TO BE

 TO BE

The verb *to be* is one of the most fundamental and irregular verbs in English. It is used to indicate existence, identity, states, and conditions. Here’s a breakdown of its forms:

 

Positive form:

  • 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)

Past Simple:

  • I was (no short form)
  • You were (no short form)
  • He was (no short form)
  • She was (no short form)
  • It was (no short form)
  • We were (no short form)
  • They were (no short form)

Future Simple:

  • I will be (I'll be)
  • You will be (You'll be)
  • He will be (He'll be)
  • She will be (She'll be)
  • It will be (It'll be)
  • We will be (We'll be)
  • They will be (They'll be)

Present Participle (used in continuous tenses):

  • Being (e.g., "She is being kind.")

Past Participle (used in perfect tenses and passive voice):

  • Been (e.g., "I have been happy.")

 

Negative form:

  • I am not (I'm not)
  • You are not (You're not / You aren't)
  • He/She/It is not (He's not / He isn't, She's not / She isn't, It's not / It isn't)
  • We are not (We're not / We aren't)
  • They are not (They're not / They aren't)

Past tense:

  • I was not (I wasn't)
  • You were not (You weren't)
  • He/She/It was not (He wasn't / She wasn't / It wasn't)
  • We were not (We weren't)
  • They were not (They weren't)

 

1. Questions

To form a question, simply invert the subject and the verb to be.

Structure: 👉 To be + Subject + Complement?

Present Simple:

  • Am I...?
  • Are you...?
  • Is he...?
  • Is she...?
  • Is it...?
  • Are we...?
  • Are they...?

Past Simple:

  • Was I...?
  • Were you...?
  • Was he...?
  • Was she...?
  • Was it...?
  • Were we...?
  • Were they...?

Future Simple:

  • Will I be...?
  • Will you be...?
  • Will he be...?
  • Will she be...?
  • Will it be...?
  • Will we be...?
  • Will they be...?

 

Examples:

  • Are you happy?
  • Is she a teacher?
  • Was he at home yesterday?
  • Were they late?

 

2. Wh- Questions (questions with who, what, where, when, why, how)

For questions with who, what, where, when, why, how, place the question word before the verb to be.

Structure: 👉 Wh- word + To be + Subject + Complement?

Examples:

  • Where is your book?
  • What is your name?
  • Who is your best friend?
  • Why are they sad?
  • How was the movie?

3. Questions with 'to be' in the past

The same rules apply when using was or were for past tense questions.

Examples:

  • Was she at the party last night?
  • Were they in Italy last summer?
  • Where was your phone?
  • How were the exams?

 

4. Questions with 'to be' in the future

For future tense, use will be and follow the same structure.

Examples:

  • Will you be at the meeting tomorrow?
  • Where will she be next week?
  • What will the weather be like?

 

Long form and short form:

The difference between short and long forms is mainly in formality and usage:

1. Short Form (Contractions)

  • Used in spoken English and informal writing (messages, casual emails, dialogues).
  • Combines words by removing letters and using an apostrophe.
  • Sounds more natural and fluent in conversation.

Examples:

  • I am → I'm
  • You are → You're
  • He is → He's
  • She will be → She'll be

2. Long Form (Full Form)

  • Used in formal writing (essays, reports, official documents).
  • Preferred in academic and professional contexts.
  • Often used for emphasis or clarity in speech.

Examples:

  • I am (instead of I'm)
  • You are (instead of You're)
  • He is (instead of He's)
  • She will be (instead of She'll be)

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