Intermediate English Grammar for ESL Learners - Robin Torres-Gouzerh 2016
The verb be
14 Subject-verb agreement
Be is the only English verb that has more than two forms in the simple present tense, which means that agreement involves more than third-person singular and plural forms.
In the past tense, it has two forms.
If the subject of the verb be is a noun, the third-person form of the verb is used.
The boy is at school.
Mary and Jane were named co-chairpersons.
Exercise 14.3 Complete each sentence with the appropriate present-tense form of be.
1. I ... extremely tired.
2. You ... very noisy.
3. We ... from Rwanda.
4. They ... going to Merida.
5. He ... a pilot.
6. She ... always smiling.
7. It ... a photo of my grandparents.
Now, complete each sentence with the appropriate past-tense form of be.
8. I ... extremely tired.
9. You ... very noisy.
10. We ... living in Rwanda.
11. They ... going to Merida.
12. He ... a pilot.
13. She ... always smiling.
14. It ... a photo that belonged to my grandparents.
15. The barn ... destroyed during the hurricane.