Verb to be (present simple)

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 1

The Present Simple

Grammar

The verb - to be

The Present Simple

The verb to be can be used in a shortened form!

This is used when we speak in English. Nowadays, it is also common to see it in written English (although not in formal letters and texts). 

                         

                   

            

                      

We are students.	We're students.
I am tired.	I'm tired.
He is a hard worker.	He's a hard worker.
She is on holiday.	She's on holiday.
It is difficult.	It's difficult.

The Present Simple

Be careful with some of the shortened forms: 

You're =  You are 

Your    =  That something belongs to you

We're    =   We are ( We're at home!)

Were     =   past tense of are (Were you at home?)

Where  =   what place (Where are you?)

Practice with a drag and drop exercise

1. I am studying English.

2. He are walking the dog.

3. We is in the classroom.

4. She is good at football.

5. They are my parents.

Correct

Incorrect

(not correct)

1

2

3

4

5

Great work!

Timmy

in A1Y.

They 

never on time.

That dog  

very fast.

I 

always early for school.

Those boys

very noisy.

are

is

am

The Present Simple

Questions

How do we make a question with the verb 'to be' ?

If the first verb in the sentence is am, is, or are, you switch it with the subject.

She is very beautiful -->  Is she very beautiful?

'Is' switched places with the subject. 

She is my best friend.

she 

my best friend?

Make a sentence in the Present simple, sometimes you will only need to use ONE of the boxes in the "drag and drop exercise.

Do

Does

Is

Be

Am

Are

Did

They are at the club every Tuesday evening.

they

at the club every Tuesday evening?

Do

Does

Is

Be

Am

Are

Did

You are doing great!

Take a moment to relax with this short minions clip!

The Present Simple

Negations

Negations or negative means that something is 'not'.  

If the first verb in the sentence is am, is or are, you can just add not. 

I am an English teacher. 

Becomes 

I am not an English teacher.

The Present Simple

Negations

For the next exercise, turn the normal sentences using to be, into negative sentences. Pay attention to capital letters, and full stops, and the shortened form!

 Use short forms!  There are two ways of doing this: 

I am                     = I'm not  

You are not        = You're not   /    You aren't     

she is not           = she's not     /    she  isn't       

They are not     = They're not   /     They aren't

We are not        =   We're not     /      We aren't

I am a very happy person.
(re-write this as a negation using the short form)

He is almost deaf.

(re-write this as a negation using the short form)

They are at the pool every week.
(re-write this as a negation using the short form)

We are at school on Saturday.
(use the shortened form)

Congratulations! 

You have finished this lesson.