Grammar › Present Simple with to be
Am, is, are: yes/no questions
450 fill-in-the-gap exercises, 45 tests of ten
Move am, is or are in front of the subject. Nothing is added.
Practice this form
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Getting your first question ready.
The pattern
The statement becomes a question by swapping the first two elements:
- You are ready. → Are you ready?
- She is at home. → Is she at home?
Nothing is inserted and nothing changes shape. This is the oldest question pattern in English, and be is one of the few verbs that still uses it.
Short answers cannot be contracted
Positive short answers always use the full form:
Yes, I am. — not Yes, I’m. Yes, she is. — not Yes, she’s.
Negative short answers do contract: No, she isn’t.
The question tag
The same verb comes back at the end of a statement to turn it into a check:
- She is Italian, isn’t she?
- You aren’t driving, are you?
A positive sentence takes a negative tag and the other way round.
Telling the two patterns apart
Before asking a question, find the main verb:
- You are tired. → Are you tired?
- You sleep badly. → Do you sleep badly?
If the verb is be, swap it. If it is anything else, bring in do or does.
All forms
| Subject | Question | Short answer, yes | Short answer, no |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | Am I late? | Yes, you are. | No, you aren't. |
| you, we, they | Are you ready? | Yes, I am. | No, I'm not. |
| he, she, it | Is she here? | Yes, she is. | No, she isn't. |
Examples
Taken from the 450 sentences in this drill. The answer is highlighted.
- Is this the correct answer to the question?
- Are the shops closed during the holiday?
- Am I in the photograph?
- Is the car parked in front of the house?
- Are your brother and sister home from school?
- Am I next on the list?
- Is the coffee machine out of order again?
- Are the students ready for the final exam?
- Am I on the right platform?
- Is it possible to finish the task today?
- Are they the winners of the competition?
- Am I on your list of guests?
Mistakes to avoid
Wrong: Do you ready? correct: Are you ready?
Ready is a description, so the verb is be, and be asks its own question.
Wrong: Is she is a doctor? correct: Is she a doctor?
The verb moved to the front. It cannot stay in its old place as well.
Wrong: Yes, I'm. correct: Yes, I am.
A short answer cannot end on a contraction. Use the full form.