THE VERB TO BE :

GRAMMAR

Ser o estar

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 Affirmative
• I am ( yo soy o estoy)
• you are ( tu eres o estás)
• he is (el es o está)
• She is (ella es o está)
• It is ( esto es o está)
• we are (nosotros somos o estamos)
• you are (ustedes son o están)
• they are (ellos son o están)

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Casos especiales:
Se emplea para expresar edad y tambien para
expresar sensaciones, en cuyo caso se
interpreta como “tener”.

• Pedro is sixteen years old. • Pedro tiene dieciseis

años.
• I am hungry. • Tengo hambre.

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Casos especiales:
Se empleapara referirse al clima, en
cuyo caso se interpreta como
“estar”.

• The day is sunny. • El día está soleado.

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• Use am in a sentence about yourself.
• I am a doctor.
I am hungry.
I'm a student.
I'm hot.

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• Use is in sentences about a third
person or thing.
• He is a doctor.            He's tall.
She is a teacher.      She's intelligent.
It is a book               It 's sunny today. 

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• Use are in sentences about a second
person (you) singular and all plural
subjects.
• You are a doctor.        You are tall.
You are doctors.          You (plural) are tall.
We are students.          We are cold.
They are teachers.        They are hot.

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 EXERCISES I
Complete with: am is are
• Complete the sentences with the forms of the verb “to be”.
• 1.- Mr. Jones ___________________ a man.
• 2.- They _____________________ doctors.
• 3.- _______________ you an English teacher?
• 4.- I _______________ a football player.
• 5.- He _________________ Mexican.
• 6.- She _________________ an American.
• 7.- You ______________ students.
• 8.- Mr. Smith and I ____________ teachers. We ___________
teachers.
• 9.- Mary ______________ also a student in this class.
• 10.- _____________ these chairs?

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• 1.- What are the 3 forms of the verb “to
be”?
• a.- _______b.- _______ c.- _______
• 2.- What is the plural form of the verb “to
be”?
• a.- _______________________
• 3.- Which are the singular forms of the
verb “to be”?
• a.- _______________________

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 Circle the correct answer:
• The cat (am/ is / are) white.
• Sarit and I (am / is / are) friends.
• Sharon and Rotem (am / is / are) sisters.
• My mother (am / is / are) a teacher at Hadar school.
• My father and my brother (am / is / are) very tall.
• Tamar and I (am / is / are) happy.
• Tom (am / is / are) a big boy.
• The book (am / is / are) very old.
• The pencils (am / is / are) on the desk.
• The books (am / is / are) on the shelf.
• Pam (am / is / are) a little baby.

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 Negative
• I am not ( yo no soy o no estoy)
• you are not ( tu no eres o no estas)
• he is not (el no es o no esta)
• She is not (ella no es o no esta)
• It is not ( esto no es o no esta)
• we are not (nosotros no somos o no
estamos)
• you are not (ustedes no son o no están)
• they are not (ellos no son o no están)

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 Some examples

• She is not a doctor. (Ella no es una

doctora)

• I am not an accountant. (No soy contador)

• We are not from Mexico. (Nosotros no

somos de Mexico)

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Complete the gaps with the
negative forms of the verb to be
Example: She in not from France.

• This book _______ mine.

• Jane and Peter _______ married.
• That _______ right.
• My brother _______ here at the moment.
• We _______ in England.
• It ________ Monday today.
• Jennie's surname _______ Peters.
• I _______ a hairdresser.
• My name _______ Alexander.
• There _______ many people in this class.

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 Interrogative
• Am I ? ( Soy yo?)
• Are you ? (Eres tu ?)
• Is he ? ( Es el ? )
• Is she ? (Es ella? )
• Is it ? (Es esto?)
• Are we ? (Somos nosotros?)
• Are you ? (Son ustedes ?)
• Are they ? (Son ellos?)

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Fill in the gaps with the correct form of
the verb to be - am, is, are.
• _____ Jane and Alice sisters?

• _____ this car yours?

• _____ I in your way?

• ______ Maria John's sister?

• ______ you twenty-five years old?

• ______ the Smiths divorced?

• ______ this your new bicycle?

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 Short forms ( Formas
cortas)
I am not = I’m not

Are not = aren’t

Is not = isn’t

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 Some examples
• She isn’t a doctor. (Ella no es una
doctora)

• I’m not an accountant. (No soy

contador)

• We aren’t from Mexico. (Nosotros no

somos de Mexico)
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