What is the verb to. The verb to be in English: meaning, types, rules of use. Conjugation of to be in

The verb to be is often misunderstood by many language learners. But it is one of the foundations of English. That is why it is important to learn how to use it correctly and make sentences with it.

We have prepared for you a selection of articles in which we explain in accessible language all about the verb to be. Read them, complete the tasks, and you will easily understand this verb once and for all.

5 articles on using the verb to be in English

We have arranged the articles so that you gradually become familiar with this verb. Indeed, in the English language this verb is the most commonly used and is used in almost every sentence. He might be like semantic, so auxiliary. And it is very important to understand when it is used in one meaning and when in another.

The semantic verb to be in English

Let's start with those cases when the verb to be is semantic.

Article № 1: Verb to be in the present tense

In this article you will find a simple explanation of the use of the verb to be. From this article you will learn:

• What is the difference between semantic and auxiliary verbs;
• How the verb to be is translated;
• 3 cases of using this verb in the present tense;
• How to be changes depending on how the action is performed;
• How to correctly construct affirmative, negative and interrogative sentences with this verb;
• How to check whether you need to put to be in a sentence or not.

Article No. 2: The verb to be in the past tense

So, having dealt with the present tense, we move on to the past.

In this article we will tell you:

• How is the verb to be translated and what forms does it have in the past tense?
• How to correctly construct all types of sentences with this verb;

Article No. 3: The verb to be in the future tense

And, of course, to fully understand the verb to be, we learn to use it in the future tense.

From the article you will learn:

• How is to be translated in the future tense, and when do we use it?
• How to correctly construct all types of sentences in the future tense with this verb?

Auxiliary verb to be in English

Now let's look at this verb from the other side.

Article No. 4: Auxiliary verbs in English

As I already said, the verb to be can be either auxiliary or semantic. And it is very important to understand how these two types of verb differ.

From the article you will learn:

• What are auxiliary verbs in English;
• What are they?
• When we use them;
• Who do they help?

Article No. 5: The construction there is and there are in English sentences

This construction is also one of the basics in the English language. And, of course, we couldn’t do without the verb to be. It is with the help of this construction that we talk about the location of objects.

From the article you will learn:

• How and when to use there is/there are;
• How to construct sentences with this construction in the present tense;
• Using the construction there is/are in past and future tenses.

So, if you have read all the articles given here, you can safely say that you are familiar with the basics of the English language - the verb to be.

To be or not to be? That is not the question... The sea deity Proteus of the ancient Greeks could (like the sea) take on any form. What are we talking about?

Moreover, the verb “to be” is known in the world not only as the most vital and always relevant, but also as the most changeable (protean) in the English language, constantly changing and taking on different forms, sometimes not so noticeable to us.

Considering that it is used so often in English speech, it is rather sad that "to be" should be the most fickle and slippery verb in the language. Let's get to know him better. C"mon!

What is the verb to be and why is it needed?

The verb To Be (am, is, are) is the basis of English grammar. If you misunderstood or understudied this material, then your entire study of the English language will most likely be unsuccessful. Therefore, if you feel that there is a gap somewhere in this material, then it is better to stay longer on this article.

It is this verb that underlies the construction of approximately 30 percent of all English grammatical constructions and is where you should start studying English grammar.

For example, to say “I am a student,” we must insert the desired form of the linking verb “to be” and the sentence will take on the meaning “I am a student." - “I (am) a student.”

We must carefully choose the correct verb form for the object, depending on whether it is singular or plural. This is usually easy. We wouldn’t write: “The troops were moving to the border.” Well, where is this good?

However, some proposals require closer attention. For example, how would you write:

The majority of Facebook users are (or is?) upset about the increase in spam.
Most Facebook users are upset about the increase in spam.

In fact, in this sentence everything depends on your accent - if it is focused on users— put “ are", if on group of people— « is».

Plural or singular depends on your choice. If you find it difficult what exactly to focus on, then choose what sounds best to you. It is unlikely that your chosen form of “to be” will upset anyone.

By the way, “majority” is used only with countable nouns: “he ate the majority of cookies", but not "he ate the majority of the pie". instead we will say: “he ate most of the pie."

Translation into Russian of the verb To Be

“To be” is translated as “to be”, “to be”, “to exist”, “to appear” or not translated at all, and can be in Present (am, is, are), Past (was, were) and Future (will ( be)/shall (be)) tenses. The form of the verb depends on who is doing the action.

Unlike the Russian language, in English the linking verb is never omitted, due to the strictly fixed word order:

Rule To Be: subject ( subject) + predicate ( verb) + addition ( object).

• As independent verb(to be, to be, to exist or not translated):

I am at home.
I am at home.
She was at the Institute yesterday.
She was at the institute yesterday.
Not is in New York.
He (be) in New York.

• IN interrogative form of the verb “to be” is placed before subject to and does not require an auxiliary verb to form the interrogative or negative form. The same thing happens in the continuative (durative) form of the verb (Continuous).

Is he in New York?
Is he (to be) in New York?
Was she at the Institute yesterday?
Was she at the institute yesterday?

• Negative the form is formed using the negation " not", which is put after verb "to be".

She was not (wasn't) at the Institute yesterday.
She wasn't at the institute yesterday.
Not is not (isn't) in New York.
He is not (located) in New York.

In colloquial speech, "not" usually merges with "to be", forming abbreviations:

is not = isn't
are not = aren't

The verb "to be" is also shortened with personal pronoun:

I am = I"m
We are = we"re
He is = he's

• As auxiliary verb.

Used to form continuous verb forms ( Continuous) and continuous perfect tenses ( Perfect Continuous).

They are reading a book.
They are reading a book.
He is sleeping now.
He is sleeping now.
We have been working here for 10 years.
We have been working here (for) 10 years.

Auxiliary Verbs, By the way , can also be combined with the basic form of "to be" to form simple answers:

Is Jack in class this morning?
Well, he might be.
Is anyone helping Jack with his homework?
I'm not sure. Jane could be.

“to be” is also used to form the passive voice ( Passive Voice):

Active: Didn't buy a new magazine.
He bought a new magazine.
Passive: A new magazine was bought.
We bought a new magazine.

• As verb-ligaments(to be, to appear).

I am a doctor.
I am a doctor.
Not is a doctor.
He is a doctor.
Her new hat is red. Her new hat is red.

• In the design " there is/there are"(to be, to be).

There is a table in the room.
There (is) a table in the room.

In this sentence " there" is a formal subject. The active subject is the noun that follows the verb "be" (is), i.e. "table".

If the subject is plural, then the verb “to be” must also be plural.

There are tables in the room.
There (are) tables in the room.

At time change the form of the verb changes to be»:

There was a table in the room.
There was a table in the room.
There were tables in the room.
There were tables in the room.

Translation of sentences with the construction “there is/there are” begins with translation circumstances places.

Negative form:

There is no table in the room. (There isn't a table...).
In the room there is (no) table.
There is no water in the bottle. (There isn't any water in the bottle.)
In a bottle no water.

Interrogative form:

Is there a man in the house?
In the house is there a man?
Are there(any) apples in the greengrocers?
In vegetable Are there any apples in the store?

• “To be” often works in conjunction with others verbs:

He is playing the piano
She will be arriving this afternoon.

• And sometimes “to be” will stand myself By to myself. Especially in simple answers to equally simple questions:

Who's going to the movies with me tonight?
I am.
Who's responsible for this mess?
She is.

Present:
I am to (not to) / We are to (not to) / You are to (not to);
He/she/it is to (not to) / They are to (not to).

Past:
I was to (not to) / We were to (not to) / You were to (not to) You were to (not to);
He/she/it was to (not to) / They were to (not to).

• To be ( Present) is used only With Indefinite Infinitive(indefinite infinitive).

They are to be here.
They should be here.

• "To be" ( Past) used with Indefinite Infinitive(indefinite infinitive) and with Perfect Infinitive(perfect infinitive), which means that the action was not performed:

She was(supposed) to be in the cinema.
She should have been in the movies.

• The modal verb "to be" can be used to express responsibilities, which is based on previous agreements (plan, schedule etc.)

We are to go to the cinema.
We should go to the cinema.

• We also use this modal verb to express order or instructions:

You are to go to school.
You have to go to school.

• We use "to be" if something categorically forbidden V negative form.

Children are not allowed to drink alcohol.
Children are prohibited from drinking alcohol.

• "To be" is used for urgency council or wishes:

You are to drive straight.
Drive straight.

• “To be”, in the passive voice (constructed using the infinitive “to be”) and Past Participle— 3rd form of irregular verb or adding the ending “- ed" to the correct one), describes opportunity:

She was not to be heard.
It was impossible to hear her.

You were to be heard very good on the concert.
You could be heard very well at the concert.

Conclusion

We have looked at all the main important nuances of this tricky verb. For the last time, we draw your attention to the fact that when you say a phrase and doubt whether you should put the verb be there, you can always test yourself by asking questions to the sentence: am I who/what, is where, is what?

If in translation the words “is, is, is” give the sentence a logical meaning, then in English such a sentence will be correct.

We hope this article helped you understand the verb to be, which is simple only at first glance. Cheers!

Big and friendly EnglishDom family

“To be or not to be” is a question that is relevant not only for Shakespeare’s characters, but also for those who are working to improve their level of English proficiency. to be has a very wide scope of application in the English language, it is both a semantic verb, and part of numerous set expressions, and an auxiliary, and even a modal verb. But first things first!

Meaning of the verb to be

The original and basic meaning of this verb is “to be, to appear, to be.” Quite often, a predicate is added to it - the nominal part of a compound predicate - in the form of an adjective, noun or some kind of phrase with a preposition, for example:

As you can see from the example sentences given in the table, the verb to be in the present tense it is often simply not translated into Russian. Hence its colloquial name, adopted among students of English - “linking verb” - that is, a verb necessary rather to connect the semantic parts of a sentence.

In addition, there are a large number of set expressions with the verb to be, giving it special significance. .

Forms of the verb to be

Whatever role the verb to be plays in a sentence, it is extremely important to know its formation, because its forms (as, indeed, the forms of its Russian analogue “to be”) are often completely different from the original form (infinitive) - to be. For example, the basis for learning English is knowledge of the forms of the verb to be (the Present Simple Tense):

Possible here reductions, in which the verb is combined with a pronoun, and an apostrophe appears in place of the “runaway” letter:

It is also important to firmly grasp past simple forms(the Past Simple Tense) of this verb:

Mandatory memorization is also required three main forms verb to be, since it belongs to the group of irregular verbs:

All tense forms of the verb to be can be presented in the following table:

*The verb to be is used quite rarely in group tenses Continuous , since its lexical meaning - “to be” - usually implies some constant characteristic, for example to be lazy - to be lazy, which means it is more typical to be used in group tenses Simple . However, in cases where the unusualness of a situation or human behavior is implied, such use is the norm, for example:

Use in Continuous It is also acceptable if we are talking about a repetitive and fairly boring process. In this case, this temporary form is responsible mainly for the expressiveness and expressiveness of the sentence (in other cases, regularly repeated actions that do not cause irritation are the scope of use of the Simple):

Let's look at examples of sentences with the verb to be in various tense forms:

Areas of application of the verb to be

This verb finds its use in English in the following cases:

• as semantic verb with the meaning "to be":

• as auxiliary verb for the following grammatical constructions:
• times of the group Continuous and Perfect Continuous:

• as component There is/ are(is/is):

• as component common design to begoing to(to/intend):

• as modal verb with the particle to and with the meaning of having to due to some plan or agreement:

• as a base element phrasal verbs:

According to the rule, the verb to be in English plays many roles: a semantic verb, part of a compound verbal and nominal predicate, and is part of various expressions. It is necessary to become familiar with the main uses of this multifunctional word.

Meaning of “to be”

This verb is translated as “to be, to be, to appear.” The main functions of “to be” are:

• semantic verb:

Jack is at the hospital. Jack is in the hospital.

• linking verb or part of a compound nominal predicate:

I am busy every day. - I'm busy every day.

• auxiliary verb as part of various complex constructions:

I will be working at the canteen at 5. – I will work in the canteen at 5 o’clock. (will be working – Future Simple – present simple tense)

The table was painted with an old brush. – The table was painted with an old brush. (was painted – Past Simple Passive – passive voice)

The universal nature of to be has led to its use as a modal verb.

The train is to leave the station at 3. – The train must leave the station at 3. (modal verb)

There are also many set expressions where the verb to be is used. The list of basic phraseological units includes:

• to be late for (class, train)– be late somewhere (lesson, train, etc.);
• to be back- return;
• to be in love- to be in love;
• to be ill- get sick;
• to be good at something- to prove oneself good at something;
• to be hungry/thirsty– want to eat/drink;
• to be hot/cold– experience heat/cold;
• to be sorry about something- to regret something;
• to be interested in something- be interested in something;
• to be aware of something- to know about something, to be aware of something;
• to be on- go on radio, television.

I will be back in an hour. - I'll be back in an hour. (to be back – return, stable expression)

Table “Verb tu bi in English”

To remember how this verb changes tenses, you need to use a diagram.

The verb to be does not have a Present Perfect Continuous form.

TOP 3 articleswho are reading along with this

Despite the fact that the table shows the temporary form of Present Continuous, this option is used very rarely to express indignation at the situation or behavior of another person.

She is being noisy again! I can't hear a word! - She's making noise again! I can't hear a word!

Our lesson today is dedicated to a very important verb in the English language. And this verb is To Be - to be. It occupies a special place in the language, has many functions and is involved in many grammatical processes.

We will look at all this in this article, and if you are not yet familiar with the verb To Be, then it’s time to introduce it to you.

Let's start with conjugation!

Friends, it should be noted that the meaning of the verb to be is to be, to exist, to be. Unlike other verbs in English, the verb to be is conjugated (that is, it changes in person and number). Let's remember all three conjugation forms of this verb:

Functions of the verb To Be

The English verb "to be" has several important functions.

The verb to be can be an independent verb:

• Sheisintheroom. — She is in the room.
• Weareathome. - We are at home.

Just as in the Russian language, the verb “to be”, the English verb to be can act as a linking verb in a nominal predicate (meaning “there is”). Please note that, unlike the Russian language, in English the linking verb is never omitted, since the English sentence has a strictly fixed word order: subject (subject) + predicate (verb) + object (object). Please note that the verb to be is not translated into Russian in these cases:

• Mr.Greenis adoctor. - Mr. Green is a doctor (Mr. Green is a doctor).
• The weather is - Weathergood.
• We are from Paris. - WefromParis.

As you noticed from the conjugation, the verb to be does not require an auxiliary verb to form the interrogative and negative form.

As an independent verb, to be is used to denote the age of people, the size of objects, the price of goods, time, weather, characteristics and age of people.

As an auxiliary verb, it is used to form continuous tenses and the passive voice (am/is/are/was/were).

To Be as an auxiliary verb

Now let's look at verb tenses, where to be acts as an auxiliary verb.

Present Continuous:

• I am writing a letter now. - IwritingletterNow.
• Jimisspeakingwithhisparentsatthemoment. — Jim is talking to his parents at the moment.

Past Continuous:

• We were playing the piano all evening. - Wewere playingonpianoallevening.
• Sue was doing her homework when you called. — Suedidhomework when you called.

• The flowers are planted by me. - Flowersplantedme.
• My father was treated by Mr. Collins. - MyfatherwascuredMr.Collins.

These simple rules regarding the verb “to be” in English are easy to remember. But they are very important when constructing sentences in English. We wish you good luck and see you again!