The use of Verb to be

Par -




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.

Most read Lessons

THE TYPES OF CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

Par -
Image
  Conditional sentences (if-clauses, main clauses) * The conditional sentences are sometimes confusing for learners of English. Watch out: 1) Which type of the conditional sentences is used? 2) Where is the if-clause (e.g. at the beginning or at the end of the conditional sentence)? There are three types of the if-clauses. 1- The Zero Conditional: (if + present simple, ... present simple) * When we talk about things that are generally or always true, we can use: - If/When/Unless plus a present form PLUS present simple or imperative.examples: - If he gets there before me, ask him to wait. - When you fly budget airline, you have to pay for your drinks and snacks. - Unless you need more space, a small car is big enough for one person. * Notice that 'unless' means the same as 'if not'. * We can make a zero conditional sentence with two present simple verbs (one in the 'if clause' and one in the 'main clause'): If + present si...
For more

Future Tenses in English

Par -
Image
There is often very little difference between the future tenses. It often depends where you live (in Britain or the USA) and when you use the sentence (in spoken or written communication). • In newspapers we often use the will-future, when the going to-future is used in oral communication. - Newspaper: The headmaster will close the old gym. - Oral: The headmaster is going to close the old gym. - We can substitute the going to-future with the Present Progressive when using an expression of time. - She is going to see Frank at the airport at 8.30. - She is seeing Frank at the airport at 8.30. * There are several different ways in English that you can talk about the future. 1- will-future (will + infinitive). * Usage: Prediction, assumption; spontaneous action; action happens without the speaker’s intention -Example: He will carry this bag for her. 2- going to-future (to be (am, are, is) + going to + infinitive). * Usage: The auxiliary verb going to i...
For more

The use of the verb to have

Par -
Image
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. ...
For more

TRAVEL - TRIP - JOURNEY - TOUR - VOYAGE

Par -
Image
The explanations should help clarify the meaning and use of vocabulary related to travel Travel The word 'travel' is used to talk about going from one place to another. It can be a verb, a noun or an adjective : • Verb : Paul travels a lot in his job. • Noun : Travel nowadays is faster than before. • Adjective : There is a travel agency beside the bank. Trip The word trip is used to talk about a short journey somewhere for a purpose, business or pleasure. • For our wedding anniversary, we went on a trip to Venice. • My boss is often away on business trips. • During our holiday we took a boat trip to the islands. Journey A journey is the distance covered when travelling from one place to another. 'Journey' can refer to a long distance or a short regular one. • The journey was long and tiring. It took us 5 hours to get there. • Did you have a good journey? Yes, it was quite pleasant. • How long is your journey to work? Just about 20 minutes. Tour A tour is a ...
For more

What are the differences between descent, decent, and dissent?

Par -
Image
Descent means going downwards, a downward slope, or ancestry. Decent means civilized, good, or adequate. Dissent means to argue or a difference of opinion. Descent, Decent, and Dissent There is often confusion over the words descent, decent, and dissent. 1-Descent The noun descent has a few meanings: *The action of descending (i.e., going downwards). exp: The Boeing 737 started its descent from 20,000 feet. *A downhill incline. exp: It features a long, steep descent that is ideal for advanced skiers. *Family origin. exp: She is from Indian descent. 2-Decent The adjective decent means civilized, good or adequate. (It rhymes with recent.) Examples: Ninety-eight percent of the adults in this country are decent, hardworking citizens. That's a decent plate of food. 3-Dissent Dissent can be a noun meaning difference of opinion or a verb meaning to disagree. Examples: The referee has given him a red card for dissent. Acceptance of dissent is the fundamental requirement of a free society...
For more

The Four Smart Students

Par -
Image
One night four college students were out partying late night and didn’t study for the test which was scheduled for the next day. In the morning, they thought of a plan. They made themselves look dirty with grease and dirt. Then they went to the Dean and said they had gone out to a wedding last night and on their way back the tire of their car burst and they had to push the car all the way back. So they were in no condition to take the test. The Dean thought for a minute and said they can have the re-test after 3 days. They thanked him and said they will be ready by that time. On the third day, they appeared before the Dean. The Dean said that as this was a Special Condition Test, all four were required to sit in separate classrooms for the test. They all agreed as they had prepared well in the last 3 days. The Test consisted of only 2 questions with the total of 100 Points:              ...
For more

Past Continuous

Par -
Image
PAST PROGRESSIVE TENSE ----> What is the past progressive tense? The past progressive tense describes an action in progress around a specific time in the past. Here are two examples: Q: What were you doing at 10:00 this morning? A: I was getting ready for school (at 10:00 this morning). Q: What were you doing when I called you? A: I was walking the dog (when you called me). Note that in all the sentences, a particular time is referenced. In the first example, both the question and the answer mention 10:00 am. In the second example, when you called me refers to a specific time which both speakers understand. (Perhaps, for example, the phone call was placed on a Saturday afternoon around 3:00. Both speakers know this, so the time is specific.) It's also important to note that we don't use the past progressive tense for repeated actions in the past. The simple past tense is used for any repeated actions that happened in the past. ----> W...
For more

GRAMMAR, MORAL AND LEADERSHIP

Par -
Image
Welcome  to all the people that love English .  Today's lesson isn't only about grammar and vocabulary but also about morals and leadership . So I advice you to read it carefully . It permits you to understand your grammar points and to have some rich notions of life ..... « THERE IS A STORY ABOUT FOUR PEOPLE NAMED EVERYBODY, SOMEBODY, ANYBODY AND NOBODY. THERE WAS AN IMPORTANT JOB TO BE DONE AND EVERYBODY WAS ASKED TO DO IT. EVERYBODY WAS SURE SOMEBODY WOULD DO IT. ANYBODY COULD HAVE DONE IT, BUT NOBODY DID IT. SOMEBODY GOT ANGRY ABOUT THAT BECAUSE IT WAS EVERYBODY'S JOB. EVERYBODY THOUGHT ANYBODY WOULD DO IT BUT NOBODY REALIZED THAT EVERYBODY WOULDN'T DO IT. IT ENDED UP THAT EVERYBODY BLAMED SOMEBODY WHEN NOBODY DID WHAT ANYBODY COULD HAVE DONE. » Did you follow that? The moral of the story, of course, is that nothing happened because no one took a leadership role in the important job to be done. Tasks are accomplished when somebody (not the Somebody i...
For more

Causative Verbs in English:

Par -
Image
Causative verbs express an action which is caused to happen. In other words, when I have something done for me I cause it to happen. In other words, I do not actually do anything, but ask someone else to do it for me. This is the sense of causative verbs. *The English verbs (let, make, have, get, and help) are called causative verbs because they cause something else to happen. Here are some specific examples of how causative verbs work in English sentences. How to use causative verbs in English *LET = permit something to happen Grammatical structure: • LET + PERSON/THING + VERB (base form) Examples: • I don’t let my kids watch violent movies. • Mary’s father won’t let her adopt a puppy because he’s allergic to dogs. • Our boss doesn’t let us eat lunch at our desks; we have to eat in the cafeteria. • Oops! I wasn’t paying attention while cooking, and I let the food burn. • Don’t let the advertising expenses surpass $1000. Remember: The past tense of let is also let; there is no ch...
For more