Present simple forms of ‘to be’: am/is/are

Grammar / A1 Grammar lessons and exercises Present simple forms of ‘to be’: am/is/are

✏️ Exercises

The present simple of be: Form

Present Simple of 'be' - Positive, Negative, and Question Forms

I → am: I am happy. (I’m tired.)

He / She / It → is: She is tired. It is cold. (He’s a boy. It’s big.)

We / You / They → are: They are ready. (You’re late. They’re friends.)

💡 They = People and Things

We use he for a man, she for a woman, and it for a thing.

  • He’s a little boy.
  • She’s beautiful.
  • I like this TV. → It’s very big.
  • I love Sara and Jonas. → They are my friends.
  • I love these chairs. → They are very beautiful.

Don’t Forget the Subject

Always include the subject before the verb.

correctIt is cold.
wrongIs cold.
correctSally is a wonderful woman.
wrongIs a wonderful woman.

Contractions or Short Forms

We use ‘m, ‘s, and ‘re with personal pronouns (I, you, he, she, it, we, they).

  • I’m sad.
  • You’re tired.
  • She’s from Scotland.

But we can also use ‘s with names:

  • Laura’s beautiful.
  • London’s an expensive city.

Contractions in Short Answers

✅ Use full forms in positive short answers.
❌ Do not use contractions.

✅ Yes, I am.

❌ Yes, I’m.

✅ Yes, she is.

❌ Yes, she’s.

✅ Yes, they are.

❌ Yes, they’re.

Uses of "be"

Uses of the verb 'be' – Identity, Age, Job, Nationality, Feelings, Color, Prices, Weather, Time, Descriptions
Identity: I’m Steven. This is Isabella.
Age: I’m 24 years old. My father is 50.
Job: I’m a teacher. My wife is a doctor.
Nationality: Alex is from Ireland. Sonia is from Spain.
Feelings: I’m scared. She is very tired.
Color: Our dog is black. His eyes are blue.
Prices: It’s seven pounds. This T-shirt is twenty dollars.
Weather: It’s sunny today. It is very cold this morning.
Time: What time is it? It’s ten past four.
Descriptions: He is very short and thin. The cars are old and cheap.