The Verb 'To be' | Negative & Questions

Negative forms of ‘be’ in Present Simple

To make negative sentences using the verb to be in the Present Simple, we just add ‘not‘ after the verb ‘be’.
Note: “Is not” and “are not” can be contracted in two ways. The subject and verb can be contracted: 'He isn't', or the verb and ‘not’: 'He's not'

• I am not (I’m not)
• You are not (You aren’t or You're not)
• He/She/It is not (He isn’t or He's not)
• We are not (We aren’t or We're not)
• You are not (You aren’t or You're not)
• They are not (They aren’t or They're not)

Questions with ‘be’ in Present Simple

To make questions with ‘be’ in the Present Simple, we put the verb before the subject and add a question mark: '?' at the end.

for example:

• I am old! (affirmative)
• Am I old? (question)

• You are a doctor. (affirmative)
• Are you a doctor? (question)

• She is happy! (affirmative)
• Is she happy? (question)

• We are hungry. (affirmative)
• Are we hungry? (question)

• They are tired. (affirmative)
• Are they tired? (question)