The god of the sea from Greek mythology Proteus was able to change shape in the blink of an eye. To get any information from him, you had to grab him and hold him tightly while he took various forms: he could become a lion, a boar, a snake, a tree. The verb to be is considered the most promising in the English language.
Given that we use it so often, it's too bad that it's also the most fickle, ever-changing, and arguably the most "slippery" in the English language. What are its main functions and use cases? What forms does the verb to be take in Present Simple, as well as Past and Future Tenses? Learn all the grammatical subtleties of the main English verb from the article.
Shapes
So, let's look at what forms the verb to be takes in Present Simple (simple present tense).
| The only h. | Shape | Plural h. | Shape | |
| 1 face | I | am | We | are |
| 2 face | You | are | You | are |
| 3 face | He/She/It | is | They | are |
Keep your first exercise on the verb to be in Present Simple: learn all its forms. We must be extremely careful in choosing the correct form of the auxiliary verb so that it agrees with the subject or person. Singular subjects require the use of the singular form of the verb; multiple, respectively, require multiple.
Please note that in English, when combining the pronoun with the verb to be, abbreviations are popular: I + am → I'm, you are → you're, he is/she is/it is → he's/she's/ it's, we are → we're, they are → they're.
Don't forget that the verb to be changes in Present Simple, Past Simple and Future Simple. The following table will tell you how this auxiliary verb declines depending on the person and number in the present, past and future tenses.
| Unit number | Present | Past | Future | Mn. number | Present | Past | Future | |
| 1 face | I | am | was | (will+) be | We | are | were | (will+) be |
| 2 face | You | are | were | (will+) be | You | are | were | (will+) be |
| 3 face | He/She/It | is | was | (will+) be | They | are | were | (will+) be |
It is recommended to memorize all of the above forms, as this will greatly speed up the process of learning English, and also contribute to the understanding of basic grammar.
Why is it needed?
For many Russian-speaking English learners, the use of the verb to be in the Present Simple and the endings that result from the face declension of verbs are perhaps the most difficult topics to study. But if you can still come to terms with the endings, then the first question of using the auxiliary verb to be for the majority is covered in a dense fog of mystery and misunderstanding. As a result, the construction of seemingly even the most elementary phrases and sentences becomes a real problem. Why, why, when should this sinister auxiliary be used?
Indeed, in Russian in the present tense, the use of the verb “is”, “to be” or “to be” (yes, the verb to be in Present Simple has a huge number of translation variations) is completely unnecessary. Why say "I am a girl" (I am a girl), "You are my friend" (You are my friend), "She is beautiful" (She is beautiful), "We are the best friends" (We are the best friends), "They are teachers" (They are teachers)? Why complicate the language? And nowlet's look at this auxiliary verb from a different angle.
Let's move to the past and transform all the above examples into the past tense. “I was a girl” (I was a girl), “You were my friend” (You were my friend), “She was beautiful” (She was beautiful), “We were the best friends” (We were the best friends), "They were teachers" (They were teachers). In these sentences, the use of the same verb “is” (“to be”, “to be”) does not seem so strange anymore, right? It is fair to say that it is necessary. Otherwise, how can we convey an action, fact or phenomenon from the past? “She is beautiful” and “She was beautiful” are two completely different sentences. She may not be beautiful anymore, and that matters, doesn't it? "You were my friend", but now "You are not my friend". Feel the difference?
So, as in Russian it is necessary to use the verb “byt” (“is”, “to be”) in the past (or even future tense: “You will be my friend!”), So in English it is necessary (and mandatory) use of the verb to be in Present Simple!
One way to understand when to use this verb is the difference in the presence or absence of action. Compare the following two sentences: I am a girl and I live here. In the first case (I am a girl) there is no action as such, but in the second sentence (I live here) there is action: I live. Thisthe method can be used to explain the use of the verb to be in the Present Simple for children.
The exercise is as follows: each time before you translate or say something in English, ask yourself: is there an action in this sentence? If the answer is no (for example, "They are my friends" - no action), then use the verb to be (They are my friends). It's simple!
The verb to be in Present Simple: usage rules
As mentioned earlier, to be is one of the most complex and fundamental verbs in the English language: without it, not only complex constructions, but even the most elementary sentences would be impossible. The verb to be in Present Simple can be not only a simple and inconspicuous link, it can be basic, form passive constructions, and also be part of other, more complex tenses like Perfect and Progressive. Therefore, it should be treated with respect and attention.
To be like a bunch
So, to be is an auxiliary, linking verb. The name speaks for itself. It must link the parts of the sentence together. So, with its help, we attach either nouns or adjectives to the subject, which serve to describe or identify the subject. For example, It is a book (This is a book). The book is interesting (The book is interesting).
To be as main verb
When building sentences in English, one should clearly distinguish between main (main) and auxiliary (auxiliary) verbs. To be can serve both as a first and inas a second. And it is in the first case that it will be translated into Russian as “to be”. For example, let's compare the following sentences: The capital of Spain is Madrid (The capital of Spain is Madrid), but The capital of Spain is in Madrid (The capital of Spain is in Madrid). If in the first sentence to be plays the role of a linking verb, then in the second case it is the main, independent one.
The There is and There are constructions
The list of grammatical topics that are incomprehensible to the average student studying English can safely include the constructions There is and There are. In fact, this formula is extremely simple. This special type of predicate always takes place before the subject. So, There is and There are are used to indicate that something or someone is somewhere. Consider the following two sentences: My friend is in the room (My friend is in the room), but There is my friend in the room (There is my friend in the room). You may notice that in the first sentence, the emphasis is on where the friend is. In the second case, the emphasis is on who is in the room.
To be: questions and denials
So, what do we know about the rules for constructing questions and denials in English in Present Simple? Usually, the auxiliary verb to do (does for the 3rd person singular) appears in sentences and, if necessary, the negative particle not. However, since the verb to be is not so simple, when it comes to building interrogative and negative constructions, it does not lend itself to general rules. Theseexceptions are more understandable and pleasant than scary.
Let's start with the negatives. Everything is as simple as possible here: add a negative particle not to the linking verb - you're done. I am a girl → I am not a girl (I'm not a girl). You are my friend → You are not my friend (You are not my friend). She is beautiful → She is not beautiful (She is not beautiful), etc.
The best exercises for the verb to be Present Simple will be the practice of speaking. Try to name and describe all the things you see around you. It is a cup (This is a mug). It is white (She is white). They are kids (They are children). They are young (They are young).
Don't forget about abbreviations too: are not becomes aren't, is not → isn't. But the am form likes to put on airs and doesn't want to shrink.
When it comes to questions, everyone's favorite inversion (or reverse word order) comes into play. However, even here everything is extremely simple. We just move the verb to be to the first place. For example, Am I a girl? (Am I a girl?), Are they teachers? (Are they teachers?) Is she beautiful? (Is she beautiful?).
