What Is The Verb To Be?
What is the verb to be? It is a fundamental part of the English language that’s used to describe a wide range of states of being and functions, such as indicating identity, existence, state of being, and more.
In fact, it is so ubiquitous that we often hear and use it even outside of formal grammar circles, making it a central part of our daily communication.
The verb to be is used as a main verb, an auxiliary verb, it also transforms more than any other verb, and it’s the only verb that doesn’t need an auxiliary to make a negative sentence or question.
By understanding its different uses and conjugations, you’ll know exactly what the verb to be is. What’s more, you’ll become a more effective communicator and be able to express yourself with greater precision and clarity.
In this blog post, we will explore what the verb to be is, and look at the different uses, as well as its various conjugations.
How It’s Used in Different Tenses
Present Simple Tense
The present simple tense has three different conjugations: am, is, and are. It’s used to describe our permanent or temporary state, and also for routines.
‘am/is/are’
I am a doctor.
You are tall.
They are students.
Present Continuous Tense
For present continuous tense, it’s used primarily as an auxiliary verb along with a main verb (present participle).
‘am/is/are + verb-ing’
I am working today.
You are eating pizza.
He is running to school.
We can use the verb to be as an auxiliary and a main verb in present continuous for some things.
I am being reasonable.
You are being silly.
He is being awkward.
Present Perfect Tense
We can use it in present perfect tense to explain a state/place that somebody was in the past but the time is not important. It will be past participle and will need an auxiliary verb to have, and usually an adjective will go after it.
‘have + been’
I have been to Scotland.
You have been sick too many times.
He has been silly too often.
Past Simple Tense
The past simple tense of the verb is used to describe a state in the past. We use the past tense of the verb to be: was/were, and a predicate (noun or adjective to describe the subject) will follow.
‘was/were’
I was a doctor when I was younger.
She was sick yesterday.
They were married last year.
Past Continuous
For past continuous tense, it’s used primarily as an auxiliary verb (past tense was/were) along with a main verb (present participle).
‘was/were + verb-ing’
I was working yesterday.
You were eating pizza when I arrived.
He was running to school when I saw him.
We can use the verb to be as an auxiliary and a main verb in past continuous for some things.
You were being silly earlier.
He was being awkward as he always is.
Past Perfect Tense
What is the verb to be in past perfect tense? It’s used to explain a state somebody/something was in the past, at a certain time. We use past participle (been) and will need an auxiliary verb to have (past tense had), and usually accompanied with another clause that happened at the same time.
‘had + been’
I had been to the museum before you told me about it.
Past perfect isn’t a common tense with the verb to be, however. Past Perfect Continuous is used more commonly, as an auxiliary verb.
I had been waiting 3 hours by the time you arrived.
Future Simple Tense
The future simple tense explains a state in the future. It is the base verb ‘be’ and goes after the auxiliary verb ‘will’ (or ‘shall’).
‘will + be’
I will be a doctor when I get older.
You will be happy if you go.
It will be the cutest dog at the competition.
Future Continuous
Future Continuous tense needs ‘will’ and ‘be’ and verb-ing, and is used to describe a future state. It’s usually accompanied with a clause to describe another action at the same time, or a time reference to explain an action will be going on for a relatively long time.
‘will + be + verb-ing’
I will be eating my dinner, when you get there.
You will be sitting next to me at the show.
He will be working on his thesis all night.
For future continuous, the verb to be isn’t typically used as a main verb:
I will be being good tonight.
Future Perfect
Future Perfect is used with verb to be (been) to describe an imaginary state in the future, and goes after the verb ‘will’ and ‘have’.
‘will + have + been’
I will have been at the event for two hours by that time.
You will have been to Spain 10 times after your next trip.
It will have been 2 years since we met if we leave it until then.
Passive Voice
What is the verb to be in the passive voice? It’s used as a helping verb to indicate that the subject is receiving the action of the verb, rather than performing it. It will go before the past participle of the main verb.
‘verb to be (different tenses) + past participle’
The song is sung by millions of people every day.
The song is being sung by her right now.
The song has been sung by millions of people.
The cake was baked by my mom.
The cake was being baked by my mom until she stopped.
The cake has been baked by my mom.
The fish will be eaten by the whale.
The fish will be being eaten by the whale.
The fish will have been eaten by the whale.
Passive voice can be used in all tenses, and the verb to be will conjugate how it should to its tense.
What is The Verb To Be Song
A great way for young kids to learn to rules of the verb to be is a catchy rhyming song. Try this:
To Be, To Be, oh what a verb, Present, past, and future, it can serve!
In the present, it tells us what’s true, “I am” and “you are” and “he is” too.
In the past, it helps us recall, “I was” and “you were” and “they were, too.”
In the future, it paints a picture, “I will be”… a doctor, teacher, or adventurer.
To Be, To Be, a versatile word, In every tense, its voice is heard.
So learn it well and use it right, and your English will be shining bright.
What is The Verb To Be?
What is the verb to be? It is the most versatile and used verb in the English language. It mutates into different forms more than any other verb.
It’s also the most used auxiliary verb, so learning it should be the first step in your English language journey.
It is more commonly used in simple and continuous tenses, but it is also used in perfect tense, but not as much.