Verb to be (am, is, are) worksheets and lessons
41 worksheets · Tenses
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To be (am / is / are) worksheets
41 printable worksheets with answer keys; the 24 most used, easiest level first.
About To be (am / is / are)
The verb be is the first verb most learners meet, and it behaves differently from every other verb. It has three present forms – I am, he/she/it is, you/we/they are – which contract to I'm, she's and they're. Negatives simply add not (She isn't at home), and questions swap the subject and verb with no do: Are you ready?
It is taught at Kids level and A1 and revisited at A2. Typical problems are dropping the verb altogether (*She happy), adding do in questions (*Do you are a student?), using is after plural subjects, and confusing the contraction it's with the possessive its.
This page collects printable to be worksheets with answer keys, which you can print as PDFs or set online through a class link.
Teaching tips: To be (am / is / are)
- Keep a three-column board (I / he, she, it / you, we, they) up all lesson so learners can self-correct am, is and are.
- Drill short answers as a chant (Yes, I am. No, she isn't.), because learners often produce *Yes, I'm, which is not possible at the end of a sentence.
- Use class photos or flashcards for quick guessing games such as Is he a doctor? or Is it a cat? before moving to written work.
- Watch for the missing verb (*He very tall), especially from learners whose first language drops the present copula, such as Russian or Arabic.
Questions teachers ask
Should I teach contractions or full forms of to be first?
Teach both together: contractions (I'm, he's, they're) are what learners hear, while full forms make the pattern visible. Point out that positive short answers need the full form: Yes, I am, not *Yes, I'm.
Why do learners say 'Do you are…?'
They overgeneralise the do-question pattern from other verbs. Show that be forms its own questions by inversion (You are → Are you?), just as can does.
How do I teach to be to young learners?
Use personal and physical descriptions – I'm seven, I'm happy, It's a dog – with flashcards, mime and songs, and practice one person at a time before mixing them.
What is the question tag for 'I am'?
Standard English uses aren't I? (I'm right, aren't I?); amn't I is only regional. At A1 learners mainly need the negative I'm not.