English grammar · level A1. Leggi la regola e gli esempi, guarda le forme (affermativa, negativa, interrogativa), evita gli errori comuni e poi mettiti alla prova con il quiz.
1 The rule
The verb to be is the most important verb in English. We use it to talk about names, jobs, age, feelings and to describe people and things.
It has three forms in the present: am, is and are.
I
am · He / She / It is · You / We / They are2 Forms
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Subject + am / is / are | I am a student. She is happy. |
| Negative | Subject + am / is / are + not | He is not (isn't) here. |
| Question | Am / Is / Are + subject … ? | Are you ready? |
| Short forms | I'm · you're · he's · she's · it's · we're · they're | I'm from Italy. They're friends. |
3 When we use it
Name and identity
- My name is Marco.
- This is my sister.
Origin and nationality
- She is from Spain.
- We are Italian.
Age
- He is ten years old.
- How old are you?
Feelings and states
- I am tired.
- They are happy today.
Descriptions
- The car is red.
- These books are new.
4 Common mistakes
✗ I have 20 years.
✓ I am 20 years old.
For age English uses to be, not to have.
✗ She no is here.
✓ She isn't here.
Negative = is + not (isn't).
✗ You is my friend.
✓ You are my friend.
In italianoIn inglese l'età si dice con to be: I am 20 (letteralmente «sono 20»), non «I have 20».
5 Quiz — check your understanding
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Multiple choice
1 Choose the correct form: “She ___ a teacher.”
2 Complete: “They ___ from Brazil.”
3 Which is the correct negative?
4 Make a question: “___ you tired?”
True or False
5 “I am” can be shortened to “I'm”.
6 For age we say “I have 15 years”.
7 “Are” goes with you, we and they.
Suggerimento: crea 3 frasi tue con questa regola (una affermativa, una negativa, una interrogativa) e dille ad alta voce. Applicare subito la regola è il modo più veloce per fissarla.