Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb 'to be' (is, am, are): 1. This _ is _ a pen. 2. I _ a teacher.
Answer (1)
To correctly fill in the blanks with the forms of the verb 'to be', you need to look at the subject of each sentence.
In the sentence "This _ is _ a pen.", the subject is 'This', which is singular. Therefore, the correct form of the verb 'to be' is 'is'.
Example: "This is a pen."
In the sentence "I _ a teacher.", the subject is 'I'. The correct form of the verb 'to be' that matches with 'I' is 'am'.
Example: "I am a teacher."
Here's why:
'Is' is used with singular third-person subjects (he, she, it, or singular nouns).
'Am' is used exclusively with the subject 'I'.
'Are' is used with plural subjects and the second-person singular subject 'you'.
Understanding which form of 'to be' to use is important for constructing correct sentences. In English, the verb 'to be' helps to indicate the subject's state or existence.
