A1 · Grammar
The verb to be
After this page you can introduce yourself with am, is and are, make negative sentences, ask yes/no questions and give short answers like Yes, I am. or No, it isn't.
Rules
1.
am, is, are and the short forms
- I'm a nurse at the city hospital.
- Marek is from Poland.
- The flat is small but nice.
- We're in Cardiff this week.
The verb to be has three forms: am, is, are. Each subject takes one form. In speaking and in emails to friends, we often use the short form.
to be: long form · short 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
One person or one thing takes is: Anna is …, the bus is …. Two or more take are: Anna and Ben are …, the buses are …
I → am · he, she, it → is · you, we, they → are
Two names → are: Olga and Ahmed are at work.
2.
Name, home town, job, age, feelings
- I'm Sofia. I'm from Bristol.
- My brother is an engineer.
- Lucy is 32.
- We're hungry. Are you cold?
Use to be for your name, your home town and your job. In English, age and feelings like hungry or cold also go with to be.
When you use to be
- name: I'm Sofia.
- home town or country, be + from: She's from Leeds.
- job, with a or an: He's a chef. I'm an engineer.
- age: I'm 32. or I'm 32 years old.
- feelings: I'm hungry, thirsty, cold, hot, tired.
- place: We're at home. Tom is in the office.
We learn more about a and an in another lesson.
Age: I'm 25. (not: I have 25 years.)
I'm cold. Are you hungry? (not: I have cold.)
3.
Negatives: am not, isn't, aren't
- I'm not hungry, thanks.
- Ahmed isn't at home.
- We aren't late.
- The tickets are not expensive.
For a negative, put not after am, is or are. The short forms are isn't and aren't. With I, the short form is I'm not.
Negative: long form · short forms
- I am not · I'm not
- he is not · he isn't · he's not
- you are not · you aren't · you're not
- we are not · we aren't · they are not · they aren't
I'm not tired. (not: I amn't, not: I'm no)
not comes after the verb: She is not here.
4.
Questions: the verb comes first
- Are you from Leeds?
- Is the café open on Sunday?
- Is Sofia your sister?
- Am I late?
In a yes/no question, am, is or are comes first. Then comes the subject. The question ends with a question mark.
Sentence → question
- You are tired. → Are you tired?
- Ben is at work. → Is Ben at work?
- The shops are open. → Are the shops open?
Questions with words like where or how old come in another lesson.
Swap the subject and the verb: She is … → Is she …?
No short form at the start: Is it …? Are you …?
5.
Short answers: Yes, I am. No, I'm not.
- Are you tired? – Yes, I am.
- Is the hotel far? – No, it isn't.
- Are they at home? – Yes, they are.
- Is Ben a teacher? – No, he isn't.
A short answer is Yes or No + a pronoun + am, is or are. A yes answer always has the long form. A no answer usually has the short form.
Short answers
- Yes, I am. · No, I'm not.
- Yes, she is. · No, she isn't.
- Yes, we are. · No, we aren't.
A short answer is polite. Only Yes or No can sound a little rude.
Yes, I am. (not: Yes, I'm.)
Use a pronoun, not the name: Is Anna here? – Yes, she is.
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