The Verb ‘To Be’ – Is/are/am/was/were
by The Verb ‘To Be’
‘Be’ is an irregular verb that is used as a helping verb and main verb as well.
Usages (The Verb ‘To Be’)
He/she/it/name/ singular person (noun) + is/was + complement/ verb + ing + object etc.
You/we/they/plural person + are/were + complement/ verb + ing + object.
I + am/ was + complement /verb + ing
The Verb ‘To Be’ (is/are/am/was/were) is used in various ways:
Relationship
| He is my elder brother. | She is twenty years old. |
| His brother was very intelligent in his school days. | He was a thirty-year-old guy. |
| My sister is adorable. | She was twenty-five when she was married. |
| He is eighteen now. | How old is he? |
Occupations
| His grandfather was a freedom fighter. | They were bankers. |
| Are you a nurse? | Was he a clerk? |
| I am not but my sister is a nurse who works in a max hospital. | He was a software engineer. |
| All the students are engineers. | He is a hawker. |
| Both the girls are doctors. | He is a freelancer. |
Name
| My name is William Smith. | Her name is Eva. |
| Are you Jennifer? | I am not Jennifer, my name is Kate. |
| What’s your father’s name? | My father’s name is Andrew. |
Qualities
| She is smart. | He is cruel. |
| They are very intelligent. | I am kind-hearted. |
| You are clever. | She is arrogant. |
| She is tall. | You are snobbish. |
| He is dull in the study. | He is timid. |
| He is diligent. | Rahul is brave. |
| She is kind. | He is great. |
Conditions
Sub + The Verb ‘To Be’ (is/are/am or was/were) + verb III (used as an adjective)
| He is surprised. | This application is written. |
| They are worried. | The car is punctured. |
| I am tired of being lonely. | This paper is signed. |
| This paper is signed. | It is handwritten. |
| Her heart is broken. | It is damaged. |
| This home is decorated. | This wall is fully furnished. |
| My brother is well educated. | He is worried. |
| His body problem is diagnosed. | He is tired. |
Use of ‘It’ with the Verb ‘To Be’
‘ It’ is used with
Climate:
| It is a very hot climate in Jaisalmer. | It is cold in Himachal Pradesh. |
| It is a warm climate in Rajasthan. | It is winter. |
| It is a sunny day. | It is the summer season. |
| It is autumn. | It is terrible weather today. |
| It is stormy. | It is not flowing fast. |
| It is not blowing harder now. | It is warm. |
Temperature:
It is 33 degrees Celcius.
Distance:
It is 22 kilometres.
Point of time:
It is a particular time that uses to denote a specific date, day, month, year and time (it is mentioned below in a particular way)
| It is on 18th January. | It was Saturday. |
| It was 2nd March. | It is January. |
| It was the weekend. | It is Wednesday. |
| It was 2019. | It is 2020. |
Time
10 It is ten ‘o’clock.
7:30 It is half-past seven.
5:15 It is quarter past five.
4:45 It is quarter to five.
4:55 It is five to five.
Other points of time: today, tonight, tomorrow, yesterday, next Sunday, next month, next year, next week, next day, Next night, last day, last month, last Sunday, last year, last time, last night
| It was my last night in the hostel. | It is today. |
| It is next month. | It was yesterday. |
| It is next Sunday. | It was yesterday’s night. |
| Is it next year? | It is tonight. |
| It was the last time. | It was last week. |
Day time:
| It was morning. | It is afternoon. |
| It is evening. | It is noon. |
| It was midday then. | It was a terrible night. |
Use of it as a dummy subject:
| It is good. | It is high time to go. |
| It was a nice time. | It is I who cares for you a lot. |
| It is nice to talk to you. | It is she who helps you in every path. |
Use of there with The Verb ‘To Be’ :
‘There’ is used as a subject and ‘verb’ is used according to number or quantity.
There + be + complement
| There are four friends in his college. | There were two children in the same school. |
| There is a boy who loves riding a lot. | There was an anaconda in this village. |
| There is a man who serves food free of cost. | There is an old temple outside of the village. |
Use of this, that and these, those with The Verb ‘To Be’
Demonstrative pronoun: these pronouns are used to indicate a person or thing that is nearby or far.
This (singular) and these (plural) are used to indicate a nearby person, place or thing.
That (singular) and those (plural) are used to point out a person, place or thing which is a bit far from the eyes.
This/that/these/those (demonstrative pronoun) + be + complement (no action)
This/that + is/was + complement.
| This is a table. | That is a black cat. |
| This is a puppy that I love very much. | That was a nice mobile in the shop. |
These/those+ are/were + complement.
| Those were the best moments of my life when I met her. | Those are my best friends who are standing nearby the coffee maker. |
| These are delicious. | These are bluebirds. |
| These are mangoes. | These are animals. |
Demonstrative adjective
This/that/these/those + noun + The Verb ‘To Be’ + complement.
| Those shoes were very expensive. | This building is situated in New York. |
| That boy is very intelligent. | That player was not honest. |
| This boy is very handsome. | These students were very naughty in the tenth standard. |
| These girls are very clever. | Those flowers are the best in this garden. |
The Verb ‘To Be’ is used as a main verb:
Be + noun/adjectives (qualities, states (feeling or situations), occupations
Noun form: Be a man
Adjective form:
| Be polite. | Be smart. |
| Don’t be harsh. | Be generous |
| Be simple. | Be calm |
| Don’t be mad. | Don’t be cruel |
Occupations:
| be a doctor. | don’t be a smuggler. |
| be an engineer. | don’t be a thief. |
| don’t be a terrorist. | be a reporter. |
Exercise I (The Verb ‘To Be’ ):
Find the suitable form of ‘be’ and fill in the blanks.
- ….. your brother happy now? Yes, he ….. happy now.
- …… they tired now? Yes, they …. tired now.
- He ….. angry at the moment.
- Where ……..your sister now? She ….. at downstairs now.
- Where ….. your friend now? he …. At the mall right now.
- Where …. your colleagues at the moment? they ….. at the restaurant.
- …… students excited now? Yes, they … excited now.
- ….. Rahul bored now? No, he… not bored now.
- Are those boys …… (Travel)at the moment? No, they aren’t travelling at the moment.
- .. … …. the girls being cautious right now? Yes, they….. being cautious right now.
- …. he being kind? Yes, he is …… kind.
- ….. she being humble right now? No, she isn’t …… humble.
- …. Lupe being serious at the moment? Yes, she is ….. serious at the moment.
- …… Marcus being hard on them at the moment. Yes, he is …… hard on them at the moment.
- ….. Mia being unfaithful now? No, she isn’t ……. Unfaithful now.
Exercise II (The Verb ‘To Be’)
- This application ……. written. (is/are/am)
- Car is ……. There. (punctured, puncture, punctures)
- It ……. ten ‘o’clock. (is/are/am)
- She ……… twenty years old. (is/are/am)
- You ………. Doctor. (are a, is a, am a, was a)
- She ……. Intelligent. (is/are/am/were)
- He is …….. . (worry, worried, worrying)
- She is ……… (a smart, smart, smarter)
- You are …….. (scare, scaring, scared)
- My document ………. (was tearing, was tore, was torn)