How do you use the verb ‘be’ in English? –

Easy Learning Grammar

The verb 

be

 is used as an auxiliary verb and it can also be used as a main verb. The verb 

be

 is irregular. It has eight different forms: 

be

, 

am

, 

is

, 

are

, 

was

, 

were

, 

being

, 

been

. The present simple and past simple tenses make more changes than those of other verbs.I 

am

 late. We 

are

 late. You 

are

 late.         You 

are

 late. He 

is

 late. They 

are

 late. 

I

 was

 late. We 

were

 late. You 

were

 late.      You 

were

 late. She 

was

 late. They 

were

 late. 

The present participle is 

being

.

He is 

being

 very helpful these days.

The past participle is 

been

.

We have 

been

 ready for an hour.

• The present simple tense forms of 

  be

   are often contracted in normal speech. Note that the contracted form of 

  they are

   is spelled 

  they’re

  , and not 

  their

   which is the possessive form of they.

I’m

 here. 

We’re

 here. 

You’re

 here.       

You’re

 here. 

He’s

 here. 

They’re

 here. 

Any form of

 be

 is made negative by adding 

not

 immediately after it. In speech, some forms of 

be

 also have contracted negative forms. Some of these forms emphasize the negative. emphasizes the negative I

’m not

 late.  You 

aren’t

 late. You

’re not

 late. He

 isn’t

 late. He

’s not

 late. We 

aren’t

 late. We

’re not

 late. They

 aren’t

 late. They

’re not

 late.  I

 wasn’t

 late.  You 

weren’t

 late.  He 

wasn’t

 late.  We 

weren’t

 late.  They 

weren’t

 late.  

The major uses of 

be

 as an auxiliary verb are to form continuous tenses and the passive.

• Continuous

   tenses of main verbs use the appropriate form of 

  be

  , present or past, followed by the present participle (or 

  -ing

   form). 

• The 

  passive

   form of a main verb uses the appropriate form of 

  be

   followed by the past participle. 

The verb 

be

 is also used as a main verb. It is commonly found joining a subject to its complement. As a 

main verb

, 

be

 is used to talk about:

• Feelings and states. For this we use the simple tenses of the verb with a suitable adjective. 

I 

am delighted

 with the news but he 

is not happy

.

She 

was busy

 so she 

was not able

 to see me.

• People’s behaviour. For this we use the continuous tenses of the verb with a suitable adjective. 

I

 am not being

 slow, I 

am being

 careful.

You 

were being

 very rude to your mum when I came downstairs.

• Be

   + the 

  to infinitive

   is sometimes used to refer to future time. This is a rather formal use, which often appears in news reports. 

The Prime Minister 

is to visit

 Hungary in October.

The Archbishop 

is to have

 talks with the Pope next month.

• It

   + 

  be

  : we use 

  it

   as a subject when we are talking about time, distance, weather, or cost. In this use,

   be

   is always singular.

Hurry up, 

it’s eight thirty

!

Is it

? I didn’t know 

it was so late

.

It’s

 thirty miles to Glasgow.

Come and visit us. 

It’s not very far

.

It’s cold

 today but 

it isn’t wet

.

It’s very expensive

 to live in London.

• There

   + 

  is

  /

  are

   is used to talk about something existing. In this use, the form that 

  be

   takes may be singular or plural, depending on the number of the noun, and 

  be

   is sometimes contracted.

There’s

 a spare toothbrush in the cupboard.

There was

 a cold wind blowing.

There isn’t

 enough petrol for the journey.

There are

 several petrol stations on the way, 

aren’t there

?

To make the continuous tenses of the main verb 

be

 we have to use 

be

 twice, once as an auxiliary and once as a main verb.

You 

are being

 so annoying!

I know I 

am being

 silly, but I am frightened.

The question form of clauses with the verb 

be

 in them is made by putting the appropriate form of 

be

 right in front of the subject.

Are you

 better now?

Is he

 free this morning?

Was he

 cooking dinner when you arrived?