How to use the verb to be? This is an important topic that cannot be avoided in learning English. Because this knowledge is fundamental, new knowledge will gradually be superimposed on it. Therefore, the foundation for new information must be strong. Therefore, in this article, the rules for using the auxiliary verb is in the past tense will be analyzed. The rules for using the there is / there are construction and how it changes in Past Simple will also be indicated. But first, it's worth remembering what the auxiliary verb to be is all about.
Using the verb to be
The verb to be is an auxiliary verb. He is an analogue of the Russian “appear” or “be”. However, when translating sentences, these words are omitted. After all, it would be strange if the sentence I am a teacher was translated as "I am a teacher."
The to be verb is used in sentences that lack semantic verbs. The semantic verbs have their own meaning. For example, to read, to run, to learn. Also to be helps in constructing interrogative and negative sentences. In the interrogative sentence, the auxiliary verb is placed first in front of the subject. In negative sentences, to be set after the subject and add not.
Verb to be in Present Simple
To understand how is is used in the past tense, you first need to deal with the present. In Present Simple, the verb to be has different forms, depending on which pronouns it is used with. With singular third person pronouns, is is used. With the pronoun I - am. With everyone else (you, we, they) - are.
Examples:
- I am a doctor.
- You are a doctor.
- He is a doctor.
Verb to be in Past Simple
In the simple past tense, the form of the verb changes to was / were. With the third person singulars and with I, the was form is used. With all the others - were. That is, according to these changes, the auxiliary verb is in the past tense in English turns into was.
Examples:
- He is a teacher. He was a teacher.
- She is a student. She was a student.
The turnover there are / there is in the past tense.
Another basic design is there is / there are. It is used when you need to say without using the semantic verb that something is somewhere. Moreover, is used when it comes to one subject, and are about several. It is worth noting that this design requires strict adherence to word order. In the first place there is always there is / are, then the item in question, and always at the very end the place in which the item is located is mentioned.
Examples:
- There is a book on the table (There is a book on the table / Book is on the table).
- There are many books on the table (There are many books on the table / There are many books on the table).
Moreover, it is worth noting that in the sentence in English the verbs “lies”, “is” are not used, because the very construction there is / there are contains their meaning. To make this meaning of this construction more obvious, it can be translated literally. The adverb there literally translates to "in this place," "there." The verb to be has the meaning of “to be,” “appear,” “exist.” But in general, this design suggests that something is somewhere. But the verb can also be used in the translation, since for those who speak Russian, such a translation will sound more familiar and understandable. And the purpose of the translation is not only to convey the meaning, but also to adapt the text to the characteristics of another culture.
The auxiliary verb is in the past tense is replaced by was, and are are were respectively. That is, if you need to say that one object was somewhere, the auxiliary verb was was used. If it is necessary to mention several subjects, the verb were were used.
For instance:
- There was a book on the table (A book was lying on the table).
- There were two books on the table (Two books were lying on the table).
These are the basic rules for using auxiliary verbs, in particular the verb is in the past tense. In order to easily build sentences, you should remember with which pronouns the various forms of the verb to be are used. In addition, to quickly navigate the construction of sentences with the construction there is / are, you should remember the word order in such sentences well.