To Be Verbs
Definition Of Be Verbs:
Verbs like am, is, are, was, were do not show action; they are verbs of being. They tell us about a state of being or existence. They don’t give any meaning but they are used to describe a subject. The be verbs are followed by a noun or an adjective or an adverb.
The most frequently used linking verb is be, whose forms include the following
The Verb ‘BE’
Be Verbs List In Tenses
| Person | Subject | Present Tense | Past Tense |
|---|---|---|---|
| First – Singular | I | am | was |
| First – Plural | we | are | were |
| Second – Singular | you | are | were |
| Second – Plural | you | are | were |
| Third – Singular | he, she, it | is | was |
| Third – Plural | they | are | were |
Examples For Be Verbs:
| I am a Doctor | We were playing |
| He was a rich man | They are running |
the verb be doesn’t contain the word be at all. It is made up of the verbs am, is, are, was, and were, and these are be-ing verbs
e.g.
| She be sleeping | She is sleeping |
In speech and informal writing the short forms of ‘be» are used. Here is a list of the short forms of ‘be’:
e.g.
| Full Form | Short Form |
|---|---|
| I am | I’m |
| We are | We’re |
| You are | You’re |
| He is | He’s |
| She is | She’s |
| It is | It’s |
| They are | They’re |
| That is | That’s |
| There is | There’s |
What Is The Meaning Of Verb ‘Be’?
Now look at the meaning of the ‘be’.
e.g.
| I am a sales representative | You are a Software Engineer |
| Sugar is sweet. | Ten minus two is eight. |
There is no special meaning for the verb ‘be’. It just links the subject and the subject complement. That is why it is called a copula or linking-verb .
The verb ‘be’ is hardly ever used by itself; it requires a complement to complete the meaning. That is why it is also called a verb of incomplete predication (i.e., the predication is not complete without a complement).
Negative Sentences With ‘Be’
Look at the following pairs of sentences:
Examples Of Negative Sentences In Be Verb:
| Affirmative | Negative |
|---|---|
| Mr. Boon is an electrician. | He is not an electrician |
| I am a painter. | I’m not a painter |
| He is in the room. | He is not in the room |
Negative sentences with a form of ‘be’ are formed by adding ‘not’ to the form of ‘be’