say that my mother is the one who I love the most in my family? Maybe it is because she reminds me myself. We are very similar in our insecurities and traumas. She always comforts me when I feel bad and loves me unconditionally. I appreciate everything she has done for our famiy.

Feedback

Ты делаешь именно то, что нужно — пишешь живо и по делу. Но давай честно: уровень уже выше базового, и поэтому ошибки — не в to be, а в деталях, которые тянут оценку вниз. Разберём и сразу улучшим.

🔹 Твой текст 1 — исправленный вариант

Исправленная версия:

My name is Aruzhan. I am 15 years old. My birthday is on the 18th of May, and it’s coming up very soon. I think I have a weird personality, which sometimes bothers me. I am an insecure, aggressive, and anxious person. But I am working on it right now.

I am keen on anime and visual novels. My favourite visual novel is “The Kid at the Back.” It is full of typical American high school stereotypes, but I love it anyway. There is a cute, low-key emo boy who is being bullied. We helped him in the library, and that’s how he became obsessed with us.

I know I have strange taste. I want to be an IT specialist and maybe someday develop my own visual novel.

🔹 Твой текст 2 — исправленный вариант

Исправленная версия:

My mom is the kindest person in the world. She is a librarian. She is 43 years old. She has two kids, including me.

Can I say that my mother is the one I love the most in my family? Maybe it is because she reminds me of myself. We are very similar in our insecurities and traumas. She always comforts me when I feel bad and loves me unconditionally. I appreciate everything she has done for our family.

🔻 Главные ошибки (важно понять)

1. ❌ She have → ✅ She has

Это не to be, но критическая ошибка.
👉 he / she / it → всегда has

2. ❌ agressive → ✅ aggressive

Просто орфография (но на экзамене снимают баллы)

3. ❌ thet’s → ✅ that’s

Опечатка, но важно следить

4. ❌ helped him in library → ✅ in the library

👉 почти всегда нужен the

5. ❌ reminds me myself → ✅ reminds me of myself

👉 после remind нужен of

6. ❌ strange taste → лучше a strange taste

👉 исчисляемое → нужен артикль

🔹 Что у тебя уже хорошо (это важно)

  • Ты уверенно используешь I am / She is / It is ✔

  • Ты пишешь длинные предложения ✔

  • Ты умеешь выражать мысли, а не просто строить фразы ✔

  • У тебя уже почти уровень B1–B2 в письменной речи

🔹 Как сделать ещё сильнее (уровень выше)

Попробуй переписать 1 текст, добавив:

  • but / because / although

  • больше сложных связок

👉 Например:

  • I am insecure, but I am trying to improve

  • I like this story because it feels emotional

Напиши новый текст:

Тема: Why I am the way I am (8–10 предложений)

Условия:

  • минимум 5 раз использовать am / is / are

  • минимум 2 раза использовать because / but

  • добавить эмоции (это твоя сильная сторона)