be

/bi/ (bre, ipa) · [bˈi] /bi/ (ame, ipa) · [bˈi] /ˈbē/ (ame, mw) · /biː/ (bre, ipa) · [bˈi] /biː/ (ame, ipa)

be — verb

  • bepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • amæmɑː(r)/,present simple I / you / we / they
  • am/​arepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • ishe / she / it
  • was,strong form,strong formpast simple
  • waspast simple
  • were,strong form,strong formpast simple
  • werepast simple
  • been,past participle
  • beenpast participle
  • being-ing form

1. to have a quality, condition, identity, or role — used as the linking verb that

1.動詞不及物A1
釋義

to have a quality, condition, identity, or role — used as the linking verb that joins a subject to what is said about it (e.g. it can describe a personality, mood, job, or current state).

例句

Trang is a kind person who always remembers her friends' birthdays.

be + (a/an) + noun describing identity or character

The classroom was very quiet during the final exam yesterday morning.

be + adjective describing a temporary state

同義詞
  • seem

    weaker — suggests appearance rather than fact ('she seems kind' vs 'she is kind')

  • remain

    implies continuation of an existing state ('the door remained open')

文法句型

be + adjective

be + noun phrase

be + (a/an) + occupation

用法筆記

Subject and verb form must agree: I am, you/we/they are, he/she/it is. In past tense: I/he/she/it was, you/we/they were. This sense covers descriptions; sense 2 covers physical location.

常見錯誤

❌She a teacher.
✅She is a teacher.
💡Chinese drops the linking verb but English always needs a form of be between subject and complement.
❌They is happy.
✅They are happy.
💡plural subjects take 'are', not 'is'.

2. to occupy a particular spot somewhere — answers the question 'where is X?' by sa

2.動詞不及物A1
釋義

to occupy a particular spot somewhere — answers the question 'where is X?' by saying where someone or something physically sits, stands, or can be found at a given moment.

例句

Valentina is in the garden picking tomatoes for tonight's pasta sauce.

be + in + place describing current location

The car keys were on the kitchen counter next to the fruit bowl.

be + preposition + place for a physical object

同義詞
  • lie

    for flat or horizontal things ('the book lies on the table')

  • stand

    for vertical or upright objects ('the lamp stands by the window')

  • sit

    for objects placed in a settled position ('the vase sits on the shelf')

文法句型

be + preposition + place

be + here/there/at home

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 always answers 'where?' and is followed by a place phrase, while sense 1 answers 'what or how is X?' and is followed by an adjective or noun describing a quality.

常見錯誤

❌I in the kitchen.
✅I am in the kitchen.
💡even in short answers about location, English requires the verb form.

3. to have life or reality — used to say that someone or something lives, is alive,

3.動詞不及物B1
釋義

to have life or reality — used to say that someone or something lives, is alive, or exists in the world (often appears as 'there is / there are').

例句

There are over five hundred species of birds in this forest reserve.

there + be + plural noun for existence

Dinosaurs were on this planet for over one hundred and fifty million years.

be + time span for an existence that lasted in the past

同義詞
  • exist

    more formal; common in scientific or philosophical writing

  • live

    specifically means to be alive (only for living things)

反義詞
  • vanish

    to stop existing or disappear

文法句型

there + be + noun

be (alone or with adverbial)

用法筆記

Most often appears in the fixed pattern 'there is / there are' followed by what exists. Standing alone (as in 'I think, therefore I am') it sounds literary or philosophical.

常見錯誤

❌It has many people in this city.
✅There are many people in this city.
💡English uses 'there is/are' to introduce existence, not 'it has'.

4. to consist of a particular material — used with 'made of' or 'made from' to iden

4.動詞不及物A2
釋義

to consist of a particular material — used with 'made of' or 'made from' to identify what physical substance something contains.

例句

Jisoo's wedding ring is made of gold mined in northern Korea.

be made of + raw material that stays visible

Traditional shoji screens are made from thin paper stretched over wood.

be made from + raw material that is transformed

同義詞
  • consist of

    more formal; used in technical or scientific descriptions

  • comprise

    formal; emphasises that the listed parts together form the whole

文法句型

be made of / from + material

用法筆記

Use 'made of' when the original material can still be seen in the finished product (a wooden chair); use 'made from' when the material has been changed beyond recognition (paper made from trees).

常見錯誤

❌The bowl is made by clay.
✅The bowl is made of clay.
💡use 'of' or 'from' for materials; 'by' is for the maker (a person).

5. to be required or expected to do an action — used in 'be to do something' to exp

5.動詞不及物B1
釋義

to be required or expected to do an action — used in 'be to do something' to express an instruction, a rule, or an arrangement that has been decided by someone in authority.

例句

All passengers are to remain seated until the train comes to a stop.

be + to + verb for an instruction or rule

The committee announced that Lakan is to lead next year's project.

be + to + verb for an arranged plan

同義詞
  • must

    more direct and common in speech; 'be to' is more bureaucratic

  • have to

    everyday equivalent; works in spoken English where 'be to' sounds stiff

文法句型

be + to-infinitive

用法筆記

This pattern is formal — common in official notices, news reports, and written instructions. In everyday speech, learners should use 'must', 'have to', or 'should' instead.

常見錯誤

❌You are leave now.
✅You are to leave now.
💡the 'to' before the verb is required; without it the sentence is ungrammatical.

6. to be scheduled or expected to happen later — used in 'be to do' to announce tha

6.動詞不及物B1
釋義

to be scheduled or expected to happen later — used in 'be to do' to announce that something has been arranged for a future moment, often heard in news headlines.

例句

The president is to visit three Pacific islands later this month.

be + to + verb for a scheduled future event (news style)

Reema and Eitan are to marry in a small ceremony next spring.

be + to + verb for a planned personal event

同義詞
  • be going to

    everyday equivalent; less formal than 'be to'

  • will

    neutral future; 'be to' adds the sense of a fixed schedule

文法句型

be + to-infinitive (announcing a planned future event)

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 5 (rules/instructions): this sense announces what is planned to happen, while sense 5 tells someone what they must or must not do. Past 'was/were to' often suggests the planned event was changed or cancelled.

常見錯誤

❌He is travel to Paris next week.
✅He is to travel to Paris next week.
💡keep the 'to' between 'is' and the verb.

7. used in 'if X were to do Y' to describe a possible or imagined situation in the

7.動詞不及物B2
釋義

used in 'if X were to do Y' to describe a possible or imagined situation in the future and to ask what would happen next — chosen when the speaker wants to sound careful or hypothetical.

例句

If Marta were to leave the company, who would manage the design team?

if + subject + were to + verb for a hypothetical future

Were the river to flood again, the villagers would lose their crops.

inverted: were + subject + to + verb in formal writing

同義詞
  • should

    even more formal alternative ('should you have any questions...')

文法句型

if + subject + were + to-infinitive

were + subject + to-infinitive (inverted)

用法筆記

This is the subjunctive 'were' — used for all subjects in formal writing ('if I were you', 'if he were to apply'). Speakers often replace it with 'if X happened' or 'if X did' in everyday conversation.

常見錯誤

❌If I was to go, what would happen?
✅If I were to go, what would happen?
💡the subjunctive 'were' is preferred after 'if' in this hypothetical pattern.

8. to have a particular price — used informally when telling a customer or asking a

8.動詞不及物A2
釋義

to have a particular price — used informally when telling a customer or asking a shop assistant how much something costs.

例句

These fresh strawberries are three dollars a box at the farmers' market.

be + price + measure noun for retail pricing

How much was that handmade scarf you bought in Istanbul?

how much + be + noun for asking a past price

同義詞
  • cost

    more neutral; preferred in writing and formal speech

文法句型

be + price

用法筆記

Common in shops, taxis, and casual conversation. In more formal contexts ('the textbook costs $40'), the verb 'cost' replaces this use of 'be'.

常見錯誤

❌How much it is?
✅How much is it?
💡questions invert the verb and subject; 'is' comes before 'it'.

9. to add up to or equal a particular number or amount — used in maths, totals, and

9.動詞不及物A2
釋義

to add up to or equal a particular number or amount — used in maths, totals, and measurements to link two quantities that have the same value.

例句

Two plus two is four — Hoa learned that on her first day of school.

X + be + result in basic arithmetic

One kilometre is roughly six tenths of a mile in distance.

be + equivalent measurement

同義詞
  • equal

    used as a verb in maths and formulas ('x equals y')

  • make

    informal alternative ('two and two make four')

文法句型

number + be + number

X + be + equal to + Y

用法筆記

In equations and totals, 'is' often replaces 'equals' in everyday speech. Number agreement follows the subject, not the result: 'three apples are enough' (subject is plural).

常見錯誤

❌Six and four are equal ten.
✅Six and four equal ten.' OR 'Six plus four is ten.
💡don't combine 'are' with 'equal' as a verb.

be — auxiliary verb