The Verb “To Be”: Forms, Uses, and How to Conjugate It Correctly

Among English verbs, the irregular verb ‘to be’ is considered the most difficult and, ironically, the most frequently used. You use it every day to describe people and their qualities, describe objects, or state places. 

Despite being the most used verb, it may confuse English learners due to the variety of its forms. These forms differ in accordance with the subject and tense used. The most common forms are am, is, are, was, and were.

This article covers all aspects of the usage of the verb, including the description of forms, functions, and the conjugation of the verb ‘to be’. You will also learn how to use the verb as a linking and auxiliary verb and how to make contractions.

What Is the Verb ‘To Be’?

It is known as an irregular verb because, unlike most verbs that simply add ‘-s’ or ‘-ed’ for example, walk, walks, walked, ‘to be’ transforms into entirely different words depending on the subject and tense. 

To be is an irregular verb that is used to describe a state, identity, quality, condition, or location. Unlike other regular verbs, this verb changes considerably based on the subject and the time of the action. 

For example: 

I am a learner.

She is sad.

They are watching a movie.

He was exhausted.

In each sentence, the different verb forms am, is, are, was, and were all belong to the same verb, to be. 

The verb is usually used in order to relate the subject of a sentence with some information related to it. For instance:

Maya is creative.

In the sentence above, ‘is’ relates the subject, Maya, to the word creative, which gives some information about her.

The verb to be can also assist in making different forms of verbs and sentences. For example:

They are studying for the exam. 

In this sentence, ‘are’ is used with the main verb, studying, in order to denote something currently taking place. 

Due to its different forms and functions, understanding the ‘verb to be’ is an essential step in understanding English grammar. 

Conjugating ‘To Be’ in the Present Tense: Am, Is, Are

In the present tense, there are three major forms of the verb ‘to be’, and these are am, is and are. The choice of form will depend on the subject. 

The general ‘am, is, are’ rules are:

Am goes with I.

Is goes with he, she, it, and singular nouns. 

Are goes with you, we, and they. 

Here is the present tense form of ‘to be’:

Subject	Form of “To Be”	Example
I	am	I am happy.
You	are	You are beautiful.
He	is	He is early.
She	is	She is tired.
It	is	It is raining today.
We	are	We are happy.
They	are	They are playing outside.

Using ‘Am’ :

You can use the verb ‘am’ only with the pronoun ‘I’. 

For example:

I feel hungry.
Originally, I am from California.
At the moment, I am interested in the dance competition.
These days, I am learning English.

Avoid using ‘is’ or ‘are’ with ‘I’ in standard present-tense statements because it is a common mistake. 

For example:

Incorrect: I is sad.

Incorrect: I are happy.

Correct: I am happy.

Using ‘Is’: 

You can use ‘is’ with singular subjects, like he, she, it, and singular nouns. 

For example:

He is at the theater.

She is doing great.

It is a sunny day.

My cat is sleeping.

Using ‘Are’: 

You can use ‘are’ with you, we, they, and other plural nouns. 

For example: 

• You are beautiful.
• We are happy.
• They are playing games.
• The children are excited. 
• My friends are here.

Understanding these basic ‘am, is and are’ patterns will help you make the correct present-tense sentences without any mistakes. 

Conjugating ‘To Be’ in the Past Tense: Was, Were

When writing a sentence in the past tense, the verb to be can also be changed to was or were to signify the different types of subjects and their states at that point in time. 

The general rules for using was and were are: 

• Was goes with I, he, she, it, and singular nouns. 
• Were goes with you, we, they, and other plural nouns. 

List of the past-tense conjugation:

Subject	Form of “To Be”	Example
I	was	I was tired.
You	were	You were early.
He	was	He was singing.
She	was	She was at the cinema.
It	was	It was raining.
We	were	We were playing games.
They	were	They were busy.

Using ‘Was’

You can use was with the pronoun ‘I’ and other singular subjects. 

For example:

• I was sick.
• He was with his classmates.
• She was late.
• The meeting was needed.

Using ‘Were’

You can use were with you, we, they, and other plural nouns. 

For example: 

• You were dressed beautifully for the occasion.
• We were close friends.
• They were happy to greet us.
• The students were loud. 

Note that “I” takes was in the past, even though it takes am in the present. This is one of the little inconsistencies that make us wish we were using a more logical language. 

‘To Be’ as a Linking Verb

Every verb in a sentence can fulfill one of two primary roles, including the linking verb role. A linking verb does not express an action; rather, it establishes a link between the subject of a sentence and some additional information describing this subject, such as some quality, occupation, feeling, or even identity. 

So you can view it as an equal sign that connects the subject of a sentence with its description:

Identity: She is a chef.

A quality or condition: I feel interested in the auction today.

I am interested in the auction today.

Location: We were at the airport.

In all the examples given above, to be does not express any action, but only links the subject to some description. In fact, this is probably the first use of to be you have ever learned, and it is still one of the most frequent uses of to be in everyday English.

‘To Be’ as an Auxiliary Verb

As an auxiliary verb, we generally use ‘to be’ with a verb in -ing form to create continuous tenses.

For example: 

• I am studying.
• She is singing.
• They are dancing.
• He was sleeping.
• We were waiting for the movie to start. 

In the sentence mentioned above, ‘she is singing’, ‘is’ is the auxiliary verb while ‘singing’ is the main verb. 

The form of to be indicates the time and corresponds to the subject:

Present Continuous: I am reading.

Present Continuous: They are singing. 

Past Continuous: She was sleeping.

Past Continuous: We were watching a movie. 

In the Passive Voice

Additionally, we use the verb “to be” to create the passive voice.

For example:

My sister cooked the dinner.

Here, ‘was’ works with ‘cooked’ to show that the action happened. 

A few other examples: 

• Someone submitted the timesheet yesterday.
• The cleaning staff cleaned the rooms this morning.
• The company manager emailed the invitations.
• The second team manages the project.

Once you understand how “to be” works as an auxiliary verb, you can identify the structure of English sentences.

Common Contractions With ‘To Be’

People commonly use contractions of the verb “to be” in everyday speech and informal writing. This makes the discourse sound more natural.

The common contractions of the present tense of the verb are:

Full Form	Contraction
I am	I’m
You are	You’re
He is	He’s
She is	She’s
It is	It’s
We are	We’re
They are	They’re

For example: 

• I’m ready
• You’re beautiful
• He’s busy
• It’s getting late
• They’re here

You can also contract negative forms:

Is not → isn’t

Are not → aren’t

Was not → wasn’t

Were not → weren’t

For example: 

• She isn’t at home.
• We aren’t early.
• He wasn’t feeling well. 
• They weren’t available. 

Contractions are frequent in informal communication. Nevertheless, you may need to use full forms in very formal texts.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

The verb to be becomes easy to use when you understand the pattern, but many learners often make mistakes when linking the verb with the subject,

We have listed a few common mistakes you need to avoid:

1. Placing the wrong form with the subject.

For example:

Incorrect	Correct
They is ready.	They are ready.
She are not well.	She is not well.
I is tired.	I am tired.

Remember to always check whether the subject is singular or plural before selecting the form of the verb to be. 

2. Mixing Up ‘Was’ and ‘Were’

Incorrect	Correct
We was late.	We were late.
He were tired.	He was tired.

Take note of the basic was/were rules: singular subjects use was, and plural subjects use were.

3. Forgetting “to Be” in Present Continuous Sentences

Incorrect	Correct
She cooking dinner.	She is cooking dinner.
They watching movie.	They are watching a movie.

While creating the continuous tenses, you always need a form of to be together with an –ing verb.

4. Using ‘Is’ or ‘Are’ With the Wrong Noun

When the subject is plural. Use ‘are’ in the present tense and ‘were’ in the past tense. 

For example: 

• The students are ready. 
• My brother and sister were here yesterday. 

Quick Reference: A Conjugation Chart for ‘To Be’

Bookmark this chart below for quick reference regarding the verb to be:

Subject	Present Tense	Past Tense
I	Am	Was
You	Are	Were
He/ She/ It	Is	Was
We	Are	Were
They	Are	Were

The other core forms of the verb to be that appear outside the simple present and past tense:

Form	Used For	Example
Be	Base form, used after “to”, modals, and in commands	I want to be a writer.
Being	Continuous form	She is being very cheerful today.
Been	Past participle, used with have/has/had	We have been here before.

Conclusion

Although the verb “to be” is a short one, it is very important in English. We use it to describe a person’s characteristics, feelings, location, and past actions. Moreover, we use it to form some tenses and the passive voice.

First of all, learn the general rules concerning the forms “am,” “is,” “are,” and “was,” “were.” Practice using them in simple sentences. Gradually, the choice of the right form will become a routine thing for you.

The point here is to determine the subject and tense to choose the proper form. With practice, it will become clear to you.

Frequently Asked Questions About ‘To Be’

What is the verb ‘to be’?

To be’ is one of the most important verbs in English. We use it to describe a state, identity, or condition. It changes form according to the subject and tense, such as am, is, are, was, and were.

How do you conjugate ‘to be’ in the present tense?

Use am with I, is with he, she, and it, and are with you, we, and they. For example, I am ready, she is ready, and they are ready.

What is the difference between ‘was’ and ‘were’?

Use was with I, he, she, and it in the past tense. Use were with you, we, and they. For example, he felt tired, and they felt tired.

How is “to be” used as an auxiliary verb?

You use it with another verb to form continuous tenses and the passive voice. For example, they are reading and the team wrote it.

What are common mistakes when using “to be”?

Some common errors involve incorrect subject-verb agreement, such as using ‘they is’ instead of ‘they are’, and was/were misuse with wrong subjects.