'Be' Verbs

A verb shows action or a state of being.

go home. Home is my place to rest. I like the smell of my house. I feel totally relaxed. Home refreshes me. At home, I get ready for a new day.

"Be" verbs indicate a state of being.

Verbs must match subjects.

  • am a doctor.
  • He is sleepy.
  • We are here.

Negative sentences need ‘not' after the verb.

  • I am not a doctor.
  • He is not sleepy.
  • We are not there.

The verb comes first in interrogative sentences.

  • Am I a doctor?
  • Is he sleepy?
  • Are we there?

"Are not" (is not) can be shortened to "aren't" (isn't).

  • He isn't sleepy.
  • We aren't there.

Remember the variations of "be" verbs:

Present

Negative

Interrogative

I am

I am not

Am I?

You are

You are not (aren't)

Are you?

He is

He is not (isn't)

Is he?

She is

She is not (isn't)

Is she?

It is

It is not (isn't)

Isn't it?

We are

We are not (aren't)

Are we?

You are

You are not (aren't)

Are you?

They are

They are not (aren't)

Are they?

 

Action Verbs

Action verbs express action and are the most common verbs.

Action verbs need s at the end with third-person, singular subjects.

  • He eats bread.
  • She walks to the station.
  • It floats on the sea.

 Negative sentences need do not, does not, or did not.

  • I do not eat bread.
  • He does not eat bread.
  • You did not walk to the station.
  • It does not float on the sea.

Interrogative sentences begin with do, does, or did.

  • Do you eat bread?
  • Does he eat bread?
  • Does she walk to the station?
  • Did they finish it?

 Do not can be shortened to don't, does not to doesn't, and did not to didn't.

  • I don't eat bread.
  • She doesn't walk to the station.
  • It doesn't float on the sea.
  • They didn't finish it.

Remember the variations of action verbs:

Affirmative Sentence

Negative Sentence

Interrogative Sentence

I sing a song.

I do not (don't) sing a song.

Do I sing a song?

You sing a song.

You do not (don't) sing a song.

Do you sing a song?

He (she) sings a song.

He (she) does not (doesn't) sing a song.

Does he (she) sing a song?

We sing a song.

We do not (don't) sing a song.

Do we sing a song?

They sang a song.

They did not (didn't) sing a song.

Did they sing a song?