[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/be.html) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / be [← B](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/B/) # be «be» in Mova's school dictionary: **to exist, to be there: There is a cat in the garden** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it. ### part of speech verb (be; am, is, are; was, were; been; being; short forms I'm, he's, they're, isn't, aren't, wasn't, weren't) ### meaning for a pupil 1) To be means to exist, to be there: There is a cat in the garden. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/be/#m1) 2) To be tells what someone or something is like: She is tall. The soup is hot. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/be/#m2) 3) To be tells where something is: The keys are on the table. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/be/#m3) 4) To be tells someone's age or job: Ben is 7. Mum is a doctor. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/be/#m4) 5) Be also helps other verbs: I am running; the cake was eaten. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/be/#m5) 6) In maths «is» often means «equals»: 3 + 4 is 7. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/be/#m6) 7) (casual) In chatty speech forms of be are dropped or bent: «you coming?», «we was late», «them sweets is 2 dollar», «ain't» for «isn't» or «am not»; (US casual) «I'm like» and «she was all» mean «I said» and «she said». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/be/#m7) 8) (formal) The exam voice uses be in stiff passive and «shall be» forms: «It is given that …», «A total of 12 apples is distributed …», «Answers shall be expressed in whole numbers». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/be/#m8) ### sense in the lessons saying what is on the table or in a group, now or before («There were 9 apples», «How many are there now?»); in maths «is» often means equals: 3 + 4 is 7; in everyday life «be careful», «be quiet», «be kind», «there is / there are», «be back soon»; in science «Water is a liquid»; in casual talk dropped or bent forms («you okay?», «we was», «ain't»); in rough talk «be quiet» becomes «shut up»; in the exam voice the passive «is distributed», «is given», «shall be» ### examples - How many apples are on the table? [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/be/#x1) - There were 9 apples. Tom ate 1 of them. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/be/#x2) - There are 5 rows with 4 chairs in each row. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/be/#x3) - Ben is 7 and Kate is 10. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/be/#x4) - Three plus four is seven. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/be/#x5) - Be careful near the pool. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/be/#x6) - I am hungry; are you? [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/be/#x7) - The children were very happy at the zoo. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/be/#x8) - Ice is frozen water. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/be/#x9) - you coming or what? bus is here [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/be/#x10) - them sweets is 2 dollar each, we ain't got enough [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/be/#x11) - It is given that a quantity of 9 apples was present upon the table, of which 1 was subsequently consumed. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/be/#x12) - "Why are you knocking me about?" [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/be/#x13) ### note «There were N» gives the starting amount; «there are N … and N …» lists parts. The verb itself is no clue; the tense shows start (was, were) versus now (is, are). Trap: «is 3 more than» is a comparison that still needs reading. Forms: I am, you are, he/she/it is, we/they are; past: I/he was, you/we/they were. Say «there are 5 apples», not «there is 5 apples»; «we was» and «ain't» are heard in casual talk but are not standard English. «It is given that» in an exam just introduces the facts. In a passive sentence («was eaten by Tom») the doer comes after «by». ### In the corpora - [Stories about annoying colleagues told at home are private and should not be repeated outside.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/1-a-day-at-a-grown-ups-job/8/) - [When a parent seems frazzled after work, it is usually the workload, not anything the child did.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/1-a-day-at-a-grown-ups-job/18/) - [Knowing this helps you understand why a family's week is planned round a piece of paper on the fridge.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/2-shifts-nights-and-other-ways-of-working/4/) - [Overtime is working extra hours beyond the normal ones; sometimes it is paid at a higher rate, sometimes not paid at all.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/2-shifts-nights-and-other-ways-of-working/8/) - [Being turned down is normal for everyone, and being picked is the reward for trying again and again.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/3-finding-a-job-and-getting-on/3/) ### Trees and pragmatics [Every meaning and example of «be» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/be/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.