Hello. I'm Gill at www.engvid.com, and today's lesson is on the verb "to be", which I'm sure
you're familiar with already, but because it's an irregular verb and it changes a lot,
there are lots of different words... They don't look like this "be", which is the base
form; they look completely different. You may think you know it, and perhaps you do;
but sometimes, under pressure or whatever, you might just forget the correct form. So,
this is just to go over the details of it for you to be sure that you really do know
this verb really well, because the thing about the verb "to be" is that it's used all the
time. The equivalent in your own language... I'm sure you use all the time the equivalent
verb "to be" in your language. So, in English, too, it is... Is used all the time. Okay?
So, here we go, let's have a look at the details. Right.
So, the infinitive, the base form: "to be". Okay? And then in the present tense: "am",
"are", and "is" for the different people. First-, second-, third-person, singular, and
plural. Okay? So: "I am" - first person; "you are" - second-person"; "he", "she", "it",
"is" - third-person. They're all singular. And then in the plural: "we are" - first-person
plural, "we are"; "you are" - second-person plural; and "they are" - third-person plural.
So, "are" is used in all of the plural forms, so that's easier to remember. Okay. So: "am",
"are", "is" are the options in the present tense. Okay.
So, then when we move to the past tense, it changes completely. So, it's: "was" and "were".
So, you might think: "Is that really part of the verb 'to be'? It looks completely different",
but it is. "I was", "you were", "he was", "she was", "it was", "we were", "you were",
"they were". Okay? "Was" and "were" in the past... Simple past tense. Okay.
And then, for the future, it's very, very easy. The future tense for all English verbs
is very easy, because you just use this word: "will" plus the base form of the verb. "Will
be". So, where some verbs in some languages, you change the ending of the verb to form
the future tense, in English, we just add this word in front. "Will", "will be", "will
sing", "will eat", "will drink", "will talk". It's just "will", so that's nice and easy.
Okay. But it's the base form from the infinitive that you use with "will". "Will be". Right.
And then we come to the present participle, the "ing" form, which is: "being", so that's
easy. You've got the base form plus "ing", which is just like a lot of other... All the
other verbs "ing"; "drinking", "eating", "talking". Right. So, somebody... You could say: "Oh,
the shop assistant is being helpful". Or: "A friend of mine is being silly", or "being
difficult", or whatever. So, in the present participle; a sort of continuous activity
of being helpful, or being silly, or being difficult. Okay.
And based on this present participle, you can also use it as a noun. "A being" is a
person... It's a strange word for a person, really. "A being". It's when you think: "Oo,
is that...? Is that an alien or something? What is that being over there? Is that a human"?
"Being". We do have the term: "human being", that's quite a normal word to use with the
word "human". "Human being". Okay? But "beings" in the plural often suggests aliens from some
other planet. Beings from Mars, or something like that. Okay? So, you can use it as a noun.
And then, finally, in this part of the lesson, the past participle is "been". "Been". Okay?
So, you got "be" and "en" added. And with the past participle, you have to use the auxiliary
verb. "Have" or "has". "Has been". "It has been a really good day.", "We have been to
the seaside", something like that. We went to... On holiday... "We have been somewhere
really nice today.", "The weather has been really good." Okay? So that's the past participle.
And, again, just like here, you can have a noun: "a has-been" with a little hyphen in
it. "He's just... Oh, he's a has-been." It may be someone who's had a really good career,
but now he's finished; he's past his best. So, it's not a very nice way to talk about
somebody. "Oh, that old has-been, you know?" And it's like just thinking somebody's finished
and they're of no interest, or no use to anybody anymore. So, it's not a very nice thing to
say about anybody. "A has-been" - someone who's been successful in the past, but they...
They're really not achieving anything now for some reason. So, okay. Right.
So, that's an overview of all the forms of the verb "to be", just to help you to clarify.
Make sure you know them all well and you know where to use them, and you can recognize them.
So, in the second part of the lesson, I'm just going to give you a little quiz on some
quotations and some titles with some gaps to fill in.
Okay, so here's a little test for you. So, in the gaps are forms of the verb "to be"
for you to fill in. So, some of these are song titles and others are quotations from
So, the first one is from Shakespeare, the English playwright who wrote a play called
Hamlet. A tragedy called Hamlet; you may have heard of. And this is a very famous line from
Hamlet. The character called Hamlet says this. So, he says:
"_____ _____ or not _____ _____, that is the question."
Okay? So, I'll go through all of these first, and then we'll go back and fill in the gaps.
So, the next one is a French philosopher called Descartes. And so, he wrote something philosophical
about thinking, because philosophers do a lot of thinking. So, he said:
"I think, therefore I _____." Right. Also the verb "to be"; coming from
Next one is a song title. You may know this pop group, Queen, who were very popular. Still
are very popular. So, one of their famous songs:
"We _____ the champions." So, "champions" are people who win something.
If you're in a sport or a competition, you win. So: "We _____ the champions", like a
football competition; something like that.
And then the Beatles had a song called: "Let it _____."
And then, finally, we have a more modern song by Bruno Mars, and it's:
"You'_____ amazing just the way you _____." Right.
So, let's just go back now and fill in the gaps. So, have you thought what this could
be? "_____ _____ or not _____ _____, that is the
question." So, this is, you may have guessed, the infinitive.
So: "To be, or not to be, that is the question." He's very unhappy, and he's trying to decide
whether he wants to go on living or not. "To be, or not to be, that is the question. Do
I want to continue with my life or not?" Okay? I told you it was a tragedy. Mm. Okay.
Right, so Descartes: "I think, therefore I..." So, what form of the verb "to be" goes with
"I"? First-person singular. "I am". Right? "I think, therefore I am." He's proving that
he exists. If he thinks, that sort of proves to him that he is real; that he exists, in
case there was any doubt. Okay. Right.
So, then Queen: "We"... What form of the verb "to be" goes with "we" in the present tense?
"We... We are the champions." Okay? Good.
And then the Beatles... Now, this is a bit of a... An unusual phrase, but people use
this. It's not just a song title; this is used sometimes in everyday life. "Let it..."
It's actually the base form: "Let it be." Meaning: "Just leave it. Leave things as they
are; let it be. Just don't interfere. Don't do anything. Just leave it". "Let it be."
Whatever is going to happen will happen; let it be. Okay?
And then, finally, Bruno Mars. So, he's singing to somebody who he thinks... Amazing. "...just
the way you", so this is to you. So, what form of the verb "to be" do we use with "you"?
And "you". Okay, so I'll write it here first. "You"-present tense-"are"... "you are". "...just
the way you are". And here, you can see from the apostrophe that it's an abbreviated form,
so here we just put "re" because the "a" is missing because it's an abbreviated, contracted
form. "You're". It's pronounced: "You're amazing. You are - You're. You're amazing just the
way you are." So, you don't have to change in any way because you're amazing just the
way you are. So, that's nice, isn't it? Okay. Good.
So, I hope you've enjoyed that little test, there. And we also have a quiz on this subject
on the website, so do go to www.engvid.com and do the quiz on there, and see how you
do. And maybe post a comment in the comments section. And thanks for watching, and see