As in English the word "to be": the use of the verb

Often when learning a foreign language it becomes unclear how the word "to be" in English. In addition, it translates to be as being, being, appearing, eating, being alive. The meaningful filling and form changes depending on the position of the verb in the text, the time form, the number, the type of expression.

Basic Values

According to the rules of English grammar, most sentences are constructed with a connecting verb. Considering the question, as in English the word "to be," one must immediately remember the basic forms of to be: the first person is am; The second person and the plural are; The third person of the singular is is.

It is important to follow the order of arrangement of members of the proposal, depending on the form used:

• Affirmative - first comes the subject + the word "to be" + then the predicate. I am a pilot. We are the family. She is a friend.
• Negative - subject + corresponding form to be + predicate. I am not a pilot. We are not the family. She is not a friend.
• Question 1 - the verb to be + the subject + predicate + is placed on the first place + then the remaining parts of the sentence. Am I a pilot? (I'm a pilot?) Are we the family? (Are we a family?) Is she a friend? (Is she a friend?).
• The separative question consists of two parts: affirmative and interrogative. After the comma, the corresponding form of the verb to be is placed in the interrogative expression, which seeks confirmation of the interlocutor's thoughts. I am a pilot, are not I? (I'm a pilot, are not I?) Are we the family, are not we? (We are a family, are not we?) She is a friend, is not she? (She's a friend, is not she?).

Expressions in the interrogative part of the sentence are not I, are not we, is not she translated by one common phrase - is not it? And the verb to be - in the form am often not used in this part, instead of it apply are. However, this rule is valid only when the expression ends in a negative form. If the first part, on the contrary, shows a negative, then put am: I am not a pilot, am I? (I'm not a pilot, is it?).

Use in the text

The verb to be in the modal form is translated as the word "to be". It is possible for him to draw a parallel - the analogue in Russian is the word "is". If so to modify the design, then its use becomes more understandable. I am an engineer - literally "I am an engineer".

In English, this verb is needed to bind words. To simplify the construction of phrases, the verb to be must be omitted in Russian. Only at the beginning of the training can the word "is" be used. When a stable understanding of the question is developed, as in English the word "to be" and when it is necessary to write or pronounce the desired form, you can avoid additional connecting words when translating expressions.

Verb forms

Consider how in English the word "to be" in sentences applies:

• Bundle noun + adj. - to be associates the sentence members: I am fine (I'm OK). My friend is happy. The cars are big.
• A verb bunch is required when answering the questions: "Who?" Or "What is this?" Similar forms are used when you need to introduce yourself to your interlocutor, name your name, rank, position. My boss is Genry. I am a father. Our parents are lawyers.
• The verb "to be" is used to describe the origin of a person, as well as to indicate the age. They are chinese (They are Chinese). She is from Canada. I'm twenty one.
• A bunch is required when describing the location of objects, countries, planets. London is located on the island of Great Britain (London is located on the island of Great Britain). Knifes are in the kitchen (Knives in the kitchen). I am at the train station.

Abbreviated verb with negation

In Russian, the grammatical load is missing from the word "to be". In English, to be must be used. From the correctness of the construction of proposals depends on its temporal form. Negative expression has, besides the particle not (not), also the verb itself of the corresponding kind.

Often, for the readability, the forms of the verb to be and the particles not are cut. So for the expression he is, she is used he's, she's. The negative form of the expression looks like this: he is not, she is not. For the first person I'm negating I amn't. For we are, they are - we're, they're or we are not, they are not.

The abbreviated form of the verb in the first person with the negation of amn't occurs in some local dialects of the English language and in the United States.

In classical English literature one can find analogues of amn't - it is not or an't. It is recommended to use the abbreviation of the verb to be, if it is necessary to select the negation in the expression: We're not friends. So the meaning of the word "not" will be highlighted in the text.

However, the verb "to be" can not always be shortened. The form of not has no short form in the following cases: when the semantic content is transmitted or it is a modal expression. Abbreviations of the affirmative to be are allowed only with personal pronouns. But when considering the third person of a single person can be reduced and have.

Usage Options

In English, "to be" varies according to time, number, as well as mood and face. In the past, was / were used, in the present - previously listed forms, in the future - will. In the completed times, accordingly had been (past completed), have / has been (present completed), will have (future completed). Long form: was / were being, am / is / are being, will being (future long).

For Perfect Continuous, the past is used: had - been, the present - have been, the future - will have been. The word "to be" is used in an explicit form. If you want to associate the subject with other parts of the sentence, then "be" is replaced by other words: I will have cooked ... - I cooked ... at some time interval.