What are the 

to be verbs?

The verb to be means to exist (I am here), to occur (The meeting is Tuesday), or to have

the characteristics of something (She was a quiet child). It is the most common verb in

English, partly because of its additional uses in grammar: to be verbs can be auxiliary

verbs that help create other tenses or linking verbs that help describe the subject of a

sentence. 

As an irregular verb, to be has its own unique forms. When conjugated for different

subjects or tenses, the verb to be can become am, are, is, was, or were. It’s also written

differently in certain verb tenses: The present participle of to be is being. The past

participle is been, and the bare infinitive form is be. 

Forms of to be verbs Simple present and past tenses

The verb to be is most commonly used in the simple present and simple past tenses.

These tenses each use their own special words for to be, depending on the person and

number of the subject. 

 1)  Subject-verb agreement

All verbs must agree with their subjects, something called subject-verb agreement. This

means that the verb’s person and number must match the subject’s. So if the subject

is first person and singular (I), the verb must be first person and singular (am). 

[INCORRECT] Felipe am class president. 

[INCORRECT] Felipe are class president.

2) Negatives

While writing negative verbs can be confusing, it’s fairly simple with the to be verbs. In the

present and past tenses, put the negative word immediately after to be. 

You are not my enemy. 
This isn’t my cup of tea. 

 Questions

The verb to be also follows its own rules for questions (interrogative sentences). While

other verbs use the auxiliary verb to do for yes-no questions, to be does not. However, like

other verbs, to be still comes before the subject in yes-no questions, even when it’s used

as an auxiliary verb. 

Is that allowed? 

Were you listening?
The indefinite article: 'a' and 'an'

1. We use the indefinite article, a/an, with singular nouns when the listener/reader

does not know exactly which one we are referring to:
2. We also use it to show that the person or thing is one of a group:
3. We do not use an indefinite article with plural nouns or uncount nouns:
We use the – the definite article – when the listener already knows which thing we are
talking about because it was mentioned before or because there's only one of them.

We use ‘the’ before a noun when:

 referring to something specific
 there is only one of something (e.g. the cathedral)
 the noun has been mentioned before
1. Prepositions of place
The prepositions of place express the exact position in which an element (person,
object, animal, etc.) is found.

2. How are prepositions of place used?

These prepositions are always placed before the element which

expresses where something or someone is. The most common ones are the following:

in, at, on, under, behind, near, far, next to, around, above, below,

3. Prepositions of place: at, in, on  

In English, the three most common prepositions of place are in, on and at, and are used
according to the element they accompany:

AT 
It is used to refer to the particular point at which an element is located.
 IN

It is used to express that an element is in a closed space, or in an open space that

has defined limits.

ON
It is used to express that an element touching a surface.
Exercise 1

Choose at, in, on to complete the sentences.

1They are sitting ____________ the table.

2I want to spend a year _________ Barcelona.

3The milk isn't ________ the fridge. Where is it?

4Is Peter's office _________ the first or the second floor?

5Why are all these clothes _________ the bed?

6Please, put the clothes _________ the wardrobe.

7Are you ______ home?

8I don't want to see her _______ the party tonight.

9I like the sea, but I prefer swimming ________ a swimming pool.

10Please, call me when you are _________ the bus.