The use of Verb to be

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Level : Beginner


The verb to be is used in a number of different ways in English. Here are the main uses of the verb to be for reference, self-study and in-class use.

To be - Main Verb - Role

To be is used as a main verb to indicate the role or position that one has at work, family, or other organization.

Examples:

Jennifer is my sister.
Frank is a doctor.
Alan was a guest at our house last week.

To be - Main Verb with Adjective

To be is also used as a main verb together with adjectives to express qualities about someone. It's possible to use only adjectives with Be, or adjectives which modify other nouns.

Examples:

She is a beautiful woman.
Jack was a handsome man.
She is interesting.
They are ugly.

To be - Main Verb - Location

To be is used as a main verb to indicate location.

Examples:

They are at lunch.
Our house is in the countryside.
Alice is in the backyard.

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Future Tenses in English

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The use of the verb to have

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In all the perfect tenses the verb "have" is used as an auxiliary verb. In all the simple tenses, the verb "have" can be used as the main verb When the verb "have" is used as the main verb, it is usually used only in the simple form (static verbs). The verb "have" can be used in the progressive tense, only in the present and future. The verb have can not be used in the past progressive tenses. Positive Sentences - Main Verb - Verb "have" Subject Main Verb "Have" Continue the Sentence I have /had/will have a car. We have /had/will have a lot of homework. You have/had/will have a nice house. The cars have/had/will have new tires. Natalie has/had/will have a great time in the States. Her father has/had/will have a very good job. *have is used in the present simple tense. *has is used in the past simple tense.
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Past Continuous

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