It is with this verb that you need to start learning English grammar. Verbs in English do not change for persons, but the verb to be is an exception. Using this verb, we will learn to compose simple sentences that do not contain a verb in Russian, for example, “I am a student,” “he is at home,” “this is interesting,” etc. In English it is unacceptable to form without a verb that performs the action, and to be serves as a linking verb. For example, to say “I am a student,” we must insert the desired form of the linking verb to be and, as a result, the sentence will take on the meaning “I am a student” - “I (am) a student.”

Forms of the verb to be in the present tense

In the present tense, the verb to be has three forms: AM, IS, ARE:

• Remember: to be and AM, IS, ARE are not 4 different ones, but forms the same verb:

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(We hope our dragon will help you remember this)

Let's look at how the verb to be changes in the present tense

Affirmative form

• We are friends - we are friends
• They are busy - they are busy
• The book is thick - the book is thick
• It is a cat
• She is clever - she is smart

Negative form

To form a negative conjugation form of a given verb, you need to put the negative particle “not” after one of the required forms of the verb (am, is or are). Here are some examples of negative sentences:

• I am not hungry – I am not hungry
• He is not busy
• The room is not big – the room is not big

Question form

To form an interrogative form, you need to put the appropriate form of the verb (am, is or are) at the beginning of the sentence:

• Are you Peter? -Are you Pete?
• Is this a room? – Is this a room?
• Are you hungry? -Are you hungry?
• Is he busy? – Is he busy?

• To understand how verbs live in the English language, let’s first remember at least one Russian verb in its initial form, for example, the verb “to live.” As you know, Russian verbs in their initial form end in “-т”, and later, when conjugated, the ending changes. As for the English language, the verb in its initial form is used together with the particle to, for example, we say to be – would t, find t Xia, i.e. if the particle to precedes the verb, this means that the verb is in the initial form, and when further using the verb with persons, this particle is omitted. Let's give an example: “To be or not to be” - there are two verbs in the sentence - and both are in the initial form, and they must be used together with the particle to, and, accordingly, we will translate into English as “to be or not to be”. If we have before us the sentence “I (am) a student,” i.e. we have changed the verb to suit the person of the subject, then the particle to is omitted and the proper form of the verb is used, in this case am.
• Unlike the verb to be, other verbs in English are not conjugated, for example, the verbs “live, sit, love” in the initial form are translated into English “to live, to sit, to love”, i.e. with a particle to, and when conjugated - without to, for example, “I live, sit, love” will be translated into English as “I live, sit, love”, i.e. initial form of a verb in English without a particletonot used, but when conjugatedtofalls. The initial form in English is called the Infinitive - Infinitive.

More about the particle to watch our video tutorial:

Verb conjugation tobe in the present tense

Now let's learn how the verb to be changes (conjugates) in the present tense. As mentioned above, in Russian, sentences like “I am a student, she is a doctor, we are workers” are formed without a predicate verb. But to translate these sentences into English, you need to put the appropriate form to be after the subject - “I am a pupil, she is a doctor, we are workers.”

Please note the translation of the following sentences in affirmative, negative and interrogative forms into English:

Verb conjugation tobe in past and future tense

In the past tense, the verb to be has two forms - was and were (was, was, were)

In the future tense, the verb to be is conjugated as follows

Note: In modern English the form shall is rarely used to form the future tense of verbs (although its use is not a grammatical error), the form is used for all persons will. Therefore, sometimes there are discrepancies in different textbooks.

To summarize, consider the following table:

Here are some commonly used verb expressions: to be which you should learn and conjugate yourself using the conjugation table:

• To be happy/unhappy – to be happy/unhappy
• To be glad - to be joyful
• To be hungry/to be full up– to be hungry/full
• To be fond of - to love, be carried away by something
• To be busy - to be busy
• To be late (for) - to be late (for)
• To be in time for – to be on time
• To be present at – to be present at (for example, in a lesson)
• To be absent (from) – to be absent
• To be married – to be married
• To be single - to be single / not married
• To be lucky - to be lucky
• To be ready (for) - to be ready (for, for example, a lesson)
• To be afraid (of) – to be afraid
• To be interested (in) - to be interested in something
• To be ill / well - to be sick / to feel good
• To be angry (with) - to be angry, angry (at someone)

Let's conjugate together the expression to be married in affirmative, interrogative and negative sentences. What did you get?

>When is the verb to be used?

When is the verb to be used in English?

Here you can find out when the verb to be is used.

Before talking about when the verb to be is used, it is necessary to recall that this is a special verb in the English language.
First, it has different forms for different pronouns. In Present Indefinite time am - for the pronoun I, is - for he, she, it, are - for we, you, they. In the tense Past Indefinite was - for singular pronouns, were - for plural pronouns. Secondly, the verb to be, unlike other verbs, is used to compose interrogative and negative sentences.

These features of the verb to be should always be remembered. The verb to be appears almost everywhere in English, and the most common occurrences are listed below.

1. Using the verb to be as a linking verb.
In this meaning, the verb to be is translated as to be, to appear.

For example.
He is an engineer - He is an engineer (he is an engineer).
Mary will be an economist next year - Mary will be a teacher next year.

If you pay attention, such sentences are translated into Russian without a verb. And since in English there cannot be a sentence without a verb, its function is performed by the verb to be, being a linking verb.

2. Using the verb to be as a semantic verb.
In this meaning, the verb to be is translated as to be, to be.

For example.
He isn't at the university - He is not at the university (he is not at the university).
I will be there at 6 o"clock - I will be there at six o'clock.

In such sentences, when translated, the verb to be is also often not translated.

3. Using the verb to be as an auxiliary verb.

a) In all tenses of the Continuous group.
I am calling him now - I’m calling him now.
My mother was cooking, when I came - My mother was cooking when I came.
I will be still sleeping at 3 o"clock - I will still sleep at 3 o'clock.

b) In all tenses of the group Perfect Continuous.
I have been waiting a long time for my sister - I have been waiting for my sister for a long time.
I had been sleeping for three hours when my mother came - I was sleeping for three hours when my mother came.

B) In all tenses of the passive voice.
The car was bought yesterday - The car was bought yesterday.
We were invited to a party - We were invited to a party.

4. Using the verb to be as a modal verb.
We are to do it at once - We must do it immediately.

5. The use of the verb to be as part of the phrase there is/there are.

The verb to be is part of a phrase.
There is a lamp in my room - There is a lamp in my room.

Knowing English opens many doors. That is why it is actively studied in almost all countries of the world. Currently, more than a billion people around the planet use this language on a regular basis. This number includes those for whom English is their native language, as well as those who use it as a foreign language: for contacts with business partners, communication with foreign friends, entertainment of various kinds and, in fact, study. In general, learning any foreign language increases mental activity, logical and abstract thinking, as well as the ability to navigate unexpected situations.

How to Master English Grammar

For many students of English, its grammatical structure poses a certain difficulty. In reality, there is nothing complicated there (especially if you compare, for example, with the Russian language!), it is enough to understand the important patterns once and remember the basic forms well. However, memorization comes through practice: doing exercises, reading, writing letters or essays, oral communication. The best way to master English grammar is to do it naturally.

It often happens that a person knows a rule, but cannot apply it in his speech. Such difficulties are eliminated by practice - and the more and more varied it is (writing, reading, speaking, listening), the faster and better the result.

Remember also that each person has his own, purely individual, pace of mastering new knowledge and the ability to apply it in the practice of his own speech. For example, if you are studying in a group where some students master grammatical rules faster and more correctly than you, there is no need to lose heart. you, too, will one day begin to speak English confidently and without mistakes. The main thing is to keep training.

Verb forms “is”/“are”: use in speech

If you have recently started learning English, then you are familiar with this situation: you want to say something, but the fear of making a mistake gets in the way and causes timidity. To avoid this, try to understand the rule and, most importantly, practice the exercises more.

One of the common grammatical difficulties arises when the verb connectives “is”/“are” are confused. The use of data to be depends solely on the person of the pronoun in each specific case. We are talking about a pronoun that functions as a subject. For example:

I am a student. - I am a student.

If the subject is a noun or proper name, then you need to mentally replace it with the appropriate pronoun. Then a conjugation scheme will definitely come to your mind, including the connecting verbs “is”/“are”, the use of which often causes difficulties.

Kate (?) a student -> She is a student.

To be sure which form of the verb to use, you need to firmly remember the principle of conjugation.

to be (present tense)

Statement

Negation

Question

Cases such as the use of “is” in English usually refer to descriptive situations. When we want to characterize something that is in the singular (we can replace it with the pronoun it), or someone acting as “he” or “she”, then, without a doubt, we need to use the form “is”. Examples:

It is great. - (That's) great.

He is old. - He's old.

She is a doctor. - She's a doctor.

The main thing that needs to be firmly understood: “am”, “is”, “are”, the use of which sometimes causes difficulties, are not three different verbs, but one and the same - the verb to be (to be).

Conjugation of the verb to be (past tense)

Now let's look at the next issue that causes difficulties for some English learners, namely the rules for using “was”/“were”. This is also the same verb, and not two different ones at all. Moreover, these two verb forms are directly related to “am”, “is”, “are”. Can you guess why? That's right, it's all the same verb to be.

And now more about these correspondences. The past tense form “was” is used only in the singular and corresponds to the pronouns: I, it, he, she. The form “were” is used with the pronouns you, we, they and is most often used in the plural. For example:

I was at home. - I was at home.

It was hot. - It was hot.

They were happy. - They were happy.

There are only two situations where the predicate verb “were” in a sentence can refer to a singular subject. The first case: when the pronoun “you” implies the translation of “you” or “You” (that is, one person). The second case: the so-called conditional clauses, in which the form “if I were” is possible.

Have you been to...

In communication between people, situations often arise when you need to ask a person about his past experience: where he was, what he did, whether he finished the job he started. In such cases, a special construction is used from the forms of two verbs: to have + semantic verb.

Often the already well-known “to be” appears. Depending on the subject used (and what pronoun can be replaced), there are two varieties: “have been” and “has been”. The first is used with the pronouns you, we, they, the second - with I, it, he, she. For example:

Have you been to Europe? -Have you been to Europe?

She has been on the excursion. - She was on an excursion.

As a rule, the use of has been is associated with such situations when we mean:

• some lived experience;
• completeness or result of some matter;
• the importance of the fact that the action was performed (while the time of its occurrence is not particularly important);
• the need to emphasize how long this action has been taking place.

Let's look at the last mentioned situation in a little more detail.

How long...?

In such cases, the tense is used. It is formed according to the scheme: + been + Ving, where V is a semantic verb. For example:

I have been studying English for 3 months. - I have been studying English for 3 months now (that is, I started studying in the past and have continued to do so for a certain period of time).

He hasn’t been riding a bike for a long time. - He hasn’t ridden a bike for a long time (that is, he stopped riding sometime in the past, hasn’t ridden for a long time and still hasn’t ridden a bike).

I'm going to do...

In English, in addition to the usual future tense, the construction “to be going to” is actively used. The use of this grammatical construction refers to situations when you plan or know exactly what you will do. Often this construction is used to predict what (in your opinion) should happen soon: it will rain, there will be a traffic jam on the road, whether someone will like or not like a gift given to them. “Intend”, “get together” - this is how the phrase “to be going to” is most often translated. Its use in a sentence is associated with the change to be to “am”, “is”, “are”.

For example:

I am going to learn English next month. - I intend to learn English starting next month.

We are going to visit granny at the weekend. - We are going to visit grandma this weekend.

It's going to rain. - It's going to rain.

I'm used to...

In conclusion, let’s look at the use of “be used to”. This stable construction is used quite often in colloquial speech. Its meaning is “to get used to something.” For example:

It is used to Russian winter. - He is accustomed (used) to the Russian winter.

He is used to living in winter cold. - He is accustomed (used) to living in the winter cold.

However, you need to watch and listen carefully so as not to confuse “be used to” with the very similar construction “use to” (and its corresponding past tense form, “used to”).

What is the difference between these two expressions? Firstly, in the meaning: “be used to” - “get used to”, “use to” - “do something in the past, but now no longer” (analogous to the Past Simple). This is best understood through examples.

Be used to

I’m used to my work hours. - I'm used to my working day.

He is used to TV noise. - He got used to the noise of the TV.

I used to live here before. - I lived here before (but I don’t live here anymore).

I didn’t use to have a mobile phone 10 years ago. - I didn’t have a mobile phone 10 years ago (but now I do).

From the examples, the second difference between these two, at first glance very similar, structures is obvious. The one that is translated “get used to” is equipped with the verb to be (am, is, are). And the other one, accordingly, is not. Simple attentiveness, a little practice - and you will easily learn to distinguish between these two “insidious” formulations.

The same applies to any grammar. Understand the essence and practice more often: in exercises, reading, writing or oral communication. As the British say: “Practice makes perfect.” This can be translated into Russian as: “The master’s work is afraid.” So let the most difficult and tricky grammatical rules be afraid of your determination. Have a great time!

What does the particle to mean before verbs? Do you know the answer to this question?

Most people learning English don't even think about it. That's why they make mistakes by using this particle before each verb. When should it be used?

In this article I will answer this question and explain to you when you need to put to before verbs and when not.

What does the particle to mean and when is it used?

In English we use the particle to before the initial (indefinite) form of the verb. The initial form of a verb is a form that does not tell us who will perform the action and when.

Infinitive verbs answer the question “what to do?” and “what to do?” For example:

(what to do?) to write - write;
(what to do?) to see - to see.

In English we call the infinitive form of a verb infinitive.

How do we understand that this is an infinitive?

In Russian, we understand that we have a verb in the indefinite form at the end TH: skaz t, rice t, call t. In English, the endings of words do not change.

And here it comes to our aid particle to, which serves precisely as an indicator, which in Russian is the ending TH. That is, if we see a particle to before a verb, we can safely say that this verb is in the indefinite form: to say, to paint to call.

If you look at the particle to and pronounce it, you will see that it is VERY similar to Russian TH, but only at the beginning of a sentence.

I want to call my sister.
I want (what to do?) call t to my sister.

I forgot to give him his book.
I forgot (what to do?) yes t him his book.

I will go to swim tomorrow.
I'll go (what to do?) swim t Tomorrow.

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When do we not put the particle to before infinitive verbs?

There are exceptions to every rule. Let's look at them:

1. When a verb is preceded in an indefinite form by a verb that expresses not an action, but a possibility, necessity, ability.

In English we call such verbs modal: can (can), may (I can), must (must), need(necessary), should(should). After them we do not use the particle to.

I can run fast.
I can run fast.

You must tell me the truth.
You must tell me the truth.

He should be more careful.
He should be more careful.

True, there are several modal verbs that must be used with the particle to: have to (need), oughtto(should).

They have to work hard.
They have to work hard.

She ought to help me.
She must help me.

2. After the verb let (give, let).

Let's me know how you are.
Let me know how you are.

Let's him say.
Let him speak.

3. After the verb make if we use it meaning "to force".

You make I think about it.
He made me think about it.

He makes me smile.
He makes me smile.

4. If in one sentence there are two verbs in the indefinite form and between them there is and or or (or), then we do not put the particle to before the second verb.

I want to sing and dance.
I want to sing and dance.

I don't know to cry or laugh.
I don't know whether to cry or laugh.

The difference between the particle to and the preposition to in English

It is very important not to confuse particle to With preposition to. Even though they sound and spell the same, they are actually two different words.

Particle to we use it with a verb in its initial form.

Preposition to we use with nouns. To this preposition we can ask the question “Where?” Let's look at a few examples.

Particle to

I like (what to do?) to read interesting books.
I like (what to do?) cheat t interesting books.

I want to meet my friends.
I want (what to do?) meet t with my friends.

Preposition to

I go (where?) to the cinema today.
I'll go (where?) V cinema today.

Every day I go to my work.
Every day I go (where?) on work.

Together now

I want (what to do?) to drink the water so I go (where?) to the kitchen.

I want (what to do?) bittern t water, so I went (where?) on kitchen.

When asking a question, we can easily determine whether it is a particle or a preposition.

Let's sum it up

1. We put the particle to before verbs in the initial form (infinitive).

2. There are exceptions when we do not use a particle: after modal verbs (see above), after the verbs let and make, when in a sentence 2 verbs are connected by the preposition and/or (see above).

3. The particle to is used with verbs, and the preposition to is used with nouns. These are different words.

4. How to check whether the to particle should be used or not? To do this, we ask the question “what to do?”, “what to do?”. If these questions sound logical, then we put to before the verb.

Think about it.
(Do what?) Think about it.

I want to think about it.
I want to (do what?) think about it.

I hope now you won’t be confused about where you need to put the to particle and where you shouldn’t. If you have any questions, ask them in the comments below the article.

Reinforcement task

Now let's check how well you understand where the to particle should be placed and where not. Put the verb in brackets into the correct form. Don't forget about exceptions.

For example: “She will go (play) tennis. - She will go to play tennis."

1. My sister can (run) fast.
2. (Look) at this picture.
3. I want (cook) dinner.
4. Let him (help) you.
5. My friend forgot (call) me.
6. She decided (sell) her car.
7. He made me (buy) it.
8. You may (sit down) here.
9. I can (bring) your book.
10. We like (eat) sweets.
11. They should (write) it.
12. She wanted (drink) and (eat).

As always, write your answers in the comments. I'll definitely check them out.

When it comes to learning any language and breaking down language barriers, polyglots always highlight knowledge of verbs. And it’s true: knowing verbs and knowing how to use them in various forms, you just need to “string” other words on them and you will already have whole sentences. In this situation, it is not surprising that most of the standard vocabulary of a native speaker of Russian, English, Chinese, and another arbitrarily chosen language is made up of this part of speech. But wait, this doesn’t mean that you should immediately start chaotically memorizing any verbs that catch your eye. If this makes any sense, it will be very small. Instead, it is better to analyze in detail those English verbs that are often and actively used in speech. This is exactly what we will do by studying the verb to be in English.

The verb to be, which is equivalent to the Russian “to be”, “to appear”, “to be”, is one of the most universal and most commonly used verbs in the English language. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that, unlike other representatives of this part, the verb to be is conjugated, changing in persons and numbers.

In addition, to be can be used as a semantic verb or assisted by another verb, acting as an auxiliary. But let's talk about everything in order.

The verb to be belongs to irregular verbs, therefore it has 3 forms. These forms are formed independently, without being explained by rules, so they simply need to be memorized:

Infinitive (Infinitive)	Past Simple (Simple past time)	Past Participle (Past participle)
to be	was / were	been

Lena is going to learn how to form verbs in Present Perfect tomorrow.	Tomorrow Lena is going to learn how to form verbs in the Present Perfect.
He is going to speak five languages.	He's going to speak five languages.
My family is going to London.	My family is going to London.
I was going to tell him but she didn’t allow me.	I was going to tell him, but she wouldn't let me.
George is going to make this operation in December.	George is going to have this operation in December.
We are going to buy some products.	We are going to buy groceries.
The students are going to do this whole list of exercises.	Students are going to do a whole list of exercises.

• there is / are / (there is / exists);

1. The use of the verb is also possible as a modal verb in the meaning of “should”, “agreed”, “agreed” when we are talking about obligations, orders, schedules and plans, the inevitability of events. In this case, the particle to is added to the verb:

1. And also when using the verb to be in English in the following constructions:

to be good at (good to understand)	We are good at this English grammar rule.	We are fluent in this rule of English grammar.
to be aware of (realize)	We're aware of all possible risks.	We are aware of all possible risks.
to be late (be late)	My co-worker was late for work because of the traffic jam.	My colleague was late for work due to traffic jam.
to be fond of	I'm fond of nature.	I love nature.
to be interested in (to be interested)	They are interested in helping people.	They are interested in helping people.
to be sorry about (to regret something)	I'm sorry about what happened.	I'm sorry about what happened.
to be sorry for (to feel sorry for someone)	We are so sorry for your son.	We are very sorry for your son.
to be hungry (to be hungry)	I am so hungry! I haven’t eaten since morning.	I'm so hungry! I haven't eaten since morning.
to be thirsty (to feel thirsty)	After the marathon everyone was thirsty.	After the marathon, everyone was thirsty.
be about to (going to)	Boris is about to start learning German and French languages.	Boris is going to start learning German and French.

1. Frequent uses of the verb are also associated with idioms. Here are some of them:

be up to someone (depends on someone)	We can either win or lose. It's up to you!	We will either win or lose. Everything depends on you!
be a man (be a man)	Stop crying. Be a man!	Stop crying. Be a man!
be in love with (to be in love with)	I should admit that I’m in love with her! She is gorgeous!	I must admit that I am in love with her! She's great!
be as stubborn as a mule (analogue in Russian: stubborn as a donkey)	We can't work together because he doesn't want to listen to me. I say his approach is wrong but he is as stubborn as a mule.	We can't work together because he doesn't want to listen to me. I say his approach is wrong, but he is stubborn as a donkey.
be (a bit) on the expensive side (expensive / a bit expensive)	That service is a bit on the expensive side. Maybe, we try to fix it ourselves, huh?	This service is a bit expensive. Maybe we can try to fix it ourselves, huh?
be on cloud nine (to be very happy)	I'm on cloud nine! She said yes to me! Can you believe it?	I'm incredibly happy! She told me yes! Can you believe it?

As you can see, the verb to be is very popular and varied, so it can be used in any situation with almost any tense. Once you understand the conjugations of this verb and its role in a sentence, you should not have any difficulty using it. Devote some time to English exercises on this topic to reinforce the material, compose your own examples, and most importantly, practice the language with native speakers. Because you won't find as much benefit in any exercise as you can get from people who use the language on a daily basis and can help you with any language barriers.