🗺️ MIND MAP: THE PRESENT-TENSE BE VERB (AM / IS / ARE)

1. AM — Used with I

The subject I always takes am in the present tense.

I ➜ am

I am a student.

💡 The subject “I” takes “am,” never “is” or “are.”

I ➜ am

I am happy today.

💡 “Am” connects the subject to an adjective describing a feeling.

2. IS — He / She / It

Use is with he, she, it and singular nouns.

She ➜ is

She is my teacher.

💡 “She” is a third-person singular subject, so it takes “is.”

The cat (= It) ➜ is

The cat is under the table.

💡 “The cat” is singular, so it takes “is.”

3. ARE — You / We / They

Use are with you, we, they and plural nouns.

You ➜ are

You are very kind.

💡 “You” always takes “are,” whether it refers to one person or many.

My friends (= They) ➜ are

My friends are at school.

💡 “My friends” is plural, so it takes “are.”

📖 1. Four Essential Rules for AM / IS / ARE

Rule 1: Match AM / IS / ARE to the Subject

I → am; He / She / It / singular noun → is; You / We / They / plural noun → are.

I am eleven years old. — Use “am” with “I” when stating your age.

Lan and Mai are sisters. — Two people form a plural subject, so use “are.”

Rule 2: Affirmative Sentences — Subject + am/is/are + ...

Use to be to express identity, occupation, characteristics, age, feelings, or location.

He is a doctor. — “Is” links the subject to a noun describing his job.

We are in the library. — “Are” is used to describe where we are.

Rule 3: Negative Sentences — Subject + am/is/are + not + ...

Place not immediately after to be. Common contractions are isn't (= is not), aren't (= are not), and I'm not (= I am not).

She is not tired. = She isn't tired. — Both forms mean that she is not tired.

I am not late. = I'm not late. — Both forms mean that I am not late.

Rule 4: Yes/No Questions — Am/Is/Are + Subject + ...?

Move am/is/are before the subject. Give short answers such as Yes, I am, Yes, she is, or No, they aren't.

Are you ready? — Yes, I am. — “Are” comes before “you”; respond “Yes, I am.”

Is he at home? — No, he isn't. — “Is” comes before “he”; respond “No, he isn't.”

💡 Quick Reference Chart

Subject	Affirmative	Contraction
I	I am	I'm
He / She / It	He is / She is / It is	He's / She's / It's
You / We / They	You are / We are / They are	You're / We're / They're

🎯 2. Everyday Real-Life Situations

👨‍👩‍👧 Situation A: Introducing Yourself and Your Family

“Hello! I am Minh. I am ten years old.”

💡 Use “I am” to introduce your name and age.

“This is my sister. She is very friendly.”

💡 Use “This is” to introduce someone and “She is” to describe her.

🏫 Situation B: Talking in the Classroom

Teacher: “Are you ready?” — Student: “Yes, I am!”

💡 In a short answer to “Are you...?”, say “Yes, I am.”

“Our books are on the desks, but the teacher is outside.”

💡 “Books” is plural (are); “teacher” is singular (is).

⚠️ 3. Common Mistakes (Incorrect ❌ vs Correct ✅)

MISTAKE 1 — Using the Wrong Be Verb with “I”

❌ I is a student.

✅ I am a student.

💡 The subject “I” always takes “am”.

MISTAKE 2 — Using “Are” with “She”

❌ She are happy.

✅ She is happy.

💡 “She” belongs to the he/she/it group, so use “is.”

MISTAKE 3 — Adding Do/Does to a Be Question

❌ Does she is a teacher?

✅ Is she a teacher?

💡 To ask a question with “be,” move “is” before the subject. Do not add “does.”

MISTAKE 4 — Using “Amn't” in Standard English

❌ I amn't tired.

✅ I'm not tired.

💡 In mainstream standard English, use “I'm not.” “Amn't” occurs in some dialects.

❓ 4. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can I use “is” when “you” refers to just one person?

No. Whether “you” refers to one person or several people, always say you are.

Can I say “I amn't” instead of “I am not”?

In mainstream standard English, use I am not or I'm not. “Amn't” exists in some dialects but is not recommended for beginners.

What is the difference between “isn't” and “aren't”?

Isn't = is not goes with he/she/it; aren't = are not goes with you/we/they. For example: He isn't late. / They aren't late.

Do I need “do/does” to ask questions with “am/is/are”?

No. Simply put the be verb before the subject: Are they students? / Is she at home?.

📖 1. Four Essential Rules for AM / IS / ARE

Rule 1: Match AM / IS / ARE to the Subject

I → am; He / She / It / singular noun → is; You / We / They / plural noun → are.

I am eleven years old. — Use “am” with “I” when stating your age.

Lan and Mai are sisters. — Two people form a plural subject, so use “are.”

Rule 2: Affirmative Sentences — Subject + am/is/are + ...

Use to be to express identity, occupation, characteristics, age, feelings, or location.

He is a doctor. — “Is” links the subject to a noun describing his job.

We are in the library. — “Are” is used to describe where we are.

Rule 3: Negative Sentences — Subject + am/is/are + not + ...

Place not immediately after to be. Common contractions are isn't (= is not), aren't (= are not), and I'm not (= I am not).

She is not tired. = She isn't tired. — Both forms mean that she is not tired.

I am not late. = I'm not late. — Both forms mean that I am not late.

Rule 4: Yes/No Questions — Am/Is/Are + Subject + ...?

Move am/is/are before the subject. Give short answers such as Yes, I am, Yes, she is, or No, they aren't.

Are you ready? — Yes, I am. — “Are” comes before “you”; respond “Yes, I am.”

Is he at home? — No, he isn't. — “Is” comes before “he”; respond “No, he isn't.”

💡 Quick Reference Chart

Subject	Affirmative	Contraction
I	I am	I'm
He / She / It	He is / She is / It is	He's / She's / It's
You / We / They	You are / We are / They are	You're / We're / They're

🎯 2. Everyday Real-Life Situations

👨‍👩‍👧 Situation A: Introducing Yourself and Your Family

“Hello! I am Minh. I am ten years old.”

💡 Use “I am” to introduce your name and age.

“This is my sister. She is very friendly.”

💡 Use “This is” to introduce someone and “She is” to describe her.

🏫 Situation B: Talking in the Classroom

Teacher: “Are you ready?” — Student: “Yes, I am!”

💡 In a short answer to “Are you...?”, say “Yes, I am.”

“Our books are on the desks, but the teacher is outside.”

💡 “Books” is plural (are); “teacher” is singular (is).

⚠️ 3. Common Mistakes (Incorrect ❌ vs Correct ✅)

MISTAKE 1 — Using the Wrong Be Verb with “I”

❌ I is a student.

✅ I am a student.

💡 The subject “I” always takes “am”.

MISTAKE 2 — Using “Are” with “She”

❌ She are happy.

✅ She is happy.

💡 “She” belongs to the he/she/it group, so use “is.”

MISTAKE 3 — Adding Do/Does to a Be Question

❌ Does she is a teacher?

✅ Is she a teacher?

💡 To ask a question with “be,” move “is” before the subject. Do not add “does.”

MISTAKE 4 — Using “Amn't” in Standard English

❌ I amn't tired.

✅ I'm not tired.

💡 In mainstream standard English, use “I'm not.” “Amn't” occurs in some dialects.

❓ 4. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can I use “is” when “you” refers to just one person?

No. Whether “you” refers to one person or several people, always say you are.

Can I say “I amn't” instead of “I am not”?

In mainstream standard English, use I am not or I'm not. “Amn't” exists in some dialects but is not recommended for beginners.

What is the difference between “isn't” and “aren't”?

Isn't = is not goes with he/she/it; aren't = are not goes with you/we/they. For example: He isn't late. / They aren't late.

Do I need “do/does” to ask questions with “am/is/are”?

No. Simply put the be verb before the subject: Are they students? / Is she at home?.

Be Verb

📖 1. Four Essential Rules for AM / IS / ARE

Rule 1: Match AM / IS / ARE to the Subject

Rule 2: Affirmative Sentences — Subject + am/is/are + ...

Rule 3: Negative Sentences — Subject + am/is/are + not + ...

Rule 4: Yes/No Questions — Am/Is/Are + Subject + ...?

🎯 2. Everyday Real-Life Situations

👨‍👩‍👧 Situation A: Introducing Yourself and Your Family

🏫 Situation B: Talking in the Classroom

⚠️ 3. Common Mistakes (Incorrect ❌ vs Correct ✅)

❓ 4. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Be Verb

📖 1. Four Essential Rules for AM / IS / ARE

Rule 1: Match AM / IS / ARE to the Subject

Rule 2: Affirmative Sentences — Subject + am/is/are + ...

Rule 3: Negative Sentences — Subject + am/is/are + not + ...

Rule 4: Yes/No Questions — Am/Is/Are + Subject + ...?

🎯 2. Everyday Real-Life Situations

👨‍👩‍👧 Situation A: Introducing Yourself and Your Family

🏫 Situation B: Talking in the Classroom

⚠️ 3. Common Mistakes (Incorrect ❌ vs Correct ✅)

❓ 4. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Other Verbs lessons

Practice Exercises

am/is/are Part 1

am/is/are Part 2

am/is/are Part 3

Be Verb Practice: Am, Is, Are in Sentences

Be Verb (Am / Is / Are): Present Tense Forms & Subject Agreement

BE VERB: Practice Exercise 3

BE VERB: Practice Exercise 4

BE VERB: Practice Exercise 5

BE VERB: Practice Exercise 6

📘 [LÝ THUYẾT] Ngày 05: Verbs: The 'Be' Verb in Present (Am/Is/Are)