.To Be can either be a main verb or a helping verb
.To be is the "exceptional verb", the irregular form of all verbs
Unlike all other verbs in English, it does not require a helping verb (an auxiliary) in any of its conjugations (נטיות) - not even when forming negative sentences or questions.
Rather,
[+] The positive form is conjugated according to the pronoun.
Remember: the form be does not always appear in conjugation.
[-] In the negative form we add not
[?] When forming a question, am/is/are/was/were precedes the pronoun.
See examples and tables below
Examples of To Be in the Present Simple:
[+] I am late.
You (/ we /they) are excited to be here.
He (/ she / it) is very interesting.
[-] I am not early.
You (/ we / they) are not fat!
He (/ she/ it) is not boring.
[?] Am I crazy?
Are you (/ we / they) in the same group?
Is he (/ she / it ) OK?
Are we (/ you/ they) there yet?
[-?] Aren't I right? or Am I not right?
Aren't you (/ we / they) in the same group?
Isn't he (/ she / it ) funny?
Aren't we (/ you/ they) special?
To Be in the Present Simple:
| | pronoun | | + | | + | | - | | - | | ? |
| | | | | | Contraction | | Contraction | | Contraction | | |
| | I | | am | | I'm | | / | | I'm not | | Am I |
| | You | | are | | You're | | You aren't | | You're not | | Are you |
| | He/She/It | | is | | He's
She's
It's | | He isn't
She isn't
It isn't | | He's not
She's not
It's not | | Is he
Is she
Is it |
| | We | | are | | We're | | We aren't | | We're not | | Are we |
| | You | | are | | You're | | You aren't | | You're not | | Are you |
| | They | | are | | They're | | They aren't | | They're not | | Are they |
Examples of To Be in the Past Simple:
[+] I was productive.
You (/ we /they) were eager to go back.
He (/ she / it) was very annoying.
[-] I wasn't that late.
You (/ we / they) were not fair!
He (/ she/ it) wasn't even there.
[?] Was I right?
Were you (/ we / they) in the same convention?
Was he (/ she / it ) nice?
[-?] Wasn't I wrong?
Weren't you (/ we / they) together?
Isn't he (/ she / it ) funny?
To Be in the Past Simple:
| | pronoun | | + | | - | | - | | ? |
| | | | | | | | Contraction | | |
| | I | | was | | was not | | wasn't | | Was I |
| | You | | were | | were not | | weren't | | Were you |
| | He/She/It | | was | | was not | | wasn't | | Was he
Was she
Was it |
| | You | | were | | were not | | weren't | | Were you |
| | We | | were | | were not | | weren't | | Were we |
| | They | | were | | were not | | weren't | | Were they |