The verb “to be” is one of the most versatile and important verbs in the English language. It is used as a main verb to describe the existence or presence of something or someone, and it can also function as an auxiliary verb to form various tenses, passive voice, and continuous forms. In this article, we will explore the different uses of the verb “to be” in present, past, and future tenses, and its use as a helping verb.

Present Tense

The present tense of the verb “to be” is used to describe a current state, situation, or condition. It can also be used to describe a permanent or unchanging characteristic of someone or something. The present tense of “to be” has three forms: “am”, “is”, and “are”.

Present Tense with “am”

The form “am” is used with the first-person singular pronoun, “I.” It is used to describe a current state, feeling, or action.

  • Examples:
    • I am a teacher. (permanent characteristic)
    • I am happy. (current feeling)
    • I am reading a book. (current action)

Present Tense with “are”

The form “are” is used with the second-person singular and plural pronoun, “you,” and with plural nouns and pronouns, such as “they.” It is used to describe a current state, feeling, or action.

  • Examples:
    • You are a student. (permanent characteristic)
    • They are happy. (current feeling)
    • We are playing basketball. (current action)

Present Tense with “is”

The form “is” is used with the third-person singular pronouns “he,” “she,” and  “it”. It is used to describe a current state, feeling, or action.

  • Examples:
    • He is a doctor. (permanent characteristic)
    • She is sad. (current feeling)
    • They are playing basketball. (current action)

Past Tense

The past tense of the verb “to be” is used to describe a past state, situation, or condition. It can also be used to describe a past permanent or unchanging characteristic of someone or something. The past tense of “to be” has two forms: “was” and “were.”

Past Tense with “was”

The form “was” is used with the first-person singular pronoun, “I,” and with third-person singular nouns and pronouns, such as “he,” “she,” “it.” It is used to describe a past state, feeling, or action.

  • Examples:
    • I was a student. (past permanent characteristic)
    • He was tired. (past feeling)
    • She was reading a book. (past action)

Past Tense with “were”

The form “were” is used with the second-person singular and plural pronoun, “you,” and with plural nouns and pronouns, such as “they.” It is used to describe a past state, feeling, or action.

  • Examples:
    • You were late. (past action)
    • They were happy. (past feeling)
    • We were playing basketball. (past action)

Future Tense with “will be”

The future tense is used to describe actions, events, or conditions that will occur at a later time. The future tense in English is formed using the auxiliary verb “will” followed by the base form of the main verb.

The future tense form “will be” is used to describe a future state or condition. It is used to describe a situation that will exist at a certain point in the future.

  • Examples:
    • The sun will be shining tomorrow. (future state)
    • She will be 25 years old next year. (future condition)
    • The party will be over by 10pm. (future state)

It is important to note that the future tense with “will be” is not used to describe an action that will occur in the future. To describe an action that will occur in the future, the future tense with “will” is used instead. Alternatively the future continuous tense can be used (more on that tense below).

  • Examples:
    • I will visit my grandparents next week. (future action)
    • They will go on a trip next month. (future action)
    • He will play basketball tomorrow. (future action)

Continuous Tenses with “to be” as a Helping Verb

The verb “to be” is often used as a helping verb to form various continuous tenses, which describe ongoing actions, states, or conditions. These tenses are formed with the present participle form (-ing word) of the main verb and the present tense form of “to be.” 

Present Continuous Tense

The present continuous tense is used to describe an action that is happening at the present moment or is temporary. It is formed with the present participle form of the main verb (“-ing”) and the present tense form of “to be.”

  • Examples:
    • I am studying for an exam. (ongoing action)
    • He is feeling better. (temporary feeling)
    • She is reading a book. (ongoing action)

Past Continuous Tense

The past continuous tense is used to describe an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past. It is formed with the past participle form of the main verb (“was/were + -ing”) and the present tense form of “to be.”

  • Examples:
    • I was studying for an exam. (ongoing action in the past)
    • He was feeling sick. (temporary feeling in the past)
    • She was reading a book. (ongoing action in the past)

Future Continuous Tense

The future continuous tense is used to describe an action that will be in progress at a specific time in the future. It is formed with the future participle form of the main verb (“will be + -ing”) and the present tense form of “to be.”

  • Examples:
    • I will be studying for an exam. (future ongoing action)
    • He will be feeling better. (future temporary feeling)
    • She will be reading a book. (future ongoing action)