Conjugating the verb “to be” involves changing its form based on the subject of the sentence. This verb is unique because it doesn’t follow the regular pattern of most verbs. There are three main forms: “am,” “is,” and “are.”
To Be – Affirmative Statements:
When we talk about something being true or existing, we use the verb “to be.” The form of “to be” changes based on the subject (who or what the sentence is about).
I am: I am from Curaçao.
You are: You are Venezuelan.
He is: He is twenty years old.
She is: She is a nurse.
It is: It is a big dog.
We are: We are intelligent.
You are: You are students.
They are: They are married.
To Be – Contractions:
When we speak, we often use shorter forms of “to be” called contractions.
I am → I’m: I’m from Curaçao.
You are → You’re: You’re Venezuelan.
He is → He’s: He’s twenty years old.
She is → She’s: She’s a nurse.
It is → It’s: It’s a big dog.
We are → We’re: We’re intelligent.
You are → You’re: You’re students.
They are → They’re: They’re married.
To Be – Negative Statements:
To make negative sentences, we add “not” after “to be.”
I am not: I am not from Spain.
You are not: You are not Australian.
He is not: He is not thirty years old.
She is not: She is not a secretary.
It is not: It is not a small cat.
We are not: We are not stupid.
You are not: You are not teachers.
They are not: They are not single.
To Be – Negative Contractions:
We can make contractions in negative sentences, too. There are two ways: either with the subject and the verb, or with the verb and “not.”
I’m not from Spain.
You’re not Australian.
He’s not thirty years old.
She’s not a secretary.
It’s not a small cat.
We’re not stupid.
You’re not teachers.
They’re not single.
To Be – Questions:
To make questions with “to be,” we switch the order of the verb and the subject.
Affirmative: You are happy.
Question: Are you happy?
Short Answers with To Be:
In spoken English, we often use short answers to respond to questions.
Question: Are you a student?
Short Answer: Yes, I am. (or No, I’m not.)
Remember, “to be” helps us describe things, say where someone is from, and talk about what’s true. It might take some practice, but you’ll get the hang of it!
