Verb “To Be” in the Present Tense: Am, Is, Are Explained

The verb “to be” in the present tense is one of the first things you learn in English. Its three forms - am, is, and are - appear in everyday conversations.

Learning how to use them correctly will help you introduce yourself, describe people, and talk about simple situations in English.

Let’s see how it works.

What is the present tense of the verb “to be”?

The verb “to be” is the most commonly used verb in English. In the present tense, it has three forms: am, is, and are.

We use it to talk about identity, states, and situations. For example, you can introduce yourself, describe people, or talk about the weather.

Examples:

• Hello! I am Gustavo.
• It is very hot today.
• My parents are crazy.

As you can see, the verb “to be” appears in many everyday situations. Practicing these forms will help you use am, is, and are naturally in conversations.

As you can see in the examples above, forms such as “is,” “am,” and ‘are’ are variants of the verb “to be” depending on the subject of the sentence.

The verb “to be” stands out for its high frequency of use and its nature as an irregular verb.

Structure of the verb “to be” in the present tense

To use the verb “to be” correctly in the present tense, you need to know its three forms: am, is, and are.

The form you use depends on the subject of the sentence.

We use these forms in affirmative sentences, negative sentences, and questions.

Positive form

The forms am, is, and are change depending on the subject. These subjects are the personal pronouns: I, you, he, she, it, we, and they.

Look at the following examples:

Negative form

To talk about what something is not, we use the negative form of “to be.” To negate a sentence, simply add the word “not.”

Interrogative form

When we want to ask questions with the verb “to be,” we simply change the word order. Look at the following table to see how questions differ from affirmative and negative sentences:

Contractions

Something quite common in English is combining two words to form one. This fusion results in a contraction. The verb “to be” has several contractions.

Let's start with the positive contractions:

Any sentence that uses “to be” can be contracted.

In addition, the verb “to be” in the negative also has contractions.

Examples:

• I’m an English student.
• He’s from Panama.
• We’re in an airport.

• I’m not from France.
• You aren’t in the car.
• It isn’t rainy today.

Common uses of To Be in the present tense

“To be” is used in many contexts. Here are some examples.

To describe people and things

• I’m hardworking and punctual.
• His car is electric.

To describe someone's mood or health

• We are tired after working out.
• She’s really sick right now.

To talk about the weather

• It is very rainy right now.
• It’s always hot in Barranquilla.

To describe the location of something

• They are at the office.
• The Statue of Liberty is in New York.

Practical exercises

1. She _____ a teacher. 
2. He _____ not tired. 
3. _____ you hungry?
4. We _____ friends. 
5. They _____ not at home.
6. _____ she your sister?
7. I _____ happy today.
8. I _____ not a student. 
9. _____ they in the classroom?

Answers:

 1) Is  2) is 3) are 4) are 5) are 6) is 7) am 8) am 9) are. 

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Frequently asked questions about the verb “to be” in the present tense