English as an Additional Language/Copular verb to be: present tense
'To be' is perhaps the most important verb in the English language. It is known as a 'copular verb'. 'Be' is irregular, so its present tense conjugation must be memorized.
The Present Tense
[edit | edit source]Here is the present tense conjugation, with their IPA equivalents.
- I am. /æːm/
- You are. /ɑr/
- He is. /ɪz/
- She is. /ɪz/
- It is. /ɪz/
- We are. /ɑr/
- They are. /ɑr/
The forms of to be contract to the pronoun, shown here:
- I'm
- You're
- He's
- She's
- It's
- We're
- They're
These contracted forms are used regularly in speech by native speakers.
Here are some examples.
- I am 36 years old.
- They are hungry.