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Grammar

To Be Verbs in English For Beginner Level Students With Exercise

To Be Verbs Is – am – are was – were been

To Be Verbs (Present Continuous Tense “is, are, am”)

Shows an action which is happening now or at the moment of speaking.

  • I am writing a letter right now.

Shows an action which is scheduled to be done in the future (Coming time).

  • He is going to the USA next month.

Shows an action that is in progress in a period of time.

  • Bariz is writing a grammar book this year.

Affirmative Sentence Structure

Subject + be + verb1 + ing + complement

  • He is writing a letter now.

Negative Sentence Structure

Subject + be + not + verb1 + ing + complement

  • He is not looking at you.

Interrogative Sentence Structure

Be + subject + verb1 + ing + complement + ?

  • Is she working in the kitchen now?

Negative Interrogative Sentence Structure

Be + subject + not + verb1 + ing + complement + ?

  • Are you not going to school tomorrow?

To Be Verbs (Past Continuous Tense “was and were”)

Shows a continued or ongoing action in the past.

  • I was watching TV.

Indicates that a longer action in the past was interrupted.

  • They were playing football when it began to rain.

Affirmative Sentence Structure

Subject + 1st form of verb + ing + Object

  • I was watching TV.

Negative Sentence Structure

Subject + Was/ Were + not + 1st form of verb + ing + Object

  • I was not watching TV.

Interrogative Sentence Structure

Was/ Were + Subject + 1st from of verb + ing + Object + ?

  • Was I watching TV?

Using To Be Verbs With WH Question Words

Structure (WH + be + Subject + V1 ing + Complement/ ROTS)

  • What are you doing now?
  • Where is she going today?
  • When are they coming over here?
  • Why are you looking at me?
  • Why were they not playing well?

Related:

Exercises

Attempt the following exercises then compare your answers with the correct answers given below.

Exercise 1:
Complete the sentences below with the correct forms of “to be” verbs.

1- My brother and I …are……. Swimming in the pool now.

2- He …….. writing a letter right now.

3- They ……….having a party tonight.

4- I ………. looking at you.

5- We ……….. listening to our teacher.

6- ………..our teacher teaching Step1 book?

7- ………I writing a letter now?

Answers: 

  1. are
  2. is
  3. are
  4. am
  5. were/are
  6. is/was
  7. am

Exercise 2:

Write short answers to the questions below.

1- Are you listening to your teacher now? Yes, I am. No, I am not. / Yes, we are. No, we are not/aren`t.

2- Was she watching TV?

3- Am I drinking tea?

4- Were they fixing a car?

5- Are Tom and I jogging in the park?

6- Was he playing cricket?

7- Were they having a wedding party last night?

8- Is he going to Herat next week?

9- Are you chatting with a friend right now?

10- Are Ozma and Yusuf having dinner together?

11- Was she vacuuming the floor?

12- Were you mopping the kitchen?

13- Is he swimming in the pool right now?

14- Are you smiling at him?

15- Am I explaining present progressive tense now?

16- Are we sitting in the class now?

17- Was she peeling the potatoes?

18- Was the baby crying?

Exercise 3:
Write answers to the questions below in your own words.

1- What is he doing right now? 1- He is chatting with his friend on Facebook.

2- Where are they going tomorrow? 2- —————————————————————————–

3- When are you coming over here? 3- —————————————————————————–

4- Who was teaching the conversation class Yesterday? 4- —————————————————————–

5- Why was that little girl crying? 5- —————————————————————————–

6- Which TV channel are they watching? 6- —————————————————————————–

7- Who was Ahmad swimming with? 7- —————————————————————————-

8- For whom are you fixing the dinner now? 8- —————————————————————————-

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