be - present tense
Level One
Lesson 1 - be - present tense
The best place to begin learning English is with the verb “be.”
In the present tense, the verb “be” takes three forms:
am, is, or are.
- I am at school.
- You are at home.
- We are on the internet.
- The students are in the classroom.
- The day is long.
(CEFR: A1)
The Verb “Be” in the Present Tense
It’s important to know that the verb “be” in the present tense looks very different from the verb “be” in the simple form. This short video shows the four principal parts of the verb “be.”
After you watch the video, finish the rest of the lesson.
simple form
be
present tense
am / is / are
Write in your notebook!
1. be - present tense
subject + verb
Singular
I am
you are
he is
she is
it is
Plural
we are
you are
they are
be = am, is, are
The verb “be” matches the subject.
subject = I
verb = am
1. be - present tense
subject + verb
- I am your teacher.
- You are my student.
- It is cold outside.
- I am outside.
- There is snow on the ground.
- He is a student.
- There are other students.
- They are all in a classroom.
- It is warm in the classroom.
- The teacher is somewhere in the classroom.
1. Write: be - present tense
subject + verb
Singular
I am a ______.
You are a _______.
He is a _______.
She is a _______.
It is a _______.
Plural
We are ________.
You are _________.
They are __________.
1. Write: be - present tense
subject + verb
Fill in the blank _____ with a noun or an adjective.
- I am _______________.
- You are _____________.
- It is ________________.
- I am ________________.
- There is _________________. .
- He is ________________. .
- There are ________________. .
- They are _________________. .
- It is ____________________. .
- The teacher is _____________.
be – present tense (PDF)
be – present tense
Part A – Directions: Underline the verb “be” in each sentence. Indicate if the verb (be) is singular or plural.
He is a student. (singular / plural)
The books are old. (singular / plural)
My teacher’s name is Paul. (singular / plural)
Joe and Mary are students. (singular / plural)
It is a dog. (singular / plural)
They are large. (singular / plural)
I am a student. (singular / plural)
You are a student. (singular / plural)
You are students. (singular / plural)
We are in the classroom (singular / plural)
Part B – Directions: Write the correct form of the verb “be” for each sentence.
I __________ a student.
The teacher __________ a man.
We __________ at school.
You __________ a student.
The coffee __________ hot.
Mary __________ on her phone.
The books __________ on the table.
It __________ a large building.
The family __________ at the table.
Breakfast _________ my favorite meal.
In Lesson 1a, you learn how to make the verb “be” negative.