present of 'to be'

The Present of the Verb to be (English Explanation)

The verb to be is one of the most important verbs in English. In the present tense, it has three main forms:

• am
• are
• is

1. Affirmative forms

• I am – I'm
  Example: I'm happy.
• You are – You're
  Example: You're my friend.
• He is – He's
  Example: He's my brother.
• She is – She's
  Example: She's a teacher.
• It is – It's
  Example: It's cold.
• We are – We're
  Example: We're students.
• You are – You're
  Example: You're late.
• They are – They're
  Example: They're at home.

The contracted forms (I'm, you're, he's, etc.) are very common in spoken English and informal writing.

2. Negative forms

To make the negative, add not after the verb to be.

• I am not – I'm not
  Example: I'm not tired.
• You are not – You aren't / You're not
  Example: You aren't busy.
• He is not – He isn't / He's not
  Example: He isn't here.
• She is not – She isn't / She's not
  Example: She isn't ready.
• It is not – It isn't / It's not
  Example: It isn't difficult.
• We are not – We aren't / We're not
  Example: We aren't hungry.
• You are not – You aren't / You're not
  Example: You aren't late.
• They are not – They aren't / They're not
  Example: They aren't at school.

3. Questions

To make questions, put the verb to be before the subject.

• Am I late? – No, you aren't.
• Are you a student? – Yes, I am.
• Is he your friend? – Yes, he is.
• Is it cold? – No, it isn't.
• Are we in the right room? – Yes, we are.
• Are they at home? – No, they aren't.

4. Main uses of the present of to be

• To talk about who or what someone or something is:
  She is my sister. / It is a cat.
• To talk about feelings or conditions:
  I'm tired. / They are happy.
• To talk about age:
  He is ten years old.
• To talk about place:
  We are at home. / She is at school.