be

be¹ W1S1 [bi strong bi:] auxiliary v past tense was, were past participle been present participle being first person singular am second person singular and plural are third person singular is

1.) used with a present participle to form the ↑continuous tenses of verbs

▪ Don't disturb me while I'm working.

▪ Gemma was reading when her son called.

▪ They've been asking a lot of questions.

▪ That guy's always causing trouble.

▪ We'll be starting in about half an hour.

▪ He isn't leaving, is he?

2.) used with past participles to form the ↑passive

▪ Smoking is not permitted.

▪ I was told about it yesterday.

▪ The house is being painted.

▪ She's been invited to a party.

▪ The flames could be seen several miles away.

▪ The police should have been informed about this.

3.) be to do sth formal

a)

used to talk about arrangements for the future

▪ Audrey and Jimmy are to be married in June.

▪ Two men are to appear in court on charges of armed robbery.

▪ We were to have gone away last week, but I was ill.

b) used to give an order or to tell someone about a rule

▪ You are to wait here in this room until I return.

▪ All staff are to wear uniforms.

c) used to say or ask what someone should do or what should happen

▪ What am I to tell her?

▪ He is not to be blamed.

d) used to ask how something can be done

▪ How are we to get out of the present mess?

4.) be to be seen/found/heard etc

used to say that something can be seen, found, or heard somewhere

▪ A large range of species are to be seen in the aquarium.

▪ We searched everywhere but the ring was nowhere to be found (=could not be found) .

▪ The only sound to be heard was the twittering of the birds above us.

5.) was/were to do sth

used when talking about a time in the past to say what happened later

▪ This discovery was to have a major effect on the treatment of heart disease.

6.)

a) used in ↑conditional ¹(2) sentences about an imagined situation

were sb to do sth/if sb were to do sth

▪ Even if England were to win the next two matches, Germany would still be three points ahead.

▪ Were we to offer you the job, would you take it?

b) used in ↑conditional sentences to introduce an aim when you are saying what must be done in order to achieve it

if sb/sth is to do sth

▪ If we are to succeed in this enterprise, we shall need to plan everything very carefully.

7.) old use used instead of 'have' to form the ↑perfect ³ tense of some verbs

▪ The hour is come.

be ²

be² W1S1 v

[: Old English; Origin: beon]

1.) [linking verb]

used to say that someone or something is the same as the subject of the sentence

▪ My name is Susan.

▪ These are my favourite pictures.

▪ He's my brother.

▪ The problem is finding the time to get things done.

▪ Our aim was to reduce the number of accidents.

2.) [I always + adverb/preposition]

used to say where something or someone is

▪ Jane's upstairs.

▪ Are my keys in the drawer?

▪ The principal's in his office.

▪ How long has she been here?

3.) [I always + adverb/preposition]

used to say when something happens

▪ The concert was last night.

▪ The party is on Saturday.

4.) [linking verb]

used to describe someone or something, or say what group or type they belong to

▪ The sky was grey.

▪ Spiders are not really insects.

▪ Mr Cardew was a tall thin man.

▪ She wants to be a doctor when she leaves school.

▪ Her dress was pure silk.

▪ I'm not ready yet.

5.) there is/are

used to say that something exists or happens

▪ There's a hole in your trousers.

▪ There was a loud explosion.

▪ 'I thought there was going to be a party.' 'No, there isn't.'

▪ Is there a problem?

6.) [linking verb]

to behave in a particular way

▪ He was just being rude.

▪ Don't be silly.

▪ You'd better be careful.

7.) [linking verb]

used to say how old someone is

▪ His mother died when he was twenty.

▪ Rachel will be three in November.

8.) [linking verb]

used to say who something belongs to

▪ Whose is this bag? It isn't mine and it isn't Sarah's.

9.) [linking verb]

used to talk about the price of something

▪ 'How much are the melons?' 'The big ones are £2 each.'

10.) [linking verb]

to be equal to a particular number or amount

▪ 32 divided by 8 is 4.

11.) be that as it may

formal used to say that even though you accept that something is true, it does not change a situation

▪ 'He was only joking.' 'Be that as it may, silly remarks like that can do a lot of harm.'

12.) [i]formal

to exist

▪ What was once a great and powerful empire has effectively ceased to be.

13.) be yourself

to behave in a natural way, rather than trying to pretend to be different

▪ Don't try too hard - just be yourself.

14.) not be yourself

to be behaving in a way that is unusual for you, especially because you are ill or upset

▪ Sorry - I'm not myself this morning.

15.) the be-all and end-all

the most important part of a situation or of someone's life

the be-all and end-all of

▪ For Jim, making money was the be-all and end-all of his job.