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The verb “to be” is the most important and widely used verb in the English language. It is used to describe a state of being, identity, or existence instead of a physical action.
CONJUGATIONS
When using “to be”, the verb changes form based on the subject and the tense of the sentence.
| Tense / Form | Singular | Plural |
| Present | I am He, She, It is | We, You, They are |
| Past | I, He, She, It was | We, You, They were |
| Base Form | be (used with modals like will, can, should) | |
| Participles | being (present participle) been (past participle) |
USAGE
Linking Verb
“To be” can be used to describe (adjective) or identify (noun) the Subject.
| Identity | He is a banker. |
| Feeling | They are angry. |
| Location | The train station is on your left. |
| Age | I am 23 years old. |
Helping Verb
“To be” is used to make tenses or voices more complex.
| Continuous Tenses | We are playing basketball. (Talks about an ongoing action) |
| Passive Voice | The building was constructed by this company. (Focuses on the object) |
SENTENCE STRUCTURES
Negative
Add “not” immediately after the “to be”.
Examples:
I am not sad.
They are not here.
Question
Put “to be” before the subject.
Examples:
You are ready. → Are you ready?
She is a teacher. → Is she a teacher?
Contraction
In informal speech, “to be” is often contracted.
Examples:
I am honest. → I’m honest.
She is American. → She’s American.
Typical Errors
The results are not what she expected.
Not: The results is not what she expected.
2. We use there is + singular noun and there are + plural noun.
There are so many nice dresses in this shop.
Not: There is so many nice dresses in this shop.
3. We use auxiliary “do”, not auxiliary “to be”, for questions with main verbs in the present simple.
Do you eat seafood?
Not: Are you eat seafood?
“Would like” is the same as saying “want”, but in a more polite way. It is used to make requests, offers, and express desires.
Structure
“Would like” is the same structure for all subjects (I, you, he, she, it, we, they). It does not take an “s” in the third person.
Usage
1. “Would like” is used to ask for a thing.
Examples:
I would like a sandwich, please.
We would like an espresso, please.
2. “Would like” is used to express an action you want to do.
Examples:
She would like to borrow a book.
They would like to return to their hometown.
I would like to visit Paris in the future.
Common Forms
Contractions
In informal speech, “would” is often contracted as ‘d.
Examples:
I’d like a new dress for summer.
He’d like to go out with her.
We’d like the same cake for dessert, please.
Negatives
Add “not” between “would” and “like.” The contracted form is wouldn’t.
Examples:
They would not like to live in this city. Or They wouldn’t like to live in this city.
The team would not like to play against them. or The team wouldn’t like to play against them.
Questions
When forming a question, put the subject between “would” and “like“.
Examples:
Would you like to hear me play the piano?
Would she like a pair of new shoes?
“Like” vs “Would Like”
| Phrase | Meaning | Example |
| Like | General preference or enjoyment | I like tacos. = I always enjoy it. |
| Would Like | Specific desire or polite request. | I would like tacos. = I want one. |
Advanced Usage
Would like to have + Past Participle
Would like to have + past participle is used to express that there was something you wanted to do in the past, but didn’t.
Examples:
I would like to have met your friends, but I arrived very late.
They would like to have bought more bread, but the bakery run out of them.
Polite Responses
“‘d like to” can be used as a short response to an invitation.
Examples:
Do you want to come over? — Yes, I’d like to.
Does she want to ask for more money from her parents? — Yes, she’d like to.
B2 – Upper Intermediate
In recent years, conversations about gender preferences have begun to shift, raising the question of whether baby girls are now more popular than boys. Cultural trends, changing family values, and social media influence how people perceive and celebrate gender, potentially reshaping long-standing preferences. This topic invites a closer look at whether these changes reflect real societal shifts or simply evolving attitudes and expressions.
Watch the video and be able to answer questions below.
Vocabulary Questions:
Discussion Questions:
Be going to is used to talk about future personal plans.
Examples:
I’m going to see his band play next week.
Are you going to reply to that email?
The table below shows the form of the positive and negative sentences and questions with “be going to”.
Positive Sentence
| I | am ‘m | going to | infinitive verb |
| you | are ‘re | ||
| he / she / it | is ‘s | ||
| we | are ‘re | ||
| they | are ‘re |
Negative Sentence
| I | ‘m not | going to | infinitive verb |
| you | aren’t ‘re not | ||
| he / she / it | isn’t ‘s not | ||
| we | aren’t OR ‘re not | ||
| they | aren’t OR ‘re not |
Questions
| Am | I | going to | infinitive verb ? |
| Are | you | ||
| Is | he / she / it | ||
| Are | we | ||
| Are | they |
To reply to a ‘be going to’ question, the response should be, ‘Yes, I am’, ‘Yes, she is’ etc. These short sentences cannot be contracted.
Yes, he’s. => Yes, he is.
Yes, I’m. => Yes, I am.
Short negative replies should be as follow:
No, I’m not.
No, you’re not / No, you aren’t.
No, he’s not / No he isn’t. No, she’s not / No she isn’t. No, it’s not / no it isn’t.
No, we’re not / No, we aren’t.
No, they’re not / No, they aren’t.
Note:
1. Remember to add the be-verb before “going to”.
Incorrect sentence: We going to have dinner at the new restaurant tonight.
Correct sentence: We’re going to have dinner at the new restaurant tonight.
2. Do not forget to invert the subject and be-verb in questions form.
Incorrect sentence: What book she is reading at the moment?
Correct sentence: What book is she reading at the moment?
How Much, How Many, and Very are used to describe quantity and intensity, but the way they are used depends on the type of word they modify.
How Much vs. How Many
The choice between “how much” and “how many” depends on whether the noun is countable or uncountable.
How Many is used for plural countable nouns or things you can count individually.
Examples:
How many sandwiches can you eat?
How many children are dancing?
How Much is used for uncountable nouns or mass nouns or abstract concepts that cannot be counted. We may also use “how much” to ask for the price of something, even if the item is countable.
Examples:
How much money do you need?
How much time do we have?
How much is that book? (asking for price)
Very
Very is an adverb used to intensify an adjective or another adverb. It does not modify nouns directly.
Examples:
The water is very clear.
She talks very fast.
Comparison with Much/Many
Very Many can be used before countable nouns to emphasize a large number.
Examples:
There are very many trees.
The village has very many residents.
Very Much is used for emphasis with verbs or uncountable nouns.
Examples:
She liked it very much.
There is very much snow.
Formal vs. Informal
In casual speech, “a lot of” is often used instead of “very many” or “very much”.
Summary
| Term | Used With | Example |
| How many | Plural Countable Nouns | How many pens? |
| How much | Uncountable Nouns Asking for Price | How much salt? How much is it? |
| Very | Adjectives Adverbs | My car is very expensive. She fell asleep very quickly. |