• 13 November, 2024
• 95
• Grammar
• A1 Elementary

Present simple forms of 'to be' – am/is/are

In English, the verb "to be" has three main forms in the present simple tense:

• I am
• He/She/It is
• We/You/They are
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They – People and Things

We use "they" when referring to people or things in general.

• For a single male, we use "he," for a female "she," and for an object or animal, "it":
  • He is a little boy.
  • She is very smart.
  • I like this phone. It is very useful.
  • 
    
• When talking about multiple people or things, we use "they":
  • My friends are amazing. They are always supportive.
  • These books are interesting. They are full of knowledge.
  • 
    

Don’t Forget the Subject

In English, every sentence needs a subject before the verb.

• It is raining. ✅
• Is raining. ❌ (There’s no subject here.)
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Contractions or Short Forms

In spoken English, we often use contractions to shorten "to be" forms. For example, instead of "I am," we say "I'm":

• I'm excited about the trip.
• You're very helpful.
• He's from France.

We can also use contractions with names:

• Anna's very talented.
• London's a busy city.
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Contractions in Short Answers

In short answers, contractions are only used for negative responses, not for positive ones.

• Yes, I am. ✅
• Yes, I'm. ❌
• Yes, she is. ✅
• Yes, she's. ❌