'To Be' or not 'To Be'

In all the years that I have been teaching English, I have found that one of the most or perhaps even the most troublesome verb in the English language for learners of English is the verb 'be' (am, is, are). The verb 'be' is the most used verb in the English language. Well, this verb, along with many others, is an irregular verb. Unlike regular verbs, irregular verbs conjugate differently and the reason for this is the history of those particular verbs, which I won't elaborate on here. The literal meaning, simply put, is to exist. You can find the conjugation table and other helpful information at ESL Gold.

The best way to remember the ways of using 'be' is practice, practice and practice some more. Sometimes people are not in an English speaking country where they can go out and talk to people in order to practice their language skills. Here are some helpful tips on how you can practice alone.

• Create flashcards or find flashcards (click study when the page opens) online to test yourself. You can also make flashcards by just using 3X5 cards and writing a sentence with a missing word on the front and the answer on the back. Such as this:

 Front

Back

• You Tube has a lot of English practice videos for the verb 'to be'. These are very helpful because you can watch the movement of the mouth forming the words as well as hear the correct pronunciation.
• When at home with your family, form sentences while doing everyday things. For example: I am sitting down. My mother is cooking. We are going to sleep now.
• Test your knowledge by taking an online test. Bradley's English School has a user friendly test that you can use to check yourself. You may also be able to find useful tests that fit your needs for general English at English-Test.Net.

 Learning a new language is fun, so don't let the little things that seem difficult get you down. In time it gets easier. Just keep on practicing and don't give up. Remember: Use it or lose it!
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