Verb „to be"

The verb 'to be' means to exist or to describe a state. It has three present-tense forms: am (with I), is (with he / she / it), and are (with you / we / they).

Unlike many languages, English never drops 'to be' from a sentence. You cannot say 'I student' — it must be 'I am a student'.

In natural speech and informal writing, 'to be' is almost always contracted: I am → I'm, you are → you're, he is → he's. The apostrophe replaces the missing letter.

Contractions sound more natural and are far more common than the full forms. 'I'm hungry' is what you will hear; 'I am hungry' sounds deliberate or emphatic.

To make a negative sentence, add 'not' after the form of 'to be': I am not, she is not, we are not.

In everyday English, 'is not' contracts to 'isn't' and 'are not' to 'aren't'. Note that 'am not' has no standard contraction — we say 'I'm not', never 'I amn't'.

To turn a 'to be' statement into a question, move the verb to the front — before the subject: You are ready → Are you ready? He is a teacher → Is he a teacher?

Short answers repeat only the verb: Yes, I am. / No, she isn't. Never say 'Yes, she is a doctor' in a short answer.