It is plural. Pronouns in English. Singular and plural nouns

Most textbooks offer an analysis of singular and plural topics by categories of parts of speech: noun, verb, pronoun. We have prepared for you an unusual excursion into the world of numbers. Today we’ll talk about the most common cases and rules of “multiplication” in general, consider changes that are similar in appearance, but have different grammatical functions in different parts of speech, as well as some exceptions (sometimes it seems that the English language is one complete exception), and we’ll try to apply all this in the “natural environment”.

Singular in English ( singular/sg) denotes or characterizes one object:

a game
-self
this/that
he loves

Plural (plural/ pl) is used when the number of objects is more than one:

two cups of coffee
-selves
these/ those
they love

Ending -s/ -es

Ending -s- is one of the most common surviving endings in the English language and is an indicator of number. If the word ends in a hissing sound s/ ss/ x/ sh/ ch, it ends -es(this is due to more convenient pronunciation and does not visually lead to a pile-up of hissing words):

to match - it matches
to wash - she washes
a fox - foxes
a dress - dresses

From the above examples you can notice that:

he loves- singular
two cups- plural

The question arises - why?
The thing is that in the examples given above, the ending -s- appears in different parts of speech.
The number category of verbs is active only in the present tense. The exception is to be in the tense form Past Simple (was/were).
Thus at verbs ending -s/ -es indicates the use of the singular.

e.g.
Pl. vs. Sg.
we go - she goes
I spell - he spells(it is worth noting that in the Present Simple the pronoun I makes grammatical connections based on the plural principle with verbs and has a special form to be).
they say - it says

In nouns the opposite principle applies. The ending is an indicator of plurality.

eg.
Sg. vs. Pl.
a ticket - tickets
a bus - buses
a college - colleges

Words ending with -y-

The principle of change/no change -y- valid in English regardless of part of speech. Things to remember:

* if there is a vowel before -y-, in the plural the ending -s- is added to the word, and the letter -y- is retained:

a ray - rays
to buy - she buys

* if there is a consonant before -y-, in the plural the letter -y- changes to -ie-, followed by the plural ending:

to try - he tries
sky-skies

Now let's talk about special cases of number changes that are characteristic only of a certain part of speech.

Singular and plural nouns

In addition to the cases that we considered earlier, there are “special” numerical formations.
1. Change of word form.
There are a number of words that form the plural by changing the root vowels, sometimes the change affects the entire word form. These examples are not numerous. They are often singled out as exceptions. Let's list them:

man - men(and derivatives - fireman - firemen/ policeman - policemen)
woman/ˈwumən/ – women/ˈwɪmɪn/ (and derivatives - policewoman - policewomen)
tooth–teeth
foot – feet
goose – geese
mouse – mice
louse-lice
child – children
ox-oxen

Also in the English language there are a number of nouns that are written and pronounced the same regardless of their number - their forms are absolutely identical:

sheep - sheep/ sheep - sheep
swine – swine/ pig - pigs
deer – deer/ deer - deer
grouse – grouse/ black grouse, partridge - black grouse
series – series/ series - series
species – species/ species - species ( species of butterflies- type of butterfly)
corps/kɔːr/ – corps/ type of army

2. Borrowing
There is a fairly capacious category of borrowed words that have retained changes in the endings of their native language when forming plural forms. Most often these are words of Latin and Greek origin:

Sg. vs. Pl.
-us/ -i(cactus - cacti/ˈkæktaɪ/) - cactus
-on/ -a(phenomenon - phenomena)
-is/ -es(crisis - crises)
-um/ -a(datum-data)
-ex/ -ices (index - indexes)
-a/ -ae(formula - formulae)

In colloquial speech, these words do not constitute a daily minimum, but can occur in any situation.

3. “Numerical preferences”
In English you can find nouns that are used only in the singular or only in the plural. Exceptions again! Most often these are uncountable nouns or concepts that already contain a certain quantity in their meaning.

Singular forever. We would like to draw your attention to the fact that it is recommended to learn and remember these nouns, since they can be found in almost any area of ​​our lives, and the principle by which they formed their attachment to the singular is often quite conventional.

money
hair(in the meaning of “hair” / can have a plural form meaning “hair”, “hair”)
news
information
knowledge
weather
work
advice
bread
furniture
music
progress

Words that have a certain amount of meaning ( dozen- dozen/ score- ten/ head- when counting livestock by head) both numbers are allowed, but with numerals they are used only in the singular:

three dozen roses

Plural prefer paired items (scissors- scissors, pants- trousers, spectacles- glasses, glasses- glasses, etc.), some geographical names ( The Netherlands, The Phillipines, The High Lands, etc.)

There are words that cannot be grouped, which you just need to remember:

police
people- people (it is possible to use “ a person” in singular) / a “ people - peoples“What matters is the people - the peoples
clothes
contents
wages
riches- wealth
manners
customs
outskirts
proceeds
goods

Verbs in singular and plural

we can - she can
you must - he must

The verb to be has a special relationship with numerical changes. It has specific shapes for each face - am/ is/ are(present tense) and was/were(in the past time).

we are - he is
they were - it was

Pronouns in singular and plural

In English personal pronouns and their possessive forms have the number category:
Sg. vs. Pl.
I-we
it - they
he-they
she - they
my - our

You always presented in the plural, although the singular form can be found Thou/ðaʊ/, which is used when addressing God.
Most pronouns either completely change the word form or imply a certain number by analogy with the Russian language:

every- each (sg.)
all- all (pl.)

A special case of changes in the plural form occurs in reflexive and demonstrative pronouns.

Reflexive pronouns contain a morpheme in the word -self, which in the plural will take the form -selves:

myself - ourselves
yourself - yourselves
himself - theirselves

Demonstrative pronouns also acquire new characteristics in sound and spelling:

this - these
that - those

We wish you intensive, entertaining practice and success!

Victoria Tetkina

A word that denotes an object or a sign of an object, but does not name it, is called a pronoun. Pronouns are divided into several groups, each of which has its own grammatical characteristics.

Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns change by case: if they are used in a sentence as a subject, then they stand in nominative case; if they are used as a complement, then they stand in objective case.

us	-us, us
you	-you, you
them	- to them, theirs

The pronoun "I" is always capitalized. The pronouns "he / she" are used to refer to animate persons; "it" - in relation to inanimate objects, abstract concepts and animals. The pronoun "they" is used to refer to both animate and inanimate objects.

Possessive pronouns. (Possessive Pronouns)

Possessive pronouns serve as modifiers of nouns and always take place before the nouns they define. Unlike the Russian language, where there is a pronoun “svoy”, used with all persons, English possessive pronouns are used strictly in accordance with the pronouns. If there is a need to use a possessive pronoun without a noun, then there is a special form called the absolute form.

In English, possessive pronouns are used much more often and are simply obligatory with nouns denoting parts of the body, items of clothing and relatives, and possessive pronouns are used instead of a noun to avoid repetition

Julie's car is red. Mine is blue.

Possessive pronouns are used without an apostrophe.

The dog wagged its tail.

“It"s” is not a possessive pronoun or adjective — it means “it is”:

It's not my dog.

Reflexive pronouns. (Reflexive Pronouns)

Pronouns ending in “-self (-selves in the plural)” are called reflexive. Reflexive pronouns show that the action named in the sentence is directed at the person who performs it, therefore the reflexive pronoun must be related in form to the subject.

Forms of reflexive pronouns

Personal Pronoun	Reflexive Pronoun
I	myself
you (singular)	yourself
you (plural)	yourselves
he	himself
she	herself
it	itself
we	ourselves
they	themselves

Use

1. When the subject and object are the same:

I hurt myself. (I got hurt.)

The band call themselves “Dire Straits”.

He shot himself.

2. When a preposition is used

I bought a present for myself.

She did it by herself. (She did it alone.)

That man is talking to himself.

3. When we want to emphasize the subject

I"ll do it myself. (No one else will help me.) - I will do it myself.

They eat all the food themselves. (No one else had any.)

Demonstrative pronouns. (Demonstrative pronouns)

Demonstrative pronouns change according to numbers. Moreover, the pronoun “this” denotes an object located next to the speaker, and “that” - at a considerable distance; “that” can also be translated into Russian by the words “this, this”. In a sentence, demonstrative pronouns can be used as a subject, a noun modifier, or an object.

This is my father. And that is my uncle.

Its my father. And there is my uncle.

I don't like these apples. I don't like these apples.

They are too sour. They are too sour.

This is not salt. It's sugar. This is not salt. This is sugar.

Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns include all, each, either, neither, both, some, any, no, none, much, many, little, few, other, one.

Some, any, no

To indicate that they mean a certain number of (several) countable objects or a certain amount of substance, in English the pronoun “some” is used in affirmative sentences, and “any” in interrogative and negative sentences. These pronouns are usually pronounced without stress and do not allow any articles to be used before the noun.

Some - several, a little

Any- any amount

No - no, not at all

Take some glasses from that shelf. Take some glasses from that shelf.

Pour some water in them. Pour water into them.

Don't take any books from the case. Don't take books from the closet.

Have you got any money? Do you have any money?

The pronoun "any", in turn, can be used in affirmative sentences to mean "any", for example:

Take any cup you like. Take any mug you like.

The pronoun "no" has a negative meaning "no" and explains the noun, for example:

There is no milk in the jug. There is no milk in the jug.

He has no friends. He doesn't have (any) friends.

From the pronouns "some, any, no" complex pronouns can be formed: "somebody - anybody - nobody; something - anything - nothing; somewhere - anywhere - nowhere", and the same rules of use in different types of sentences apply to them as for "some, any, no". Pronouns formed with "-body" are used only in relation to people and are combined with a verb only in the singular. Pronouns formed with "-thing" are used to refer to inanimate objects and concepts.

There is somebody in the office. There is someone in the office.

Is there anyone at home? Is anyone at home?

I saw nobody in the garden. I didn't see anyone in the garden.

There is something wrong with him. Something happened to him.

He can do anything for you. He will do anything for you.

If you use negative pronouns "nobody, nothing" in a sentence, then the negative particle "not" is not required, since in English there can only be one negation.

Nobody knows anything about it. Nobody knows anything about this.

There is / There are

If they want to emphasize the presence or absence of an object or person in a certain place, the sentence begins with the construction “there is / there are (plural)”, followed by a noun denoting this person or object and the circumstance of the place. Translation of such a construction begins with the adverbial location:

There are many English books in his library. There are many English books in his library.

There is a chair at the table. There is a chair at the table.

The form of the verb "to be" in such constructions agrees with the first noun that follows it.

There is a dictionary and some books on the shelf. There is a dictionary and several books on the table.

There are flowers and a box of chocolates on the table. There are flowers and a box of chocolates on the table.

Are there any letters for me? Are there any letters for me?

Is there milk or juice in the jug? Is there milk or juice in the jug?

How many books are there in your library? How many books are in your library?

Negation can be formed in two ways: using the negative pronoun “no” or the negative particle “not” and the pronoun “any”.

There is no note for you. There is no note for you.

There isn't any news in her letter. There is no news in her letter.

Many, few, a few, much, little, a little.

Pronouns "many, few, few, several". The pronouns "many" - a lot and "few" - are rarely used only as definitions for countable nouns in the plural.

They have many friends in London. They have many friends in London.

He has few friends. He is very lonely. He has few friends. He is very lonely.

There are many ways to solve this problem. There are many ways to solve this problem.

The pronouns "much" - many and "little" - are rarely used with uncountable nouns (abstract concepts, substances...).

There is little milk in the cup. There is not enough milk in the cup.

We spend a lot of time on this experiment. We spend a lot of time on this experiment.

Do you have much money on you? Do you have a lot of money with you?

I have very little time. I do not have much time.

The combination “a few” means “several” and is used only with countable nouns; with uncountable nouns the combination “a little” is used, which means “little”.

Will you give me a little water? Can you give me some water?

I bought a few apples. I bought some (several) apples.

Interrogative Pronouns

Interrogative pronouns include the pronouns who who, what that, who (by profession), which, whose whose, which which. Interrogative pronouns are used to form special questions.

Who headed our delegation to the Trade Unions Conference? Who headed our delegation at the Trade Union Conference?

Doesn't always know what is what. He always knows what's what.

What do you know about the World Peace Council? What do you know about the World Peace Council?

If an interrogative pronoun is combined with a preposition, the preposition is usually placed at the end of the sentence:

What are you reading about? What are you reading about?

Whom are you speaking to? Who are you talking to?

The pronoun who refers to persons, the pronoun what refers to objects. But the pronoun what can also refer to persons when asked about profession or occupation:

Who is that? - That is Mister N. Who is this? - This is Mr. N.

What is Mister N.? - He is an officer. Who (by occupation, by profession) is Mr. N.? - He is an officer.

The word it is used in English in a variety of cases. It replaces an inanimate noun or serves as the formal subject of a sentence. What is it and in what cases is it usedit in English- we'll look into it in the article.

It as a personal pronoun

Personal pronouns in English include the familiar words I (I) / he (he) / she (she) / you (you, you) / we (we) / they (they). It is added to this series: it replaces an inanimate noun. Pronoun it is unchangeable and has no special plural form. It is translated into Russian by the same pronouns that are used for animate persons (he/she/it).

I’ve seen your book, it lies on the table - I saw your book, it lies on the table.

Your notebook is not here, your brother has taken it with him - Your notebook is not here, your brother took it with him.

As can be seen from the examples given, the form it can be in both the subject position (it lies on the table - it lies on the table) and in the complement position (your brother has taken it with him - your brother took it with him).

Animals and infants (when their gender is unknown) are also commonly conveyed in English. pronoun it , although the use of personal pronouns he/she is also possible:

The dog is full of energy, it cannot stop playing with the ball - The dog is very energetic, it will not stop playing with the ball.

Impersonal pronoun

Another usageit in English- impersonal offers. This pronoun allows you to describe a situation and express a certain characteristic:

• It’s beautiful - Beautiful
• It’s too late - Too late

Pronoun it can be used as a replacement for some fragment of a sentence already mentioned in speech. In such cases, it avoids repetition.

Do you know that Mr Smith has already come to town? Yes, I’ve heard about it - Do you know that Mr. Smith has already returned to town? Yes I heard about it ( instead of - Yes, I’ve heard that Mr Smith had already come to town).

In impersonal sentences, it often acts as a formal subject. The need for a formal subject arises when there is no subject who performs the action. But since in English the presence of a subject is mandatory, it appears in such phrases:

It’s raining - It’s raining.

There are typical cases when it is used pronoun it as a formal subject. For example, when describing weather or temperature:

It’s getting dark - It’s getting dark.

It’s cold outside - It’s cold outside.

It is also used to indicate time or distance:

It’s already 11 p.m. - It's already 11 pm.

It is 40 miles away from here - This is 40 miles from here.

Other uses

M pronouns it can be used as a subject in other cases. Let's sort them out.

1. It appears in sentences where the semantic subject is the infinitive. The use of the infinitive as a subject is not very typical for English, so in such phrases it is used pronoun it.

It’s nice to talk to you - It’s nice to talk to you (instead of - To talk to you is nice).

1. Another case of it appearing as a formal subject is with a subordinate clause.

It is probable that we will be a little late - We will probably be a little late.

It does not interest me what you think - I am not interested in what you think.

1. It takes design.

When we talk about how much time it takes to carry out a particular action, we can use the construction it takes.

It took me months to get to know her - It took me months to get to know her.

How long does it take to get to Boston? - How long will it take to get to Boston?

1. It's time construction.

The construction it’s time means “it’s time...”. For example, it’s time to go to bed (it’s time to go to bed). If the sentence is of a generalizing nature, then this phrase is immediately followed by an infinitive with the particle to. If the sentence is addressed to a specific person, then the infinitive may be preceded by a complementary for + noun, which indicates the addressee.

It’s time to buy a new car - It’s time to buy a new car.

It’s time for you to buy a new car - It’s time for you to buy a new car.

1. Expression of probability.

Impersonal pronoun it appears in the constructions it seems (it seems), it appears (it turns out).

It appears / seems that they will not come - It seems they won’t come.

It appears / seems to me that they will not come - It seems to me that they will not come.

1. Semantic highlighting.

Using the pronoun it you can highlight a specific object in a sentence.

It was my aunt who took Peter to London yesterday - My aunt took Peter to London yesterday.

It was Peter whom my aunt took to London yesterday - Yesterday my aunt took Peter to London.

It was Peter’s house that we visited yesterday - We were in the house yesterday St. Petersburg (not anyone else).

The difference between the pronoun it and this / that

When the pronoun it used as a reference to a known situation or object; demonstrative pronouns this / that can also be used instead.

It is a strange story / This is a strange story / That is a strange story - This is a strange story.

It’s terrible / This is terrible / That is terrible - This is terrible.

In such sentences, the variants it / this / that are interchangeable, although they have some semantic nuances. All three options refer to the mentioned situation, but it defines the situation in the most general sense and does not emphasize it in any way. Whereas the pronouns this / that, rather, involve the speaker in the situation and draw attention to his attitude, denote the novelty of the fact or the impression of it.

She decided to paint her house pink. It upset the neighbors a bit - She decided to paint the house pink. This upset the neighbors a little.

She decided to paint her house pink. This / That upset the neighbors, as you can imagine - She decided to paint the house pink. This upset the neighbors, as you can imagine.

There are other differences pronouns it from this/that. If several facts are mentioned in a sentence, then it refers to the most important one, and this / that refers to the last one mentioned.

We keep the guitar in the storage room. It is mainly used by the children - We keep the guitar in the closet. It is mainly used by children (Children use a guitar).

We keep the guitar in the storage room. This is mainly used by the children - We keep the guitar in the closet. It is mainly used by children (The children use the pantry).

Besides, it in Englishimplies an event already mentioned. And to define something that has not yet been said, this is used:

What do you think about this? I thought I’d get a job in Spain for ten months, but... - What do you think about it? I thought I would get a job in Spain for ten months, but... (The pronoun this is used because the situation is revealed after the pronoun.)

In impersonal sentences, it cannot be replaced by this or that, because this / that refer to a specific object or situation and always imply a complete noun:

Wrong: this / that is raining

Right: It's raining

Possessive pronoun

Pronoun it It also has a possessive form - its (his, her). It is used to express ownership of an inanimate object.

This company is one of the most successful. Its purpose is to become the best - This company is one of the most successful. Her goal is to become the best.

Its can be translated into Russian by the pronoun “its”:

The company has achieved its goal - The company achieved its goal.

The possessive pronoun should not be confused with the shortened form it + is (it’s). The pronunciation of the two forms is the same, but they occupy different positions in the sentence.

The abbreviation it's is a subject and a verb. The possessive pronoun its acts as an adjective and depends on a noun. Compare the following sentences:

Every country has its traditions - Each country has its own traditions.

It’s a very long tradition - This is a very long tradition.

Demonstrative pronouns in English they do not name a person or object, but point to it. Usually demonstrative pronouns include this, that and their plural forms these, those.

Demonstrative pronouns This – That and the difference between them

Pronoun this used to indicate an object or person nearby, like “this” in Russian. Pronoun that indicates an object, a person in the distance, like “that” or “that” in Russian. This in the plural is these, that in the plural is those:

This and that are classified as noun determiners, words that clarify meanings.

I hold the book in my hands, looking at the pictures.

I like this book. - I like this book.

I don't like these pictures. - I do not like these Pictures.

In a bookstore I point to the books on the shelf:

I like that book. - I like that book.

I don't like those books. - I do not like those books.

Pronoun that It is not always appropriate to translate into Russian as “that, that.” More often “this, this” is suitable. For example, I'm talking about a book that the interlocutor mentioned in a conversation. There is no book nearby, it is only mentioned.

I like that book. - I like this book.

This is That as noun pronouns

The pronouns this and that can act not as determiners of a noun, but in roles inherent in the nouns themselves. For example:

This is what we wanted. - This is what we wanted.

That was a good show. – It was a good performance.

I don't like this.- I don't like This.

Can you see that?- You This do you see?

Demonstrative pronouns Such, Same

Demonstrative pronouns also include such And same. Both pronouns do not have special plural forms.

1. Pronoun Such

The pronoun such means “such”, “of this type, kind”. If such comes before a singular noun, put : between them:

It was such an interesting movie. – It was such an interesting film.

Beer? At such a time? - Beer? At this hour?

The pronoun such is often used in surprised exclamations - joyful or not:

Such a wonderful place! – What a wonderful place!

Such a mess! - What a mess!

If such comes before a plural noun, the article is not needed:

I don't know such people. – I don’t know such people.

Why would she ask me such questions? “Why would she ask me such questions?”

2. Pronoun Same

The pronoun same means “the same”, “the same”. Since same identifies a specific noun, it is always preceded by

We present to you the first article in the “English Grammar for Beginners” series. In this series of materials, we decided to present all the rules briefly and in simple words, so that beginners “from scratch” or those who do not remember the basics of English well can independently figure out the grammar, understand it and apply it in practice.

Plural in English

In English, as in Russian, all words are divided into countable and uncountable. This is important to understand when forming the plural of a word. Countable nouns denote those objects that can be counted, for example: table (table), book (book), apple (apple). Uncountable nouns are abstract concepts, liquids, products, etc., that is, things that cannot be counted. For example: knowledge, water, meat, flour. These words have no plural or singular.

Countable nouns can be used in singular or plural. A singular noun denotes one thing; this is the form of the word that is indicated in the dictionary: apple - apple. A plural noun denotes several objects: apples - apples.

How to form the plural of nouns:

Usually the plural of nouns is formed by adding the ending -s to the word: book – books (book – books). However, there are several spelling features:

• If the word ends in -o, -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, then add the ending -es: hero – heroes (hero – heroes), bus – buses (bus – buses).

  Exceptions: photo - photos (photo - photographs), video - videos (video recording - video recordings), radio - radios (radio - several radios), rhino - rhinos (rhino - rhinoceroses), piano - pianos (piano - several pianos), hippo - hippos (hippopotamus - hippopotamuses).

• If the word ends in -f, -fe, then change the ending to -ves: knife – knives, leaf – leaves, wife – wives.

  Exceptions: roof - roofs (roof - roofs), giraffe - giraffes (giraffe - giraffes), cliff - cliffs (cliff - cliffs).

• If a word ends in -y, preceded by a consonant, then we change -y to -ies: body – bodies (body – bodies).
• If the word ends in -y, preceded by a vowel, then add the ending -s: boy – boys (boy – boys).

In English there is also exception words, which form the plural irregularly. You just need to learn such words by heart; fortunately, there are not very many of them.

Singular	Plural
man - man	men - men
woman - woman	women - women
child - child	children - children
person - person	people - people
foot - foot	feet - feet
mouse - mouse	mice - mice
tooth - tooth	teeth - teeth
sheep - sheep	sheep - sheep

Try our test to see how well you have understood the material.

English Plural Noun Test

Articles in English

There are two types of articles in English: definite and indefinite. They are not translated into Russian. In the vast majority of cases, one of these articles must be placed before a singular noun.

The indefinite article a/an is used only with countable nouns in the singular: a girl (girl), a pen (handle). If a word begins with a consonant sound, we write the article a (a girl), and if the word begins with a vowel sound, we write the article an (an apple).

The indefinite article a/an is used in the following cases:

• We name any indefinite object, and we have only one, which is why we use the article a, which comes from the word one (one):

  It is a book. - This is a book.

• We mention the subject for the first time in speech:

  I see a shop. - I see (some, one of many) store.

• We talk about a person’s profession or indicate his belonging to a certain group:

  He is a teacher. - He is a teacher.
  She is a student. - She is a student.

We use the definite article the when we are talking about a specific object that is familiar to us. This article can appear before a singular or plural noun.

The definite article the is used in the following cases:

• We have already mentioned the subject earlier in our speech:

  I see a shop. The shop is big. - I see a store. (This) The store is big.

  It is believed that the definite article comes from the word that (that), therefore it is intended to indicate some specific object familiar to the interlocutors.

• We are talking about an object that in this context is one of a kind and cannot be confused with something else:

  Honey, I'm washing the car. - Honey, I'm washing the car. (the family has one car, so we are talking about a specific item)
  Look at the girl in the red dress - Look at the girl in the red dress. (we point to a specific girl in a specific dress)

• We are talking about a one-of-a-kind object, there is no other like it: the sun, the moon, the world, the President of France, etc.:

  The earth is our home. - Earth is our home.

Verb to be

There is always a verb in an English sentence. And if in Russian we can say “I am a doctor”, “Mary is beautiful”, “We are in the hospital”, then in English this is unacceptable: in all these cases, the verb to be must appear after the subject. Therefore, you can remember a simple rule: if there are no ordinary verbs in a sentence, then the verb to be is needed.

The verb to be has three forms:

• Am is added to the pronoun I when we talk about ourselves:

  I am beautiful. - I am beautiful.

• Is is placed after the pronouns he, she, it:

  She is beautiful. - She's beautiful.

• Are is used after you, we, they:

  You are beautiful. - You are handsome.

The verb to be in English is most often used in the following cases:

• We inform you that by whom is a person (name, profession, etc.):

  I am a doctor. - I am doctor.

• We inform you that what a person or thing has a quality:

  Mary is beautiful. - Mary is beautiful.

• We inform you that Where there is a person or object:

  We are at the hospital. - We're in the hospital.

Sentences with the verb to be in the present tense are constructed as follows:

Affirmative sentences	Negative sentences	Interrogative sentences
Principle of Education
I + am	I + am not ('m not)	Am+I
He/She/It + is	He/She/It + is not (isn’t)	Is + he/she/it
We/You/They + are	We/You/They + are not (aren’t)	Are + we/you/they
Examples
I am a manager. - I am a manager.	I am not a manager. - I'm not a manager.	Am I a manager? - I am a manager?
It's awesome. - He's great.	It's not awesome. - He's not great.	Is he awesome? - He's great?
She is a doctor. - She is a doctor.	She isn't a doctor. - She's not a doctor.	Is she a doctor? - She is a doctor?
It (ball) is red. - It (the ball) is red.	It (ball) isn't red. - It (the ball) is not red.	Is it (ball) red? - Is it (the ball) red?
We are the champions. - We are champions.	We aren't the champions. - We are not champions.	Are we the champions? - We are champions?
You are ill. - You are sick.	You are not ill. - You are not sick.	Are you ill? - You are sick?
They are at home. - They are at home.	They aren't at home. - They are not at home.	Are they at home? - They are at home?

We think you are now ready to take the test and test your knowledge.

Test for the use of the verb to be

Present Continuous Tense - present continuous tense

Present Continuous Tense most often shows that an action is happening at the moment.

Every English sentence has a subject and a predicate. In the Present Continuous, the predicate consists of the auxiliary verb to be in the required form (am, is, are) and the main verb without the particle to, to which we add the ending -ing (playing, reading).

She is playing tennis now. - She is now plays to tennis.
I am reading a novel at the moment. - I'm currently I'm reading novel.

The verb to be in this tense is an auxiliary verb, that is, it is a word that comes before the main verb (playing, reading) and helps to form tense. You will find auxiliary verbs in other tenses; these types of verbs include to be (am, is, are), do/does, have/has, will.

Please note the following tense words Present Continuous: now (now), at the moment (at the moment), today (today), tonight (tonight), these days (these days), currently (these days), at present (currently), still (still).

Affirmative sentences in the Present Continuous are formed as follows:

Usually in this tense you just need to add the ending -ing to the main verb: walk – walking (walk), look – looking (look). But some verbs change like this:

• If the verb ends in -e, we remove the -e and add -ing: write – writing, dance – dancing.

  Exception: see – seeing (to see).

• If the verb ends in -ie, we change -ie to -y and add -ing: lie – lying (lie), die – dying (die).
• If the verb ends with a stressed syllable with a short vowel that occurs between two consonants, the final consonant is doubled by adding -ing: begin – beginning (begin), swim – swimming (swim).

In negative sentences in the Present Continuous, you just need to insert the particle not between to be and the main verb.

She isn't cooking at the moment. - At the moment she doesn't cook.
You are not listening to me now. - You don't listen me now.

In interrogative sentences in the Present Continuous, you need to put the verb to be in the first place, and after it put the subject and the main verb.

Is she cooking at the moment? - She trains At the moment?
Are you listening to me now? - You me now are you listening?

Now we suggest you take a test on the use of Present Continuous tense.

Test for the use of Present Continuous

We have presented you with the first 5 basic topics of the English language. Now your task is to thoroughly understand them and work through them as productively as possible with the help of exercises. In order not to burden you with a large amount of grammar at once, we will release the next article in this series in a few weeks. Subscribe to our newsletter, then you will definitely not miss important information. We wish you success in learning English!