Definitions and Examples of Grammar in English - English Grammar for Teachers - General English Question and Answer - English Interview Quiz - General English for TNPSC Exams
Verbs like am, is, are, was, were do not show action; they are verbs of being. They tell us about a state of being or existence. They don’t give any meaning but they are used to describe a subject. The be verbs are followed by a noun or an adjective or an adverb.
The most frequently used linking verb is be, whose forms include the following
The Verbv ‘BE’
e.g.
Person
Subject
Present Tense
Past Tense
First - Singular
I
am
was
First - Plural
we
are
were
Second - Singular
you
are
were
Second - Plural
you
are
were
Third - Singular
he, she, it
is
was
Third - Plural
they
are
were
e.g.
I am a Doctor
We were playing
He was a rich man
They are running
the verb be doesn’t contain the word be at all. It is made up of the verbs am, is, are, was, and were, and these are be-ing verbs
e.g.
She be sleeping
She is sleeping
In speech and informal writing the short forms of ‘be» are used. Here is a list of the short forms of ‘be’:
e.g.
Full Form
Short Form
I am
I’m
We are
We’re
You are
You’re
He is
He’s
She is
She’s
It is
It’s
They are
They’re
That is
That’s
There is
There’s
What is the meaning of verb ‘be’?
Now look at the meaning of the ‘be’.
e.g.
I am a sales representative
You are a Software Engineer
Sugar is sweet.
Ten minus two is eight.
There is no special meaning for the verb ‘be’. It just links the subject and the subject complement. That is why it is called a copula or linking-verb .
The verb ‘be’ is hardly ever used by itself; it requires a complement to complete the meaning. That is why it is also called a verb of incomplete predication (i.e., the predication is not complete without a complement).
Negative Sentences with ‘be’
Look at the following pairs of sentences:
e.g.
Affirmative
Negative
Mr.Boon is an electrician.
He is not an electrician
I am a painter.
I’m not a painter
He is in the room.
He is not in the room
Negative sentences with a form of ‘be’ are formed by adding ‘not’ to the form of ‘be’