PE-6: The Verb "to be": am / is / are
The most used verb in English. Learn am/is/are, their short forms, negatives, questions — and why Uzbek speakers keep forgetting to say it at all.
PE-6: The Verb "to be": am / is / are
If you counted every verb spoken in English today, to be would win by a huge distance. It tells people who you are, how you feel, where you are and what things are like. And it is exactly the verb Uzbek speakers forget most often — because in Uzbek you simply do not need it: Men oʻquvchiman has no separate "am" inside it.
In this lesson you will learn
- Which form goes with which subject: am, is, are
- The short forms native speakers actually use (I'm, he's, they're)
- How to make negatives and questions with to be — without any helper verb
- The jobs to be does: identity, age, feelings, place, weather
1. The three forms
Only three forms cover every subject in English. Learn them as one small rhyme: I am, he is, they are.
| Subject | Full form | Short form | Negative short form |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | I am | I'm | I'm not |
| he / she / it | he is | he's | he isn't |
| you / we / they | you are | you're | you aren't |
I am a student. Afsona is my classmate. We are in the same group.
Men oʻquvchiman. Afsona mening sinfdoshim. Biz bir guruhdamiz.
2. What "to be" is used for
1Who / what you are
She is a doctor. This is my book.
2Age
Jasur is fifteen. I am sixteen years old.
3Feelings & qualities
We are tired. The film is boring.
4Place & weather
They are at home. It is cold today.
3. Negatives — just add "not"
To be is special: it needs no helper. You simply put not straight after it. (Every other verb will need do/does — you meet that in PE-10.)
Sherbek is not at school today. He isn't well.
Sherbek bugun maktabda emas. U oʻzini yaxshi his qilmayapti.
Short forms: is not → isn't, are not → aren't. Am not has no short form — say I'm not.
4. Questions — swap the first two words
To ask a question, move am / is / are in front of the subject. Nothing else changes. This is called inversion.
You are ready. → Are you ready?
Sen tayyorsan. → Sen tayyormisan?
Short answers follow a fixed pattern — and there is one trap in them:
Positive short answer — no contraction
- Are you tired? — Yes, I am.
Yes, I'm. - Is she here? — Yes, she is.
Negative short answer — contraction is fine
- Are you tired? — No, I'm not.
- Is she here? — No, she isn't.
5. "It" and "there" — the two empty subjects
Remember from PE-1 that English always fills the subject seat. With to be you will constantly use it for weather, time and distance:
It is Monday. It is five o'clock. It is hot in Bukhara in July.
Bugun dushanba. Soat besh. Iyulda Buxoroda issiq.
6. Common mistakes
I student at school 25.
I am a student at school 25.
She have 14 years old.
She is 14 years old.
I am agree with you.
I agree with you. (agree is already a verb — no "am")
Yes, I'm. / He no is here.
Yes, I am. / He isn't here.
You are ready? (in writing)
Are you ready? (a written question needs inversion)
Practice
1 Fill in am / is / are: My parents ? teachers, and I ? in the ninth grade.
Show answer
are … am. My parents is plural → are; I always takes am.
2 Make it a question: Afsona is your sister.
Show answer
Is Afsona your sister? Move is in front of the subject — no helper verb is needed with to be.
3 What is wrong here? — Are you hungry? — Yes, I'm.
Show answer
Yes, I am. A short form (I'm, he's, they're) can never end a sentence. Negative answers are different: No, I'm not ✓.
4 Correct it: Jasur have 16 years and he very tall.
Show answer
Jasur is 16 (years old) and he is very tall.
Two classic errors in one sentence: age takes is, not have; and an adjective (tall) still needs is in front of it.
5 Which sentences need it? ___ is raining. ___ is my bag. ___ is half past seven.
Show answer
All three: It is raining. It is my bag. It is half past seven.
In the second one it really points at the bag; in the other two it is just filling the subject seat.
Key words — Kalit soʻzlar
- Verb "to be"boʻlmoq feʼli
- Short formqisqa shakl
- Contractionqisqartma (I'm)
- Negativeinkor
- Questionsoʻroq gap
- Inversionsoʻz tartibini almashtirish
- Short answerqisqa javob
- Ageyosh
- Adjectivesifat
- Empty subjectrasmiy ega (it)
🎯 Remember this
- I am · he/she/it is · you/we/they are — three forms, no exceptions.
- Negative = + not. Question = swap the subject and am/is/are. No helper verb.
- Never drop it: an adjective or a noun still needs is/are in front.
- Age and feelings use be, not have: I am 15, I am hungry.
- Yes, I am — never
Yes, I'm.