The Verb “To Be” (Present Simple)
📌 Lesson contents
🎯 Lesson goal
In this lesson you will learn the basics of the verb “to be” in the Present Simple 📖. You will see how to use it to introduce yourself, say your age and talk about feelings 🧠, and practise with the test at the bottom of the page! 🚀
🔤 Forms of the verb to be
It is an irregular verb with its own forms, and you need to memorise them. Let’s look at the affirmative, negative, short and question forms.
| Affirmative | Short form | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| I am | I’m | I am not / I’m not | Am I? |
| You are | You’re | You are not / You aren’t | Are you? |
| He / She / It is | He’s / She’s / It’s | He/She/It is not / isn’t | Is he/she/it? |
| We are | We’re | We are not / We aren’t | Are we? |
| They are | They’re | They are not / They aren’t | Are they? |
🧠 When we use to be
- Introducing yourself and jobs: I am Luca. She is a doctor. 🙋
- Age: I am 20 years old. (Never use “have” for age!) 🎂
- Feelings and conditions: I am happy. She is cold. 😃🥶
- Place: We are at school. Where are you? 📍
- Weather and time: It is sunny. It is 8 o’clock. 🕒☀️
🚫 Common mistakes to avoid
- ❌ I have 20 years. ➔ ✅ I am 20 years old.
- ❌ I am agree. ➔ ✅ I agree (no “am”).
- ❌ You are happy? (a question without swapping the words) ➔ ✅ Are you happy?
👉 Remember: I ➔ am, He/She/It ➔ is, You/We/They ➔ are!
Practice exercises (To Be)
Test yourself with the exercises below. Fill in the correct form of to be (am, is, are, ‘m, ‘s, ‘re, isn’t, aren’t) or answer the prompts.