The verb to be

• 1 The verb to be

  1.1

  am / is / are

  

  

  The verb "to be" means "is / am / are." It changes according to the subject and has three forms:

  • I → am
  • he / she / it → is
  • you / we / they → are

  我I 是am 一名a 学生student.

  I am a student.

  她She 是is 开心happy.

  She is happy.

  他们They （是）are 来自from 中国China.

  They are from China.

  Note: Common spoken contractions: I'm, you're, he's, she's, it's, we're, they're.

  1.2

  Negation and Interrogative

  Negation: Add not after the be verb (often contracted).

  他He 不是is not 一名a 老师teacher.

  He is not a teacher. (= He isn't a teacher.)

  Interrogative: Place the be verb before the subject.

  （是吗）Are 你you 准备好ready?

  Are you ready?

  Short answers: Yes, I am. / No, I'm not.

  Note: Negative contractions: is not → isn't, are not → aren't; but am not is only contracted to I'm not (there is no ~~amn't~~).

  Common Errors

  • ❌ ~~He busy.~~ → ✓ He is busy. — In Chinese, "He is very busy" can exist without a verb, but an English sentence must have a verb. Use be to link when the predicative is an adjective or noun and there are no other verbs in the sentence (He is busy); do not add be if the sentence already contains an ordinary verb (I go to school).
  • ❌ ~~I am go to school.~~ → ✓ I go to school. — Do not use be and ordinary verbs together; "go" alone suffices for "to go."
  • ❌ ~~They is my friends.~~ → ✓ They are my friends. — Plural subjects (you / we / they) take are.
  • ❌ ~~I am agree.~~ → ✓ I agree. — agree is itself a verb; do not add am before it.
  • ❌ ~~Are you ready? — Yes, I'm.~~ → ✓ Yes, I am. — Contractions cannot be used at the end of affirmative short answers (say Yes, I am); however, negative short answers typically end with a negative contraction (No, he isn't / No, I can't; first person is No, I'm not, as there is no amn't).

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