The Verb “To Be” as the Root (Understand in 5 mins)

The verb “to be” is like the heart of English grammar—it’s used everywhere to say who you are, how things are, or what will happen. You might have noticed that we say “I am a student” or “She is a doctor,” but NOT “I to be a student.” Why? Because “to be” is the root (or base form) of the verb, and forms like am, is, are, was, were are its branches, used in different situations. Think of “to be” as a tree trunk that grows different forms depending on who you’re talking about and when. This guide will make “to be” super easy for beginners, with a tree diagram to show how am, is, are, was, were come from the root verb “to be.” Whether you’re dreaming of being a doctor or fixing a computer server, you’ll master “to be” with this simple explanation!

What Is the “Root” of “To Be”?

Imagine a tree:

• The root (or trunk) is “to be”, the basic form of the verb before it changes.
• The branches are forms like am, is, are, was, were, be, been, being, which grow from the root and change based on who (I, you, she, etc.) and when (now, past, future).

“To be” is the base form (also called the infinitive), like the starting point of the verb. You don’t use “to be” in most sentences directly—instead, you use its branches like am in “I am a student” or was in “The server was down.” But “to be” is the root that all these forms come from, and it’s used in special cases like future plans or commands.

Here’s a tree diagram to show how “to be” is the root and am, is, are, was, were (plus be, been, being) are its branches:

       [to be]  (Root/Base Form)
         /|\
        / | \
       /  |  \
  Present | Past
     /|\  |  /|\
    / | \ | / | \
   am is are was were
   |      |      |    |
   I  he/she/it you/we/they

Explanation:

• Root: “to be” is the base, like the trunk of the tree.
• Present Branches: am (for I), is (for he/she/it), are (for you/we/they).
• Past Branches: was (for I/he/she/it), were (for you/we/they).
• Other Forms: be (for future, commands, wishes), been (for completed actions), being (for ongoing actions) also grow from “to be” but aren’t shown in this simple diagram.

Why Is the Root “To Be” Important?

The verb “to be” is important because it’s the root of so many sentences you use every day:

• To say who you are: “I am a student.” (am comes from “to be”.)
• To describe how things are: “She is happy.” (is comes from “to be”.)
• To show where things are: “The server is online.” (is comes from “to be”.)
• To talk about the past: “The server was attacked.” (was comes from “to be”.)
• To plan the future: “I am going to be a doctor.” (be comes from “to be”.)

Without the root “to be,” we wouldn’t have am, is, was to make these sentences. It’s like the foundation of a house—everything builds on it!

When Do We Use “To Be” vs. Its Forms?

• Use “to be” (or just “be”) in these special cases:
  1. Future Plans:
     • After “going to”: “I am going to be a doctor.”
     • After “want” or “need”: “I want to be a doctor.”
  2. Commands: “Be quiet in the hospital!”
  3. Wishes or Formal Talk (rare): “I wish she be happy.”
• Use forms like am, is, was in regular sentences:
  • Now: “I am a student.” (Not “I to be a student.”)
  • Now: “She is a doctor.” (Not “She to be a doctor.”)
  • Past: “I was tired.” (Not “I to be tired.”)

Why Not “I to be a student”?

• In “I am a student,” am is the present form of “to be” for I. English needs the right branch (form) for the person and time, not the root (to be).
• “To be” is only used when grammar needs the base form, like after “want” or “going to.”

Here’s a table to show all forms of “to be”, including how am, is, are, was, were come from the root “to be”, with examples to keep it clear.

Form	Part of Speech	When/Who	Example
to be	Infinitive (Root)	Future plans, commands, wishes	I want to be a doctor. Be quiet!
am	Present	I, now	I am a student.
is	Present	He/She/It, now	She is a doctor. The server is online.
are	Present	You/We/They, now	They are coders.
was	Past	I/He/She/It, past	I was tired. The server was attacked.
were	Past	You/We/They, past	They were happy.
be	Base (used after “will,” “should”)	Any, future/commands	I will be a doctor.
been	Past Participle	With “have/has/had”	She has been sick.
being	Present Participle	Ongoing actions	She is being kind.

Let’s see how “to be” (the root) and its forms work in sentences, using medical and tech ideas:

• Present: “I am a student now.” (am = branch of “to be” for I, now.)
• Past: “I was a beginner last year.” (was = branch for I, past.)
• Future: “I am going to be a doctor.” (be = branch after “going to.”)
• Command: “Be careful with the patient!” (be = root for commands.)
• Tech: “The server is online now, but it was down yesterday, and it needs to be fixed.” (is, was, to be = different branches.)

Practice Time:

Fill in the correct form of “to be” (am, is, are, was, were, to be). Think of “to be” as the root and choose the right branch! (Answers below.)

1. I __ a student now.
2. Yesterday, the server __ down.
3. She wants __ a doctor.
4. They __ coders last year.
5. The app needs __ user-friendly.

Answers:

1. am
2. was
3. to be
4. were
5. to be