'Be' Verbs

A verb shows action or a state of being.

I 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.

• I 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:

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: