How to use BE in English | Basic English Grammar

The verb to be.

It's one of the most confusing verbs in the English language, but it's also the most common

verb.

It can be used as the main verb.

The auxiliary verb.

It has irregular conjugations in all forms.

It's used in a contraction and there are hundreds of idioms and countless expressions that use

the verb to be.

Don't worry because in this to be master class, you'll learn everything you need to know about

the verb to be.

Welcome back to JForrest English.

Of course, I'm Jennifer.

Now let's get started.

The verb to be can of course, be used as the main verb in a sentence.

Now don't worry about taking notes because I summarize everything in a free lesson PDF

and at the end of this lesson, I'm going to quiz you.

So make sure you watch until the end.

The verb to be is the main verb as the main verb.

Let's review it in the present simple.

Now it has irregular conjugations.

I know you're thinking Jennifer, I know this, but I correct these mistakes with my most

advanced students.

So pay attention.

The conjugations are I am you, we, they are ** *** it is I am happy.

So we use the verb to be for States and emotions.

What about you?

I am Right now I am.

Fill in the adjective, hopefully it's a +1, and put it in the comments.

I am what?

Put it in the comments.

Practice that verb to be.

You are my friend.

He is a happy person.

She is a doctor.

It is raining.

We are students.

They are tired.

Native speakers.

Use the verb to be in the contracted form.

You should use it too, to sound more natural, especially in spoken English.

I'm happy You're my friend.

He's a doctor.

She's a doctor.

It's raining.

Where students notice that pronunciation Where where students they're tired as the main verb

in the past.

Simple.

It also has irregular conjugations.

The subjects I, ** ***.

It use was you.

We they use were I was there yesterday.

He was a great leader.

She was at the party.

It was a beautiful day.

You were late.

We were happy.

They were in the garden.

Let's look at the future.

Simple.

The structure is subject will be.

Now in this case, will is the auxiliary verb and be is the main verb.

But the conjugations don't change.

So this is a very easy verb tense.

I will be there tomorrow.

You will be surprised.

He will be ready on time.

She will be at work.

It will be sunny.

We will be waiting.

They will be happy.

Now let's look at the verb to be as the auxiliary verb in the present continuous.

I'm reading a book, he's watching TV.

They're being helpful.

The structure here is subject.

And then you need the verb to be in the present.

Simple.

So you have those three options depending on the subject.

M is an R and then you need your verb in ING, which is the present participle.

Let's review all the conjugation options for the verb to be in the infinitive.

Of course, to be the base verb B, you get rid of two present.

Simple M is R past simple was were present participle being past participle been.

And notice that pronunciation in American English.

It's been been.

Let's review that last example.

They're being helpful.

This is the present continuous.

So we have our verb to be in the present simple as the auxiliary verb conjugated with the

subject.

They are and then we have the present visible.

So we have our verb be in the ING form, which is being they're being helpful.

The verb to be is the auxiliary verb in the past continuous.

He was watching TV, they were studying for the exam.

The structure here is subject was were conjugated with the subject plus the present participle

your verb in ING.

Let's review the future continuous.

She will be sleeping at that time.

They will be working on the project.

This one's easy because you already know how to conjugate the future Simple.

So you take that subject will be, and then you add on the present participle, your verb

in ING.

Let's review the verb bin, which is the past participle, and remember that pronunciation.

Repeat after me bin bin.

This is used in the present perfect tense when B is the main verb.

For example, he has been to Paris.

They have been friends for years.

The structure here is subject have or has conjugated with the subject and then the past

participle with the verb to be is been.

The past perfect tense also uses been when the verb to be is the main verb.

She had been in line for hours.

So here the structure is subject had and then your past participle.

So for the verb to be, that's been the verb to be is also used in the passive voice.

Now for the passive voice, this is when the focus is on the recipient rather than the

subject of the action.

She ate the cake.

Is this the passive or the active?

This is the active because the subject, she is doing the action, she ate the cake.

Now I want you to change this to the present passive voice.

Can you do that?

How would you start?

She ate the cake.

So we take the object, the cake.

We use the verb to be is eaten, the cake is eaten, and then you can include by whom?

By her, but that's optional.

So you already know your conjugations for the verb to be in the present.

Simple.

So of course you need to change them based on the subject.

She ate the cake.

What's that in the past?

Passive the cake was eaten because the cake is conjugated as it it was eaten by her.

How about the present perfect passive voice?

Can you get this one?

The cake, The cake has been eaten, and the past perfect the cake, The cake had been eaten.

And how about the future?

The future passive, the cake.

The cake will be eaten by her.

You should know how to use the present passive and the past passive because they are the

most common, so focus on those two.

The verb to be is also used in the subjunctive, and native speakers use this specifically

in hypothetical unreal situations.

What do you think about this sentence?

If I were you, I'd apologize.

What do you think?

Does it sound strange?

Unusual.

I were, isn't it?

I was.

I was busy yesterday.

Hmm.

In the subjunctive, it always uses Were if I were you, if she were you, all subjects

use were.

But native speakers don't always follow this rule, and it's very common to hear a native

speaker say if I was you, If I was you, I'd quit.

So don't be surprised.

But on a grammar exam, your IELTS, you should definitely say if I were you because that

is the correct grammatical rule.

Now you know all the conjugations you need to know.

But remember, the verb to be is also used in many expressions and idioms.

So I'm going to teach you some common ones.

But we're going to do this as a quiz at the same time, to be on cloud 9, this means to

be extremely happy or elated.

She on cloud 9 when she passed her IELTS.

Now how can you complete this sentence in the past?

Simple, she on cloud 9.

Put it in the comments.

She was on cloud 9.

Did you get it to be in hot water?

This means that you're in trouble.

They have in hot water lately.

Complete the sentence with the present.

Perfect.

Do you know what this is?

They have put it in the comments.

They have been in hot water lately.

Did you get that correct pronunciation?

Been to be in the same boat.

This is in the same situation or circumstance as someone else.

We in the same boat.

Easy, right present, simple.

What's the answer?

Put it in the comments, we are in the same boat.

This is easy for you to be on the ball.

This means to be alert, competent, well prepared.

If he had on the ball, he wouldn't have lost the client.

Oh, third conditional.

How can you complete the sentence?

Put it in the comments if he had been on the ball to be under the weather, this means to

be sick or unwell.

Thankfully I under the weather last week, complete the sentence with the pass Simple

negative pass simple negative.

Thankfully I put in the comments.

Thankfully I wasn't under the weather last week.

Notice I used that contraction was not wasn't to be out of the woods.

This is when you have successfully overcome a difficult situation.

We out of the woods yet Doctor, complete this with a question in the present.

Simple we out of the woods yet?

What's the answer are are we out of the woods yet?

Easy, right To be a piece of cake.

This means to be very easy.

This lesson a piece of cake.

This is a question in the past.

Simple this lesson a piece of cake.

Was this lesson a piece of cake?

Now to answer, you can say yes it was or no it wasn't.

So what do you think?

Put your answer in the comments.

Yes, it was.

No, it wasn't our last question.

How are you doing so far to be in good company?

This is when you're surrounded by people you admire.

So in this community, we're in good company.

Now your test question.

In good company is a great way to cheer up.

You need to complete this with a gerund statement.

In good company is a great way to cheer up.

What's the answer as the gerund?

It's the verb ING being.

Being in good company is a great way to cheer up.

So how did you do with that quiz?

Share your score in the comments.

Now there are many other confusing verbs like the verb have or get.

So do you want me to keep making these classes?

If so, put master class, Master class, Put master class in the comments below.

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And a lot of students get confused with modal verbs, so I have a full lesson on modal verbs.

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