How to Teach the Verb

"To Be"

The verb to be is the first verb

students learn in their English studies.

It is used extensively in the

English language
It will allow students to
create simple sentences
with the vocabulary they
have learned to date.

Warm up:

review
vocabulary

Warm up: review vocabulary

Happy
Sad
Embarrassed
Sleepy
Hungry
Angry

Warm up: review vocabulary

Happy
Sad
Embarrassed
Sleepy
Hungry
Angry

Introduce to be
Show students how to make sentences such
as:
I am happy.
You are happy.
Jenny is happy.
*Ensure that students understand how
the subject and forms of the verb are
paired.

Drill subject-verb pairs

Call on students to make sentences

choosing a subject, verb, and adverb

Subject Verb (to Adverb

be)
Sarah
am
sad
The
is
happy
children
You
are
hungry
I
sleepy

Call on students to make sentences

choosing a subject, verb, and adverb

Subject Verb (to Adverb

be)
Sarah
am
sad
The
is
happy
children
You
are
hungry
I
sleepy

Call on students to make sentences

choosing a subject, verb, and adverb

Subject Verb (to Adverb

be)
Sarah
am
sad
The
is
happy
children
You
are
hungry
I
sleepy

Call on students to make sentences

choosing a subject, verb, and adverb

Subject Verb (to Adverb

be)
Sarah
am
sad
The
is
happy
children
You
are
hungry
I
sleepy

Call on students to make sentences

choosing a subject, verb, and adverb

Subject Verb (to Adverb

be)
Sarah
am
sad
The
is
happy
children
You
are
hungry
I
sleepy

Practice Simple
You can use worksheets for
practice
Have students complete a
fill in the blank exercise
where they must choose
am, is, or are

Example worksheet

Introduce the question

Show students how to make
questions such as:
Are you hungry? Yes, I am. / No, I am
not.
Is he sleepy? Yes, he is. / No, he is
not.
Are they happy? Yes, they are. / No,
they are not.

Call on students to make sentences

choosing a verb, subject and adverb

Verb (to
be)
Am
Is
Are

Subject
they
Johnny
You
I

sad?
hungry?
embarrasse
d?
happy?

Call on students to make sentences

choosing a verb, subject and adverb

Verb (to
be)
Am
Is
Are

Subject
they
Johnny
You
I

sad?
hungry?
embarrasse
d?
happy?

Call on students to make sentences

choosing a verb, subject and adverb

Verb (to
be)
Am
Is
Are

Subject
they
Johnny
You
I

sad?
hungry?
embarrasse
d?
happy?

Call on students to make

sentences choosing a verb,
subject and adverb
Verb (to
be)
Am
Is
Are

Subject
they
Johnny
You

sad?
hungry?
embarrasse
d?
Ask class
to
answer
e.g.
I
happy?

Yes, he is.

Introduce contractions

I am = Im
(s)he is = shes or hes
You are = youre
They are = theyre
We are = were

* The apostrophe [ ] takes the place

of the omitted (missing) letters.

Review
John
I
The children
he
she
you

Review
John..?
I..?
The children..?
He..?
She..?
You..?

Links
How to Teach the Verb "To Be" to Beginners
http://busyteacher.org/3934-how-to-teach-the-verb-to-be-to-beginner
s.html

To be worksheets:
http://busyteacher.org/classroom_activities-grammar/modal_verbs/be
_to-worksheets/
http://busyteacher.org/search.html?q=to+be+worksheet
Vocabulary:
http://busyteacher.org/search.html?q=vocabulary