be
- 01 A1 Beginner
to connect a person or thing to a description, name, or job.
the primary copula used to link a subject to a predicative adjective, noun phrase, or complement.
Simple“The weather is very cold today, so you should wear a heavy coat.”
In context“The results of the clinical trial were inconclusive, necessitating a second round of testing under more controlled conditions.”
UsageThe verb is highly irregular (am, is, are, was, were, been, being) and must agree with the subject.
PitfallShe is have a doctor. She is a doctor.Do not use 'have' when describing what someone is; use 'be' to link the person to their profession or identity.
- 02 A1 Beginner
to exist or to be in a specific place.
to exist in a particular place or state; often used with 'there' as a dummy subject to introduce new information.
Simple“There are three apples on the table in the kitchen.”
In context“There was a profound sense of relief among the staff once the merger was officially called off by the board.”
UsageOften used in the 'there is/are' construction to state that something exists.
- 03 A1 Beginner
a helper verb used with another verb ending in '-ing' to show an action is happening now.
an auxiliary verb used to form the progressive (continuous) aspect, indicating an ongoing action or state.
Simple“They are playing football in the park at the moment.”
In context“The research team is currently investigating the long-term effects of microplastics on marine ecosystems in the North Atlantic.”
UsageFollowed by the present participle (-ing form) of the main verb.
PitfallI working now. I am working now.The '-ing' form of a verb requires a form of 'be' to function as a main verb in a sentence.
- 04 B1 Intermediate
a helper verb used to show that something is happening to the subject.
an auxiliary verb used with a past participle to form the passive voice, where the subject receives the action.
Simple“The window was broken by a ball during the game.”
In context“The ancient manuscript was discovered by a team of archaeologists working in a remote cave system last summer.”
UsageFollowed by the past participle of the main verb.
- 05 A2 Elementary
to happen or occur at a specific time or place.
to occur or take place; used to describe the scheduling or location of events.
Simple“The party will be at my house next Saturday evening.”
In context“The annual conference is to be in Geneva this year, following the success of last year's event in Singapore.”
Synonyms