Statements, negatives, and questions

Present tense BE• Every sentence has a subject and a verbverb. The subject is a

nounnoun (a person, place or thing) or a pronoun (a word that takes the place of a noun – he, she, it, we, they)

• The subject and verb must match.

– II amam from Colombia but youyou areare from Japan.

– AliceAlice isis a nurse, but sheshe isn’tisn’t in a hospital.

– That babybaby isis messy, and hehe isis on the blanket.

– The students and IThe students and I areare at school, and wewe areare happy.

– ParentsParents areare worried about their children, but the the teachersteachers aren’taren’t.

Present Negative of BE• We form the negative by writing the word

not after BE– I am not the president of the United States.– You are not from England.– The governor of California is not from

America.– Our textbook is not cheap.– We are not doctors, and they are not musicians.

Yes/No Questions• Yes/No questions with BE are formed by putting the verb

before the subject. The rest of the question stays the same as the statement.– II amam the president of the class. AmAm II the president of the class?– YouYou areare tired after work. AreAre youyou tired after work?– Mary’s cousincousin isis a good artist. IsIs Mary’s cousincousin a good artist?– Johnny and IJohnny and I areare temporary workers at the factory. AreAre Johnny and IJohnny and I temporary workers at the factory?– Fresh watermelonwatermelon and juicy orangesoranges areare on sale at

Superior Market. AreAre fresh watermelonwatermelon and juicy orangesoranges on sale at

Superior Market?

More Examples• HeHe isis happy with his new house.• IsIs hehe happy with his new house?• Bob and AnneBob and Anne areare ESL students in Mrs. Brown’s

class.• AreAre theythey ESL students in Mrs. Brown’s class?• The fourth of JulyThe fourth of July isis Independence Day in the

United States.• IsIs the fourth of Julythe fourth of July Independence Day in the

U.S?• The Philippines and RussiaThe Philippines and Russia areare in Asia.• AreAre the Philippines and Russiathe Philippines and Russia in Asia?

Pronouns

• Are fresh orangesoranges easy to find in January?

• Yes, theythey are.

• Are the homeless peoplepeople living on the streets of downtown LA rich?

• No, theythey aren’t.

• Is the PresidentPresident of the US a woman?

• No, hehe isn’t.

• Is the textbooktextbook for this class expensive?

• Yes, itit is.

Subject – Verb Matching• Brown eyes ______ common in Bolivia.

• A monkey’s tail ______ good for writing.

• Our classroom ______ dark when the lights ______ off.

• The textbooks _______ cheap.

• Sandra and her sister _______ boys.

• You and I ______ adults.

• I ______ a small brown horse.

areisn’t

isare

aren’t

aren’t

aream not

• Broccoli my son’s favorite vegetable

• Some students always late to class• A laptop computer expensive• The weather rainy today• Dogs and cats friends• Alicia and I students in level 1• Gladys and her son tired after school• Mr. Brown our teacher• Ice cream and candy good for you health• Brushing your teeth bad for your mouth

Form Sentences with BE