Verb To Be: Am, Is, Are

What is the verb "to be"?

Be is the most common verb in English. In the present, it has three forms: am, is and are. We use it to say who someone is, what something is like, and where things are.

I am a nurse. My sister is a teacher. We are from Toronto.

This page is about the present (am, is, are). For the past (was, were), see Past Simple.

How to form "to be": am, is, are

The form changes with the subject. (The subject = the person or thing that does the verb: I, you, she, my car.)

Easy rule:

• I → am
• he, she, it and one person or thing → is
• you, we, they and two or more people or things → are

More examples:

• My phone is new.
• Tom is my brother.
• The shops are closed.
• Anna and Leo are at home.

Contractions: I'm, you're, she's

In speaking and in friendly writing, we usually make be short. This is called a contraction. The apostrophe (') shows a missing letter.

You can also shorten is after a name or a noun: Tom's here. My mum's a doctor.

Do not confuse it's (= it is) and its (= belongs to it). See Possessives.

How to make negatives: am not, isn't, aren't

Put not after am, is or are.

Both short forms are correct and common. For example, She isn't at home and She's not at home mean the same.

Examples:

• I'm not a student.
• The coffee isn't hot.
• We aren't ready yet.
• They**'re not** here.

How to ask questions with "to be"

Put am, is or are before the subject.

With question words (what, where, who, how), the question word goes first:

Short answers with "to be"

Answer yes/no questions with Yes or No + subject + am/is/are.

Important: do not use a contraction in a positive short answer.

• Wrong: Yes, I'm. / Yes, she's.
• Correct: Yes, I am. / Yes, she is.

When to use the verb "to be"

1. Names and who someone is

• I**'m** Sara.
• This is my friend, Ken.
• Are you the new manager?

2. Age

In English, we use be for age, not have.

• I**'m** 25. / I**'m** 25 years old.
• My daughter is six.
• How old are you?

3. Jobs

Use a or an before a job when you talk about one person.

• She**'s** a nurse.
• I**'m** an engineer.
• They are teachers.

4. Where people and things are

• The keys are on the table.
• We**'re** at the airport.
• Is your office in the city centre?

5. Where someone is from (nationality)

• I**'m** from Brazil.
• He**'s** Mexican.
• Are you from Ukraine?

6. Feelings and how someone is

• I**'m** tired.
• Are you OK?
• The kids are hungry.
• She**'s** cold. (= she feels cold)

7. Describing people and things

• The house is big.
• My boss is very kind.
• These shoes are comfortable.

8. Weather and time

Use it is (it's) for weather, time and days.

• It's sunny today.
• It's 7 o'clock.
• It's Monday.

"To be" vs other verbs: I am vs I do

Learners often put am/is/are before a normal verb. In the present simple, a normal verb does not need be.

Use be + a noun, an adjective, a place or an age: I am a nurse. I am happy. I am at home. I am 30.

Use a normal verb for actions and habits: I work. I live here. I like tea. See Present Simple.

Note: am/is/are + verb-ing is correct. This is the present continuous: I am working now. See Present Continuous.

Common mistakes

1. Forgetting the verb "be"

• Wrong: She very tired.
• Correct: She is very tired.
• Every English sentence needs a verb.

2. Using "have" for age

• Wrong: I have 30 years.
• Correct: I am 30. / I**'m** 30 years old.
• English uses be for age.

3. Saying "amn't"

• Wrong: I amn't ready.
• Correct: I**'m not** ready.
• Standard English has no short form "amn't". Use I'm not.

4. Using "is" with a plural subject

• Wrong: My parents is in Italy.
• Correct: My parents are in Italy.
• Two or more people or things → are.

5. Wrong word order in questions

• Wrong: Where you are from?
• Correct: Where are you from?
• In questions, be comes before the subject.

6. Contraction in a positive short answer

• Wrong: Yes, he's.
• Correct: Yes, he is.
• Positive short answers use the full form.

Quick reference

Common questions

Is it "I'm not" or "I amn't"?

Use I'm not. "Amn't" is not used in standard English. In questions, people say Aren't I ...? (for example, "I'm late, aren't I?"). This is a special case.

When do I use "is" and when do I use "are"?

Use is with he, she, it and one person or thing (my car is). Use are with you, we, they and two or more people or things (my cars are).

What is the past of am, is and are?

The past is was (I, he, she, it) and were (you, we, they). For example: I was tired yesterday. They were at home. See Past Simple.

Practise next

• A1 Verb 'To Be' Quiz — test am, is, are
• There Is and There Are — say what is in a place
• Subject and Object Pronouns — I, you, he, she before be
• Present Simple — normal verbs without be
• A1 Grammar Basics Quiz — mix of A1 grammar