Page 94 - Just Enough English Grammar Illustrated Book

first, you must learn about all the different forms that the verb
to be can take when it is used as a main verb.

Following are commonly used verb forms of the linking verb
to be. Note that the verb is irregular in most forms.

Today: Present Tense Today: Present Progressive

Main Verb to be I am Helping Verb to be
eating a
I am I am a hamburger. I’m
great
you are swimmer. you’re
he is, she is, it is he’s, she’s, it’s eating
we are we’re
you are you’re
they are they’re
The contractions
’m = am, ’re = are, ’s = is
are used as indicated
above.
In the sentence I am a great This example uses am
swimmer, am is the main verb as a helping verb, not as
expressing a present a main verb: I am eating a
condition. As a linking verb, hamburger. Am is the helping
it links the subject Jake with verb needed to express the
the noun swimmer. action of eating.

In the present tense, “am,” “are,” and “is” are the verb
forms of the linking verb “to be” used as a main verb.

Use the base form of be as the main verb when expressing
the future.
Tomorrow: Future Tense
Linking Verb to be
I’ll be
you’ll be I won’t be a
he’ll be, she’ll be, it’ll be I will be a sixth grader
we’ll be sixth grader next year.
you’ll be next year.
they’ll be
Use the negative form
The common contraction won’t with all subjects.
’ll is a short form of will
and is used with all subjects.

Be is the main verb in the sentence I will be a sixth grader
next year. Together with the helping verb will, it expresses
a condition that will happen in the future.
81