be
/ˈbiː/ verb A1- Used with past participles of verbs to form the passive voice. · The dog was saved by the boy.
- Used with present participles of verbs to form the continuous aspect. · The woman is walking.· I shall be writing to you soon.
- Used with to-infinitives of verbs to express intent, obligation, appropriateness, or relative future occurrence. · I am to leave tomorrow.· They are to stay here until I return.
- Used with past participles of certain intransitive verbs to form the perfect aspect. · He is finished.· He is gone.
- To exist. · There is just one woman in town who can help us.· (or, dialectally:) It is just one woman in town who can help us.
- Used to declare the subject and object identical or equivalent. · Hi, I’m Jim.· 3 times 5 is fifteen.
- Used to indicate that a predicate nominal applies to the subject. · Rex is a dog.· A dog is an animal.
- Used to indicate that the subject has the qualities described by an adjective or prepositional phrase. · The sky is blue.
Plural are · He/she/it is · Past was · Past participle been · -ing form being
Verb forms
- Base form
- be
- He/she/it
- is
- Past
- was/were
- Past participle
- been
- -ing form
- being
Phrasal verbs and expressions
From the library
“Without her captain!” cried Dantès, his eyes sparkling with animation; “pray mind what you say, for you are touching on the most secret wishes of my heart.
Have you been satisfied with him this voyage?”
No, for I think he never liked me since the day when I was silly enough, after a little quarrel we had, to propose to him to stop for ten minutes at the island of Monte Cristo to settle the dispute—a proposition which I was wrong to suggest, and he quite right to refuse.
If you mean as responsible agent when you ask me the question, I believe there is nothing to say against him, and that you will be content with the way in which he has performed his duty.”
Other matches
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