Verb To BE in the Simple Present: Rules, Examples, and Exercises

The verb To Be

If you're just starting to learn English, you'll start by learning the verb To Be in the Present Simple, as this is the basis of simple phrases we use on a daily basis, such as "How are you?", "Are you at home", "My name is Sonia", etc. 

Uses of the Verb To Be

With this in mind, let's start by referring to what situations the verb To Be is used:

1.To introduce yourself or a person:

What is your name? My name is Sonia.
Where are you from? I am from Portugal.
This is my brother Miguel.

2. Job/profession:

I am a teacher.
She is a dentist.
They are students.

3. Date and time:

It's Monday.
It's 12 o'clock.

4. Mood / feelings:

I'm happy.
She is very tired.
They are bored.

5. Description:

The house is big.
I am tall and fit.
They are intelligent.

6. Location:

My house is in the city center.
There are mountains in the North of the country.
The best beaches are in the south.

 

Conjugation of the Verb To Be in the Simple Present

Examples of the Verb To Be in the Simple Present in a sentence

Sentence building  - Verb To Be in the Simple Present

1. Affirmative sentence: I am a teacher.
subject + verb

2.Negative sentence: I am not a dentist.
subject + verb + not

3. Question: Are you at home?
verb + subject

 

Most common mistakes with the verb To Be in the Present Simple

1. Subject-verb agreement: confusion between "is" and "are" - He/She/It always demands "is".
2. Incorrect order in a sentence, especially in questions: in a question with the verb To Be in the Present Simple, the verb always comes first." Are you at home?"

 

Exercise with the verb To Be in the Present Simple

Now that we've learned the rules, let's practice the verb To Be in the Present Simple.

Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks with the correct form of To Be (am, is, are):
She ____ a doctor.
We ____at home..
They ____ from Canada.
You ____ my best friend.
It ____ beautiful.
I ____ not sure about the answer.
He ____ tall and slim.
We ____ ready to start the project.

Exercise 2: Rewrite sentences with the correct form of To Be.:
She am happy.
You is smart.
We isn't ready yet.
He are at home.
I is tall.

Exercise 3: Formulate questions using the appropriate form of To Be.
____ she a student?
____ you ready?
____ they from France?
____ we late?

(solutions: 1. is, are, are, are, is, am, is, are. 2.is, are, are, is, am. 3. is, are, are, are)
 

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