Grammar · Lesson 1

The verb to be

The most common verb in English. We use to be to talk about who we are, how we feel, our age, and where things are.

≈ 35–45 minam / is / arePresent simple

NoticeSee how be links two ideas.

LearnChoose am, is, or are.

PracticeBuild sentences and questions.

SpeakTalk about yourself and your class.

By the end of this lesson, you can…

say who you are: I am Ana. My name is Ana.
choose am, is, or are for any subject.
ask and answer simple questions: Are you a student? Yes, I am.
make a sentence negative: I am not tired.
use short forms when you speak: I’m · you’re · she’s.

Notice first

Think it through

I am Ana. My name is Ana. We are students.

Which word changes after I, name, and we?
Are these sentences actions, or are they descriptions?
What is the word be connecting?

What does be mean?

Many common verbs describe actions, such as run, eat, study. The verb to be is different. It connects a person or thing to information about identity, description, feeling, age, or location.

Think of be as an equals sign (=):

I am Ana. → I = Ana. She is happy. → she = happy. They are at work. → they = at work.

Try this

Point as you say it: I (point to yourself), you (point to the other person), they (point to two people).
Say the whole piece, not one word at a time: I am, he is, we are.

The forms

Subject	Full form	Contraction
I	am	I’m
You	are	you’re
He / She / It	is	he’s / she’s / it’s
We	are	we’re
They	are	they’re

Learn these as whole pieces: I am, you are, she is. Don’t build them word by word. Say the whole piece.

Drill 1: choose the form

Tap a gap, then choose the word

1Hello, my name Ana.

2We from Brazil.

3He not at home. He’s at work.

4They my friends.

Drill 1B: ask and answer

Choose the complete question and short-answer forms.

1 you a teacher?

2Yes, I .

Drill 2: match the subject

Tap a subject tile, then tap the matching be form.

Say it short

In everyday speech, we often join the subject and be in a short form, also called a contraction. Contractions are neutral and very common. Full forms are also correct and are useful when you want to speak clearly or add emphasis.

Full form	Short form	Example
I am	I’m	I’m a student.
you are	you’re	You’re right.
he is	he’s	He’s at home.
she is	she’s	She’s happy.
they are	they’re	They’re my friends.

Sound natural: make be small and the new information clear

Say the subject and short form together. Then give the strongest beat to the important new word.

sentence	natural rhythm
I’m a student.	I’m a STUdent.
She’s happy.	She’s HAPpy.
They’re at work.	They’re at WORK.

In speech, the words can link in Are you ready? and Is she at home?, but they remain separate words in writing. In a positive short answer, keep the full verb: Yes, I am and Yes, she is, not Yes, I’m or Yes, she’s.

Speak: say it short

Read the full sentence, say the short form out loud, then tap to check. Say each one quickly, like one word.

1 I am from Spain. → short

I’m from Spain.

2 You are very kind. → short

You’re very kind.

3 He is my brother. → short

He’s my brother.

4 She is a doctor. → short

She’s a doctor.

5 They are at school. → short

They’re at school.

Negatives and questions

Negative: add not after be: I am not, she is not, they are not.

Common negative contractions are isn’t and aren’t. With I, say I’m not, not I amn’t.

Question: move be before the subject: Are you a student? Is she from Spain? Am I late?

Good news: with be, you do not need do. Say Are you a student?, never Do you are…?

Watch out: common beginner mistakes

✗ ~~I have 20 years.~~ → I am 20 (years old).
✗ ~~She happy.~~ → She is happy. (do not drop be)
✗ ~~Do you are a student?~~ → Are you a student?

Drill 3: build the question

Tap the words in order. Then ask the question aloud.

Drill 4: spot the error

Tap the word that makes this question wrong.

Drill 5: say it, then check

Say your answer out loud first. Then tap to check.

1 You are happy. → question

Are you happy?

2 She is at home. → negative

She is not at home.

3 They are friends. → question

Are they friends?

Play and practice

Games and a short reading that recycle this lesson. Use them as a warm-up, a fast finisher, or homework. Each one checks itself.

Read

Hello from the new class

Read once for meaning. Then read again and do the tasks below.

Class group message54 wordsAbout 1 min

Hi everyone! My name is Kemal. I am from Egypt. I am 34 years old, and I am a bus driver.

My wife is a nurse. Our children are eight and ten. We are new in Chicago. Our apartment is small, but it is near a big park.

Are you new here too?

Kemal

Find it

Tap the 10 forms of be: am, is, and are.

Check your understanding

1. How old is Kemal?

2. Kemal is a ___.

3. Where is the apartment?

Crossword

Forms of be

Click a clue or a square, then type. Press Check when you finish.

Across

Down

Match up

Question and short answer

Tap an item on the left, then its partner on the right.

Question

Short answer

Unscramble

Build sentences with be

Tap the words in order to build the sentence. Tap a placed word to send it back.

1. Ask a new classmate about a country.
2. Sara is at work. Make a negative sentence.
3. Say your age: 30.
4. Ask a coworker a yes-or-no question about the manager.

Speak: make it real

Make it true for you: finish each sentence so it is true about you. Say it out loud, then write it.
My name is ____.
I am from ____.
I am a ____. (your job, or “student”)
I am ____ years old.
Today I am ____. (happy · tired · fine · busy)

Mini interview: ask a partner, then answer with a short form. Are you from Mexico? Are you a teacher? Are you tired today? Short answers: Yes, I am. / No, I’m not.

Meet the class: choose the correct sentence

1. Sara: from Italy; a teacher

2. Tom and Lily: from the USA; students

3. Me: my name is Leo; a doctor

4. You: very kind

Final quiz: can you use be?

1. My name ___ Ana.

2. ___ you from Brazil?

3. Sara is at work now. Which negative sentence about home is correct?

4. Are you ready? Yes, I ___.

5. They ___ my friends.

Reflect

Choose the form by meaning

Say one true sentence about yourself with I am.
Say one true sentence about another person with he is or she is.
Say one true sentence about two people with they are.
Turn one of your statements into a question.

Next use: At the start of the next lesson, open the five-minute retrieval. Then introduce yourself and one person you know in three sentences and ask your teacher one Are you…? question.

Come back tomorrow: five-minute retrieval

Do not read the forms table first. Answer from memory, check, and then say each complete sentence aloud.

Three choices from memory

1I from Mexico.

2My teacher from the United States.

3 you tired today?

One repair from memory

Tap the extra word in this question.

Two no-notes recall prompts

Say the complete answer before you reveal it.

1 Complete the three pairs: I ___; she ___; we ___.

I am; she is; we are.

2 Change “You are ready” to a question.

Are you ready?

Speak for 30 seconds: Say your name, where you are from, and how you feel today. Then ask one Are you…? question.