The Verb 'To Be' in the Present Simple
Three present simple forms of to be—am, is, and are—build statements, negatives, and questions. The Verb “To Be” in the Present Simple: A Practical Guide for Kids teaches children to match subjects with forms. Start with “I am seven,” “She is tired,” and “Are they at home?” Practise each pattern in speech, reading, and writing.
What Children Need to Understand First
The verb to be connects a subject with identity, age, feeling, location, or quality. The Verb “To Be” in the Present Simple: A Practical Guide for Kids includes “He is my brother,” “I am eight,” “We are happy,” and “The bag is heavy.”
Children must identify the subject: a pronoun such as I, you, or they, or a noun. Examples include “The baby is awake,” “Our friends are here,” and “My new shoes are blue.” Finding the subject makes the correct form easier to choose.
Languages may omit a separate present-tense form of to be, leading a multilingual child to say “My sister happy.” Supply the verb, model “My sister is happy,” and have the child repeat the complete sentence.
How the Three Present Forms Work
Use am after I, is after one person or thing, and are after you, we, or they. The pronoun you takes are for one child or a group.
The Verb “To Be” in the Present Simple: A Practical Guide for Kids covers short forms used in speech and informal writing: I’m, he’s, she’s, it’s, you’re, we’re, and they’re. Teach the full form first to show the grammar, then place its contraction beside it.
Building Statements, Negatives, and Questions
Use word order when teaching The Verb “To Be” in the Present Simple: A Practical Guide for Kids. Statements follow subject + am/is/are + information: “The room is quiet,” “I am from France,” and “Our grandparents are in Spain.”
For a negative, put not after the verb: “I am not worried,” “The film is not long,” and “We are not at school.” Children may use isn’t and aren’t. English has no standard contraction for am not; “I’m not hungry” is the usual short form.
For a question, move am, is, or are before the subject: “Is your coat dry?” or “Are they cousins?” Short answers repeat the verb: “Yes, it is,” “No, they aren’t,” or “Yes, I am.” These questions do not use do or does.
Common Mistakes and Clear Corrections
Errors include a wrong form, missing verb, reversed word order, or unnecessary do. During The Verb “To Be” in the Present Simple: A Practical Guide for Kids, have the child identify the subject as singular or plural before selecting the verb.
Model the correction, then let the child retry. Ask “One cat: is or are?” If the error returns, practise three sentences with that subject before changing patterns.
In writing, check contractions with similar sounds. You’re means you are; your shows possession. They’re means they are; their shows possession. Replace each contraction with two words. If the sentence retains its meaning, the contraction is correct.
Short Practice Activities
Begin orally: have the child say each answer before writing. A parent can then check whether the learner chooses the form without copying.
Exercise 1: Choose Am, Is, or Are
1. I ___ eight.
2. My brother ___ at school.
3. We ___ ready.
4. The books ___ heavy.
5. You ___ kind.
6. It ___ cold today.
7. Our cat ___ under the chair.
8. My cousins ___ good swimmers.
Answers: 1. am; 2. is; 3. are; 4. are; 5. are; 6. is; 7. is; 8. are.
Exercise 2: Make Each Sentence Negative
1. The dog is sleepy.
2. We are late.
3. I am hungry.
4. You are at home.
5. Her shoes are wet.
Answers: 1. The dog is not sleepy. 2. We are not late. 3. I am not hungry. 4. You are not at home. 5. Her shoes are not wet. Contractions are also correct where possible.
Exercise 3: Turn Each Statement into a Question
1. She is nine.
2. They are in the garden.
3. You are ready.
4. The lesson is today.
5. We are early.
Answers: 1. Is she nine? 2. Are they in the garden? 3. Are you ready? 4. Is the lesson today? 5. Are we early?
After checking, change one detail in two sentences. Turn “The dog is not sleepy” into “The dogs are not sleepy,” then ask why the verb changes.
Adapting Practice to the Child’s Age
Children aged four to six learn through objects, pictures, movement, and short exchanges. Hold up two toys and say, “They are blue.” Ask, “Are they small?” Accept speech before writing. A few focused examples beat a page of mixed rules.
Children aged seven to ten can sort sentence cards into am, is, and are groups. They can describe family members, pets, school items, or familiar places. Checkable facts such as “My pencils are green” give grammar a purpose.
Older children can compare full forms with contractions, correct short texts, and explain answers. LearnLink tutors match tasks to each learner’s reading level and interests while retaining the grammar goal. At home, five focused minutes with six accurate sentences can complete one practice round.
- Try five-minute picture games with children aged four to six.
- Use toy animals to practice am, is, and are in three sentence patterns.
- Read one familiar book aloud, pausing for your child to complete sentences.
- Practice written mini-dialogues with children aged seven to nine for ten minutes.
- Let older children record four sentences, then replay and self-correct each one.
For the rule wording, Wikipedia — English Grammar is a useful reference while the practice examples here stay adapted for children.
Frequently Asked Questions
At What Age Can a Child Learn the Verb to Be?
The Verb “To Be” in the Present Simple: A Practical Guide for Kids supports learners from about age four when practice is spoken and linked to pictures, toys, feelings, or family. Younger children can learn chunks such as “I am happy” and “It is red” without grammar labels. Older children can study rules, write forms, and compare statements with questions.
Why Does My Child Say “I Is” After Learning “I Am”?
The child may know the meaning but forget which form matches the subject. Frequent is may spread into other sentences. Contrast: “I am ready. She is ready. We are ready.” Have the child underline each subject and circle each verb. Meaningful contrasts work better than reciting the rule alone.
Should Children Learn Contractions or Full Forms First?
Begin with full forms because they show the grammar: “She is kind” and “They are here.” Add contractions soon because children hear them in speech and see them in stories, messages, and subtitles. Place both versions together and read aloud. Follow the teacher’s instructions for formal writing; she’s and they’re are normal in everyday speech.
Can a Multilingual Child Practise Without Translating Every Sentence?
Yes. Pictures, gestures, objects, and familiar facts convey meaning without constant translation. A child can point to a cold drink and say, “It is cold,” or view two books and say, “They are heavy.” Translation can support a brief explanation, but practice should link the English form directly to meaning, especially when the child’s other languages follow different sentence patterns.
How Often Should We Practise Am, Is, and Are?
Short, regular practice works better than an occasional long worksheet. Choose one pattern per round: statements, then negatives, then questions. Stop while the child remains attentive. Revisit forms during routines: “Are your shoes dry?” or “Is the bag ready?” Advance when the child selects forms in new sentences, then review them during later grammar work.
- Start with three contrasts: “I am,” “She is,” and “They are.”
- Practise statements aloud before adding negatives and questions.
- Ask the child to identify the subject before choosing the verb.
- Change one subject in a correct sentence and check whether the verb must change.
- Repeat the pattern for five focused minutes during daily routines.
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