Present Simple: Verb 'to be'

• Verb to Be: Present Simple

Forms of "to be" in Present Simple

• "To be" is one of the most fundamental verbs in English.
• It has three forms in the present simple: "am," "is," and "are."
• "Am" is used with the first-person singular pronoun "I" (e.g., I am a student).
• "Is" is used with the third-person singular pronouns "he," "she," and "it" (e.g., He is tall, She is happy, It is sunny).
• "Are" is used with the second-person singular and plural pronoun "you," and the first- and third-person plural pronouns "we," and "they" (e.g., You are kind, We are friends, They are siblings).

Uses of "to be"

• Identifying someone or something (e.g., I am John, This is a book).
• Describing qualities or characteristics (e.g., She is intelligent, The car is red).
• Indicating location (e.g., I am in London, They are at home).
• Stating professions or roles (e.g., He is a doctor, We are teachers).
• Expressing feelings or states of being (e.g., I am tired, She is excited).

Affirmative Sentences

• Follow the structure: Subject + "am/is/are" + (complement).
• Examples: I am happy; He is a teacher; They are at the park.

Negative Sentences

• Formed by adding "not" after "am/is/are."
• Contractions are common: "is not" becomes "isn't," and "are not" becomes "aren't." "Am not" does not have a common contraction, except for "ain't," which is informal and not generally recommended in formal writing.
• Structure: Subject + "am/is/are" + not + (complement).
• Examples: I am not angry; She is not here; They are not students.

Interrogative Sentences (Questions)

• Formed by inverting the subject and the verb "to be."
• Structure: "Am/Is/Are" + Subject + (complement)?
• Examples: Am I late? Is he tall? Are they ready?

Short Answers

• Affirmative short answers: Yes, I am. Yes, he/she/it is. Yes, you/we/they are.
• Negative short answers: No, I am not. No, he/she/it isn't. No, you/we/they aren't.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Using the wrong form of "to be" with the subject pronoun (e.g., "I is" instead of "I am").
• Forgetting the verb "to be" entirely (e.g., "He a doctor" instead of "He is a doctor").
• Using contractions incorrectly (e.g., "I'm not" is correct, "I amn't" is not).
• Confusing "there is" and "there are." "There is" is used with singular nouns (e.g., There is a book), and "there are" is used with plural nouns (e.g., There are books).

Exercises

• Fill in the blanks with the correct form of "to be":
  • I _______ a student.
  • She _______ my sister.
  • They _______ from Spain.
  • It _______ cold today.
  • We _______ happy to see you.
• Rewrite the following sentences in the negative form:
  • He is at home.
  • I am tired.
  • They are ready.
• Turn the following sentences into questions:
  • She is a teacher.
  • They are from Italy.
  • I am late.

Present Simple Tense

• The present simple tense is used to describe habits, general truths, and facts.
• It is also used to describe scheduled events in the near future.

Form of Present Simple

• For most verbs, the base form is used (e.g., I eat, we play, they go).
• For the third-person singular (he, she, it), add "-s" or "-es" to the base form (e.g., he eats, she plays, it goes).
• Verbs ending in -y after a consonant change the -y to -i and add -es (e.g., study -> he studies).

Uses of Present Simple

• Habits and routines (e.g., I wake up at 7 AM every day, She drinks coffee in the morning).
• General truths and facts (e.g., The sun rises in the east, Water boils at 100°C).
• Scheduled events (e.g., The train leaves at 6 PM, The movie starts at 8 PM).
• States (e.g. I am happy, He is tall)
• Instructions and directions (e.g., You go straight, then you turn left).
• In time clauses with future meaning (e.g., I will call you when I arrive).

Affirmative Sentences in Present Simple

• Structure: Subject + Base form of verb (or verb + -s/-es for third-person singular).
• Examples: I play tennis, She reads books, They watch TV.

Negative Sentences in Present Simple

• Use "do not" (don't) for I, you, we, and they.
• Use "does not" (doesn't) for he, she, and it.
• Structure: Subject + do/does + not + base form of verb.
• Examples: I do not (don't) like coffee, He does not (doesn't) play football, They do not (don't) live here.

Interrogative Sentences (Questions) in Present Simple

• Use "do" for I, you, we, and they.
• Use "does" for he, she, and it.
• Structure: Do/Does + Subject + base form of verb?
• Examples: Do you speak English? Does she work here? Do they live in London?

Short answers

• Affirmative short answers: Yes, I/you/we/they do. Yes, he/she/it does.
• Negative short answers: No, I/you/we/they don't. No, he/she/it doesn't.

Adverbs of Frequency

• Often used with the present simple to describe how often an action occurs.
• Common adverbs of frequency include: always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, never.
• Position: Usually placed before the main verb but after "to be."
• Examples: I always drink coffee in the morning, She is often late, They never eat meat.

Signal Words for Present Simple

• Every day, every week, every month, every year.
• On Mondays, on Tuesdays, etc.
• Usually, often, always, sometimes, rarely, never.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Forgetting to add "-s" or "-es" to the verb in the third-person singular (e.g., "He eat" instead of "He eats").
• Using the wrong auxiliary verb in negative and interrogative sentences (e.g., "Do he?" instead of "Does he?").
• Incorrect word order in forming questions.
• Confusing the present simple with the present continuous (e.g., "I am eating" versus "I eat").

Exercises

• Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in present simple:
  • I _______ (go) to school every day.
  • She _______ (work) in a bank.
  • They _______ (live) in New York.
  • He _______ (play) the guitar.
  • We _______ (watch) TV in the evening.
• Rewrite the following sentences in the negative form:
  • I like coffee.
  • She plays tennis.
  • They live here.
• Turn the following sentences into questions:
  • He speaks English.
  • They work in a school.
  • You live in London.