Speaking: Grammar in Speaking A1 - Lesson 1: Using "be" (am/is/are) in Spoken Statements & Questions.

Speaking: Grammar in Speaking A1 - Lesson 1

Using "be" (am/is/are) in Spoken Statements & Questions

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to use "am", "is", and "are" correctly in simple spoken statements and questions.

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The Big Idea: Using "am", "is", and "are"

The verb "be"¹ is the most common verb in English. It has three simple forms in the present tense: am, is, and are. We choose the verb based on the subject² of the sentence.

Subject	"be" verb	Example Statement3
I	am	I am a student.
He / She / It	is	She is a teacher. It is hot today.
You / We / They	are	You are my friend. They are from Cambodia.

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Vocabulary Glossary

1. be (verb) | កិរិយាស័ព្ទ "to be" | The most common English verb, with forms like am, is, are, was, were. ↩
2. Subject (Noun) | ប្រធាន | The person or thing doing the action in a sentence (e.g., I, you, she, the market). ↩
3. Statement (Noun) | ប្រយោគស្រប | A sentence that tells information. ↩
4. Question (Noun) | ប្រយោគសំណួរ | A sentence that asks for information. ↩
5. Contraction (Noun) | ទម្រង់កាត់ | A shortened form of a word or group of words (e.g., "I am" becomes "I'm"). ↩

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record_voice_over Using Contractions for Fluency

In spoken English, we almost always use contractions⁵ to speak faster and more smoothly.

• I am -> I'm (I'm happy.)
• He is -> He's (He's a driver.)
• She is -> She's (She's my sister.)
• You are -> You're (You're a good student.)
• They are -> They're (They're busy.)
• is not -> isn't (The shop isn't open.)
• are not -> aren't (We aren't tired.)

Using contractions is a key to sounding natural!

lightbulb Making Questions with "be"

To make a question⁴ with "be", we change the order of the subject and the verb. It's easy!

Statement ➡ Question

• You are tired. ➡ Are you tired?
• He is a doctor. ➡ Is he a doctor?
• The market is busy today. ➡ Is the market busy today?
• They are from Siem Reap. ➡ Are they from Siem Reap?

sports_esports Practice Using "be"

Activity 1: Fill in the Blank

Complete the sentences with "am", "is", or "are".

1. I ___ happy. (Answer: am)
2. She ___ a shopkeeper. (Answer: is)
3. We ___ hungry. (Answer: are)
4. The weather ___ hot today. (Answer: is)

Activity 2: Make it a Question

Change these statements into questions. Practice saying them with rising intonation (↗).

• Statement: You are ready. -> Question: Are you ready?
• Statement: The coffee is good. -> Question: Is the coffee good?
• Statement: They are students. -> Question: Are they students?

task Your Grammar Mission

This week in Siem Reap, your mission is to use "am", "is", and "are" correctly.

1. Make one statement about yourself using "I'm". (e.g., "I'm a student," or "I'm thirsty.")
2. Make one statement about someone else using "He's" or "She's". (e.g., "She's my teacher.")
3. Ask one question using "Is...?" or "Are...?". (e.g., "Are you busy?" or "Is this your moto?")