A1 — BeginnerGrammar· Basic sentence building
The Verb "To Be" in the Present
Learn how to say who you are, where you are from and how you feel using am, is and are.
12 min Easy
English sentences almost always need a verb. The most common verb of all is "to be". It has three present forms: am, is and are.
- I am a student.
- She is from Casablanca.
- We are ready.
To make a negative, add not after the verb: I am not tired. He is not late. They are not here.
To ask a question, put the verb first: Are you a teacher? Is she your sister?
In speech we usually shorten: I am becomes I'm, she is becomes she's, they are becomes they're.