Present simple with be: am, is and are

The present simple forms of the verb be are am, is and are. The form we use depends on the subject: am is used with I, is with he, she, it and other singular subjects, and are with you, we, they and plural subjects. When be is the main verb, it is commonly used to identify or describe the subject, or to give information such as where or when something is. This guide explains how to form positive sentences, negatives and questions with be, how it is used in common sentence structures, and mistakes to avoid.

Present simple forms of be

The present simple of be changes according to the subject. Unlike most verbs, be does not use do or does to form negatives and questions. The table below shows the forms be takes for each subject as well as the contracted forms:

To give a short answer to a closed question, you can say yes or no followed by the appropriate subject and form of be. In positive yes answers, we don’t use contractions:

• Are you ready? Yes, I am.
• Is she at home? Yes, she is.
• Are they satisfied? Yes, they are.
• Are you hungry? No, I’m not.
• Is she your boss? No, she isn’t.
• Are they students? No, they are not.

To create an open question, simply place the open question word (who, what, which, when, where, why, how) before be:

• Where are my keys?
• Why is he angry?
• When is the meeting?
• How are your parents?
• Which car is yours?
• Who is the manager?

How is be used in the present simple?

When be functions as the main verb, it is usually a linking verb (also called a copular verb). Unlike many other main verbs, such as eat, buy or watch, a linking verb does not describe an action performed by the subject or normally take an object. Instead, it links the subject to information that identifies or describes it, or to information about where or when it is.

For example, an ordinary main verb can form a Subject + Verb + Object (SVO) structure:

• Gemma teaches English. (English is the object of teaches.)

With be, the information after the verb is not an object. Instead, it is usually a subject complement or an adverbial, giving the two common structures Subject + Verb + Complement (SVC) and Subject + Verb + Adverbial (SVA) used with be:

A subject complement gives information that identifies, classifies or describes the subject and can take the form of a noun or noun phrase or an adjective. An adverbial gives information about the situation, such as where or when the subject is.

Be + noun or noun phrase (SVC)

A noun or noun phrase after be can identify or classify the subject. It usually tells us who or what the subject is. In this structure, the noun phrase functions as a subject complement:

• Richard is a teacher.
• My parents are doctors.
• Those people aren’t our neighbours.
• Daniel is not my friend.
• Are these your shoes?
• Who is that man?

Be + adjective (SVC)

An adjective or adjective phrase after be describes what the subject I like or gives information about its quality, condition or state. It functions as a subject complement:

• The room is cold.
• My neighbours are very friendly.
• I’m not tired.
• The children aren’t hungry.
• Is the food ready?
• Why are they angry?

Be + adverbial of place (SVA)

An adverbial of place after be tells us where the subject is. The adverbial of place may be a single word such as here, there, outside or a prepositional phrase such as at home, in the kitchen or on the table:

• My keys are on the table.
• David is at work.
• The children are here.
• The supermarket isn’t near here.
• Are my parents upstairs?
• Where are the toilets? They are outside.

Be + adverbial of time (SVA)

Be can also connect the subject with an adverbial that tells us when something happens or is scheduled. The adverbial of time may be a single word such as tomorrow, tonight, today or a phrase such as on Monday, in two hours, next week or at 3pm:

• The meeting is at three o’clock.
• My appointment is tomorrow.
• The lessons are in the morning.
• The party isn’t tonight.
• Is the exam on Monday?
• When is your next lesson?

Common uses of be in the present simple

The structures above allow be to express many kinds of everyday information. The table below summarises the most common uses of be as a main/linking verb:

Common mistakes with be

Free present simple with be worksheets