Sentence structure A1

Be sentences

Use be to talk about identity, description, age, feelings, location, and basic situations.

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図解ガイド

Be is the bridge

BE = a bridge to information

who/what  ── am / is / are ──► information

I         ── am  ────────────► Alex.
She       ── is  ────────────► tired.
They      ── are ────────────► at home.

Negative:  who/what ── be + not ──► information
           I am not busy.

Question:  be ── who/what ──► information?
           Are you okay?

For feelings/descriptions, use the be bridge:
           Are you happy?   ✓
           Do you happy?    ✗

Use be as a bridge from the person/thing to information about identity, feeling, place, or situation.

Introduction

What be sentences do

Use be when the sentence is about what someone or something is, how it is, where it is, or what the basic situation is. Be is one of the first English verbs because it builds simple, useful statements: identity, description, feelings, location, age, weather, time, and status. In these sentences, there is no action like run or eat. The sentence links a subject to information about that subject.

Core 文法：A1 語彙：A1 Neutral

I am Alex.

A basic be sentence can give a name or identity.

意味のかたまり

単語ごとではなく、意味のかたまりで文を読んでみましょう。

subject

The speaker is the subject.

be_form

Use am with I.

ひとまとまりで覚える

Alex

identity

The name identifies the subject.

Core 文法：A1 語彙：A1 Neutral

She is tired.

Be links the subject to a feeling or state.

意味のかたまり

単語ごとではなく、意味のかたまりで文を読んでみましょう。

She

subject

The person we are talking about.

is tired

be_plus_state

Use is + adjective to describe a state.

ひとまとまりで覚える

Core 文法：A1 語彙：A1 Neutral

They are at home.

Be can show location.

意味のかたまり

単語ごとではなく、意味のかたまりで文を読んでみましょう。

They

subject

The people or things we are talking about.

are at home

be_plus_place

Use are + place phrase for location with they.

ひとまとまりで覚える

Cognitive metaphor

Be is a bridge

Think of be as a small bridge. On the left is the subject; on the right is information about that subject. The bridge says that these two parts belong together now. It can connect a person to an identity, a thing to a description, or an object to a place. Be is not an action word in this pattern. It does not mean do, make, go, or have. It simply links the subject to the description, name, place, feeling, or situation that follows.

Core 文法：A1 語彙：A1 Neutral

Ava is a student.

Be connects a subject to an identity or role.

意味のかたまり

単語ごとではなく、意味のかたまりで文を読んでみましょう。

Ava

subject

The person we are talking about.

is a student

be_plus_identity

Use is + noun phrase to say what one person is.

ひとまとまりで覚える

Core 文法：A1 語彙：A1 Neutral

My keys are on the table.

Be can link a plural subject to a place.

意味のかたまり

単語ごとではなく、意味のかたまりで文を読んでみましょう。

My keys

subject

The plural thing we are talking about.

are on the table

be_plus_place

Use are + place phrase for the location of plural things.

ひとまとまりで覚える

Core pattern

Subject + be + information

The core pattern is subject + be + information. The information after be can be a noun phrase, an adjective, or a place phrase. Use am with I, is with he, she, it, and one thing, and are with you, we, they, and plural things. In relaxed English, contractions are very common: I’m, you’re, he’s, she’s, it’s, we’re, they’re. Full forms are also correct and are useful for emphasis or careful speech.

Spoken 文法：A1 語彙：A1 Informal

I'm ready.

Contractions are common in speech and everyday writing.

意味のかたまり

単語ごとではなく、意味のかたまりで文を読んでみましょう。

I'm

contraction

I'm means I am.

ひとまとまりで覚える

ready

state

An adjective describes the subject.

Spoken 文法：A1 語彙：A1 Informal

You're late.

Use are with you; the common contraction is you're.

意味のかたまり

単語ごとではなく、意味のかたまりで文を読んでみましょう。

You're

contraction

You're means you are.

ひとまとまりで覚える

late

description

An adjective describes the subject.

Spoken 文法：A1 語彙：A1 Neutral

We're from Canada.

Use are with we; the common contraction is we're.

意味のかたまり

単語ごとではなく、意味のかたまりで文を読んでみましょう。

We're

contraction

We're means we are.

ひとまとまりで覚える

from Canada

origin

A from-phrase gives origin.

Sentence xray

See the parts

X-ray the sentence My sister is at school. My sister is the subject: the person we are talking about. Is is the be form that matches one person. At school is the information: her location. If the subject changes, be may change too. If the information changes, the be form can stay the same. The middle link is important: in a simple English sentence, a subject plus an adjective, noun, or place usually needs be.

Core 文法：A1 語彙：A1 Neutral

My sister is at school.

This sentence shows the reusable frame subject + be + place.

意味のかたまり

単語ごとではなく、意味のかたまりで文を読んでみましょう。

My sister

subject

The person we are talking about.

be_form

Use is with one person or thing.

ひとまとまりで覚える

at school

place

The place information comes after be.

Form variations

Questions and negatives

For yes/no questions, move be before the subject: be + subject + information. Statement order is you are okay; question order is are you okay? With a singular noun, use is before the subject. For negatives, put not after be. In speech and everyday writing, contractions are common: isn’t and aren’t. Short answers also keep be: yes, I am; no, it isn’t; yes, they are; no, they aren’t.

Question 文法：A1 語彙：A1 Neutral

Are you okay?

Be comes before the subject in yes/no questions.

意味のかたまり

単語ごとではなく、意味のかたまりで文を読んでみましょう。

Are you

question_be

Put are before you to make a yes/no question.

ひとまとまりで覚える

okay

state

The adjective gives the state.

Question 文法：A1 語彙：A1 Neutral

Is the shop open?

Use is before one thing in a be question.

意味のかたまり

単語ごとではなく、意味のかたまりで文を読んでみましょう。

Is the shop

question_be

Put is before a singular noun subject in a question.

ひとまとまりで覚える

open

state

The adjective gives the status.

Negative 文法：A1 語彙：A1 Neutral

I am not busy.

Put not after be to make a negative.

意味のかたまり

単語ごとではなく、意味のかたまりで文を読んでみましょう。

subject

The speaker is the subject.

am not

negative_be

Use am not to make I negative with be.

ひとまとまりで覚える

busy

state

The adjective describes the subject.

Negative 文法：A1 語彙：A1 Neutral

They are not here.

Not follows are in a negative be sentence.

意味のかたまり

単語ごとではなく、意味のかたまりで文を読んでみましょう。

They

subject

The people or things we are talking about.

are not here

negative_be

Use are not + place word to say a plural subject is absent.

ひとまとまりで覚える

Usage rules

Main everyday uses

Use be for several high-frequency meanings. Identity means a person or thing is a type, role, or name. Description means something is big, small, ready, new, easy, or difficult. Age also uses be in English. Feelings and body states often use be: tired, hungry, cold, fine, or okay. Location uses be with place phrases. Weather, time, and basic status often use be too. These are state or situation sentences, not action sentences.

Core 文法：A1 語彙：A1 Neutral

I am twenty.

English uses be to talk about age.

意味のかたまり

単語ごとではなく、意味のかたまりで文を読んでみましょう。

subject

The speaker is the subject.

am twenty

be_plus_age

Use be, not have, for age in English.

ひとまとまりで覚える

Core 文法：A1 語彙：A1 Neutral

It is sunny.

Weather sentences often use it is.

意味のかたまり

単語ごとではなく、意味のかたまりで文を読んでみましょう。

weather_subject

Use it as the subject for weather.

is sunny

be_plus_weather

Use is + weather adjective for basic weather.

ひとまとまりで覚える

Contrast

Be is not do

The closest confusion is be versus ordinary action verbs with do. Do not use do to make questions or negatives when be is the main verb. Be makes its own question: are you happy? But ordinary action verbs need do in simple present questions: do you work here? The contrast is be + adjective, place, or noun, but do + subject + action verb. Use do for work, live, like, want, and other actions.

Mistake 文法：A1 語彙：A1 Neutral

Do you happy?

Do is not used to make a question when happy is the information after be.

Corrected 文法：A1 語彙：A1 Neutral

Are you happy?

Be makes its own question with adjectives like happy.

意味のかたまり

単語ごとではなく、意味のかたまりで文を読んでみましょう。

Are you

question_be

Use are before you in a be question.

ひとまとまりで覚える

happy

feeling

The adjective describes the feeling.

Contrast 文法：A1 語彙：A1 Neutral

Do you work here?

Ordinary action verbs, such as work, use do in simple present questions.

意味のかたまり

単語ごとではなく、意味のかたまりで文を読んでみましょう。

Do you work

question_do

Use do + subject + base verb for an ordinary action question.

ひとまとまりで覚える

here

place

Here gives the place.

Mistake 文法：A1 語彙：A1 Neutral

Are you work here?

Work is an action verb here, so a simple present question needs do, not be.

Danger zone

Common A1 traps

Watch for three common errors. First, do not drop be between the subject and the information; English usually needs the link. Second, match the form to the subject: I am, one person or thing is, you, we, they, and plural things are. Third, put not after be, not before it. In simple present, do not add a second main verb after be unless you are using another structure, such as an -ing action. For this A1 pattern, keep the sentence simple.

Summary

The practical rule

A complete be sentence names a subject, chooses the correct form of be, and adds useful information. Use it to say who someone is, what something is like, how old someone is, how someone feels, where something is, or what the situation is. For statements, use subject + am/is/are + information. For questions, put am/is/are before the subject. For negatives, put not after am/is/are. When the next word is an action verb like work or live, check whether you need do instead.

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Be sentences

Be is the bridge

What be sentences do

意味のかたまり

意味のかたまり

意味のかたまり

Be is a bridge

意味のかたまり

意味のかたまり

Subject + be + information

意味のかたまり

意味のかたまり

意味のかたまり

See the parts

意味のかたまり

Questions and negatives

意味のかたまり

意味のかたまり

意味のかたまり

意味のかたまり

Main everyday uses

意味のかたまり

意味のかたまり

Be is not do

意味のかたまり

意味のかたまり

Common A1 traps

The practical rule

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