Present Simple: be
When we use present simple **be**
Identity: He is a doctor.
Age: I am twelve.
Feelings: We are happy.
Place: The books are on the table.
Time or date: It is Monday.
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When we use present simple **be**
Identity: He is a doctor.
Age: I am twelve.
Feelings: We are happy.
Place: The books are on the table.
Time or date: It is Monday.
These uses help students see that present simple be is often about states, not actions.
Present Simple with **be**
Open with the common confusion: students often see am, is, and are and assume the tense must be present continuous. This lesson separates the verb be in the present simple from be used as part of the present continuous.
Learning goal
I can explain how be works in the present simple and why am, is, and are do not always show the present continuous.
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Words you connect with am, is and are
Use this to surface prior ideas and misconceptions such as 'actions', 'present continuous', 'descriptions', 'feelings' or 'place'. Refer back to the cloud later when clarifying that am, is and are do not always mark the present continuous.
Negative and question forms
Negative: is not / are not / am not
Question: Am I ... ? Is she ... ? Are they ... ?
Example: She is not late.
Example: Are you ready?
Remind students that be forms questions by changing the word order. It does not need do or does.
What **be** does
The verb be is a main verb.
In the present simple, it tells us about identity, age, feelings, place, time, and condition.
Examples: I am tired. She is my sister. They are at school.
Stress that be can stand alone as the full verb in a sentence. Unlike most verbs in the present simple, it does not use do/does in positive statements.
Complete the grammar summary
In the present simple, the verb be can show identity, feelings or place. The forms are I am, he/she/it is, and we/you/they are. In negatives and questions, be does not need do or does.
All blanks are load-bearing grammar terms from slides 2 to 6. Remind students that be is irregular and forms questions by inversion, not with do/does.
Present simple forms of **be**
I am
You are
He/She/It is
We are
They are
Point out that be is irregular. Students should learn the full pattern rather than trying to apply the usual present simple -s rule.
Why **am**, **is**, and **are** can be confusing
Students often connect am, is, and are with the present continuous.
That is understandable, because present continuous uses be + verb-ing.
But am, is, and are are not a tense by themselves. Their job depends on the words that follow.
This is the key turning point of the lesson: the same forms can appear in different structures.
Which sentence uses be as the main verb in the present simple?
She is running
They are shouting
He is a doctor
I am playing
The correct answer shows identity, so 'is' is the main verb. The distractors all contain be + verb-ing, which is present continuous.
Present simple or present continuous?
Present simple with be: She is tired.
Here, is is the main verb.
Present continuous: She is running.
Here, is helps the main verb running.
Use the terms main verb and helping verb clearly. In 'She is tired', there is no -ing verb, so the sentence is not present continuous.
Look at what comes next
be + noun/adjective/place → often present simple
be + verb-ing → present continuous
He is a teacher.
He is busy.
He is working.
Keep the rule practical: students can identify the structure by checking the word after am/is/are.
A clear contrast
They are noisy.
This describes a state or condition.
They are shouting.
This describes an action happening now.
The forms are appears in both, but the tense is different.
Correct the idea that one word decides the whole tense. The full verb phrase decides it.
Common mistake to avoid
This sentence is not present continuous:
I am happy.
It has am, but it does not have a verb-ing form.
So it is a present simple sentence with the verb be.
Useful extra examples if needed: 'The soup is hot.' 'We are in London.' None are present continuous because there is no -ing verb.
What shows that 'She is running' is present continuous?
the word she
the word is
the verb-ing form
the present time
This targets the key misconception from the lesson: 'is' alone does not decide the tense. The -ing form is the crucial signal in this sentence.
Choose the correct grammar words
Students sometimes think am, is and are always show the present continuous. However, the structure matters. If be is followed by a noun, adjective or place, the sentence is often present simple. If be is followed by a verb-ing form, it is present continuous. So 'I am happy' is a present simple sentence, but 'I am smiling' is present continuous.
This mirrors the contrast built across slides 7 to 10 and checks whether students can use the 'look at what comes next' rule.
Why is 'I am happy' not present continuous?
Expected elements: students should say that the tense is present simple because 'happy' is an adjective, there is no verb-ing form, and 'am' is the main verb rather than a helping verb.
What is one thing you learned today?
Reflection only. Invite students to name one clear takeaway, such as 'am, is, are are not always present continuous markers' or 'look at the word after be'.
What helped you understand this best?
Reflection only. Look for comments about examples, contrasts, the 'look at what comes next' rule, or identifying verb-ing forms.
Glossary
be - a verb that can show identity, state, place, age, or condition
present simple - a tense used for facts, states, and regular situations
present continuous - a tense used for actions happening now or around now
main verb - the verb that carries the main meaning in a sentence
helping verb - a verb that supports another verb to build a tense
verb-ing - the -ing form of a verb, such as running or playing
state - a condition or situation, not an action
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