Practice
Forms of be: use am, is, are, was, and were
Sign in to saveI am ready now, but we were late yesterday. The form of be changes with the subject and the time.
Choose am, is, are, was, or were to match the subject and the time in a simple English sentence.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
I am ready, and the keys are on the table. /aɪ æm ˈredi, ænd ðə kiːz ɑːr ɒn ðə ˈteɪbəl/
The short answer
Use am with I. Use is with he, she, it, and one person or thing. Use are with you, we, they, and plural nouns. For the past, use was with I, he, she, it, and one noun; use were with you, we, they, and plural nouns.
The keys are on the table.
Why it works: Keys is plural, so the present form is are.
4 more examples
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I am ready for the meeting.
Use am with I when you describe a present feeling or condition.
Not this:
I isready for the meeting. What changes: I always takes am in a present sentence. -
Marta is a new neighbor.
Marta is one person, so use is to give information about her identity.
Not this:
Marta area new neighbor. What changes: One person takes is in a present sentence. -
We were at the station yesterday.
We is plural, and yesterday shows past time, so use were.
Not this:
We wasat the station yesterday. What changes: We takes were when the sentence is about the past. -
The weather was cold last night.
Weather is singular, and last night shows past time, so use was.
Not this:The
weather werecold last night. What changes: A singular subject takes was in this past sentence.
Read the full guide
Use the subject and the time as your two clues. A sentence about now needs am, is, or are. A sentence about yesterday or another past time needs was or were.
Choose a present form by subject
For a present meaning, choose am, is, or are. Use am only with I. Use is with he, she, it, and one person or thing. Use are with you, we, they, and more than one person or thing.
I am ready for the meeting.
I has its own form: am.
Marta is a new neighbor.
Marta is one person, so the form is is.
Choose the word: They ___ ready.
They are ready. They is plural.
Use be for identity, place, and condition
Be often connects the subject to a name, a place, or a description. It does not usually show an action here. The words after be tell you who, where, or how the subject is.
Marta is a new neighbor.
A new neighbor identifies Marta's relationship to the speaker.
The keys are on the table.
On the table tells you the keys' location.
Which word describes a condition in I am tired: I, am, or tired?
Tired describes the condition. Am links I to that description.
Make negatives and questions with be
Add not after am, is, are, was, or were to make a negative. Put the form of be before the subject to make a question. Do not use do or does with be in these simple sentences.
She is not at work today.
Is not makes the sentence negative. In speech, you can say isn't.
Are the keys on the table?
Are comes before the subject to make the question.
Make a question from You are late.
Are you late? Put are before you.
Choose was or were for past time
For past time, use was with I, he, she, it, and one noun. Use were with you, we, they, and plural nouns. Words such as yesterday, last night, and two days ago often show that you need a past form.
We were at the station yesterday.
We is plural, so the past form is were.
The weather was cold last night.
Weather is singular, so the past form is was.
Choose the word: My sister ___ at the library yesterday.
My sister was at the library yesterday. My sister is singular.
Avoid common form mistakes
A common mistake is to use one form of be for every subject. Slow down and find the subject first. Another mistake is to keep a present form when the time word shows the past.
The children are in the garden.
Children is plural, so use are, not is.
I was busy yesterday.
Yesterday changes am to was.
Before you go
Remember this
Check two things: who or what the subject is, and whether the sentence is about now or the past. Use am, is, or are for the present. Use was or were for the past.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Forms of be: use am, is, are, was, and were"
When do I use am, is, and are?
Use am with I, is with one person or thing, and are with you, we, they, and plural nouns. I am ready for the meeting uses am with I. The keys are on the table uses are because keys is plural.
I am ready for the meeting.
When do I use was and were?
Use was for one person or thing in the past, and use were for plural subjects in the past. The weather was cold last night has a singular subject. We were at the station yesterday has the plural subject we.
I is ready for the meeting.
Can I use be to talk about a place?
Yes. Use be to say where a person or thing is or was. The keys are on the table gives a present location. You can change the form for another subject or time, such as The bag was on the table.
The keys are on the table.
How do I make a question with be?
Move am, is, are, was, or were before the subject. Marta is a new neighbor becomes Is Marta a new neighbor? Do not add do or does to this type of question.
The keys is on the table.
Why is I were sometimes correct?
Ordinary past facts use I was, as in I was tired last night. I were appears in a few formal or imaginary expressions, especially If I were you. Learn the usual past form I was first.
Marta is a new neighbor.