Welcome to the land of English verbs, where “to be” reigns as the king of all verbs. It’s everywhere. Whether you’re introducing yourself at a party or giving your life’s story to a stranger on a bus (hey, it happens), you’ll need “to be” in your arsenal.

What is the “To Be” Verb?

The verb “to be” is like the glue of the English language. It shows identity, qualities, or states of being. Basically, it’s the Beyoncé of verbs — always in the spotlight and essential to the show. But unlike Beyoncé, “to be” has multiple personalities (or conjugations).

The Many Faces of “To Be”

Here’s where it gets wild: The verb “to be” changes form depending on who’s doing the talking and when the talking happens. Let’s break it down:

Subject	Present	Past	Future
I	am	was	will be
You	are	were	will be
He/She/It	is	was	will be
We	are	were	will be
They	are	were	will be

Present Tense

Right now, you are reading this. I am typing it. We are in the present tense together! “To be” helps describe what’s happening right now.

• I am tired. (Hey, learning is hard work.)
• They are excited. (Because this guide is super fun.)

Past Tense

Yesterday, things were different. You were probably doing something completely unrelated to reading about grammar, right?

• He was late. (A classic excuse.)
• We were at the park. (Not at the library, unfortunately.)

Future Tense

Tomorrow, you will be even better at English. Just imagine it!

• She will be successful. (Fingers crossed!)
• They will be here soon. (Traffic, probably.)

Practical Tip: Using Possessives Correctly

Now, let’s talk about something a little possessive (but not in the creepy way). You’ve got two main options here: possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns.

Possessive Adjectives

These are words that come before nouns to show that something belongs to someone. Think of them as little flags that say, “This is mine!” without actually saying “mine.”

Subject	Possessive Adjective
I	my
You	your
He/She/It	his/her/its
We	our
They	their

Examples:

• That’s my cat. (And yes, it scratches.)
• Your coffee is getting cold. (Yikes!)

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns are like the independent superheroes of the English language. They stand alone and don’t need a noun after them. They’re out here doing their own thing.

Subject	Possessive Pronoun
I	mine
You	yours
He/She/It	his/hers/its
We	ours
They	theirs

Examples:

• That coffee is yours. (Finally, a happy ending.)
• The cat is mine. (Again, sorry about the scratches.)

Common Mistakes with “To Be”

Even native speakers can trip up with this one, so don’t feel bad if you do too! Let’s go over some common hiccups.

1. Forgetting to change “to be” in the past tense.
   • Wrong: “She is late yesterday.”
   • Right: “She was late yesterday.” (Nobody likes being reminded about it, though.)
2. Mixing up possessives and contractions.
   • Wrong: “It’s tail is fluffy.”
   • Right: “Its tail is fluffy.” (“It’s” means “it is,” not ownership.)
3. Using “be” when you should use “being.”
   • Wrong: “He is being a doctor.”
   • Right: “He is a doctor.” (Unless he’s pretending to be a doctor for some reason.)
4. Using “was” instead of “were” for plural subjects.
   • Wrong: “We was happy.”
   • Right: “We were happy.” (And grammar perfectionists everywhere rejoiced.)

Quick Recap Table

Form	Example
I am	I am a student.
You are	You are brilliant!
He/She/It is	He is tall. / She is tall. / It is fluffy.
We are	We are learning.
They are	They are cool.
I was	I was hungry.
You were	You were fast.
We were	We were there.
They were	They were quiet.
I will be	I will be ready.

The verb “to be” is like the Swiss Army knife of English — versatile, useful, and a little tricky at first. But now, you know how to handle it! Whether you’re talking about the present, the past, or the future, you can “be” confident that you’re on the right track.