Verb to be - Exercises
1. Complete the sentences use long forms.
1. My brother ______ a doctor.
2. I ______ hungry. Let’s have dinner.
3. The cinema ______ near the station.
4. Fred and Jane ______ in the park.
5. This tea ______ cold.
6. The door ______ open.
7. Her house ______ very small.
8. I ______ French. My husband ______ Spanish. My
boss ______ Chinese.
9. The bananas ______ green. Don’t eat them!
10. The floor ______ wet. Be careful!
11. He ______ very tired.
12. They ______ thirsty. Give them some tea.
13. We ______ late again.
14. I ______ sorry.
15. It ______ a beautiful day.
16. The weather ______ nice. Let’s go to the beach.
3. Complete the sentences use long forms of the
negative.
1. I ______ rich! I am poor.
2. She ______ here today. She is on holiday.
3. Tokyo ______ in Singapore. It is in Japan.
4. My brother ______ a teacher. He is a doctor.
5. The bus ______ blue. It is yellow.
6. You ______ right. You are wrong!
7. This bread ______ fresh. Don’t eat it.
8. Jim and Vivienne ______ Australian. They are
American.
9. My jumper ______ red. It is blue.
10. It ______ 2 o’clock. It’s 3 o’clock. Let’s go!
11. The film ______ good. It is bad.
12. Caviar ______ cheap. It is very expensive.
13. We ______ happy. We are angry.
14. My car ______ big. It is small.
15. I ______ a student. I am a lecturer.
16. We ______ farmers.
5. Complete the questions with the verb to be.
1. ______ you happy?
2. ______ it difficult to speak Chinese?
3. ______ she good at tennis?
4. ______ dinner ready?
5. ______ these computers expensive?
6. ______ your hands clean?
7. ______ your flat cold in winter?
8. ______ I wrong?
9. ______ the window open?
10. ______ the people in your office friendly?
11. ______ he Panamanian?
12. ______ the dogs good with children?
13. ______ I late again?
14. ______ it easy to find a house here?
15. ______ we ready to go?
16. ______ you a student?
Country Nationality
Australia Australian
Brazil Brazilian
Cape Verde Cape Verdean
Guinea-Bissau Guinea-Bissauan or Bissau-Guinean
Mexico Mexican
Mozambique Mozambican
Panama Panamanian
Portugal Portuguese
United Kingdom British
United States of America American
2. Complete the sentences use short forms.
1. I ______ thirsty.
2. He ______ rich.
3. It ______ eight o’clock.
4. It ______ very cold today.
5. We ______ ready.
6. She ______ in the bathroom.
7. I ______ very tired.
8. The taxi ______ here. Be quick!
9. You ______ right. I ______ wrong. I _____ sorry.
10. We ______ in a hurry. Be quick!
11. The window ______ open.
12. Pierre ______ French, but his wife _____ German.
13. They ______ on holiday at the moment.
14. We ______ hungry.
15. Good, dinner ______ ready.
16. We ______ happy.
4. Complete the sentences use short forms of the
negative.
1. I ______ Portuguese. I’m Italian.
2. She ______ Cape Verdean. She is Bissau-Guinean.
3. The river ______ very clean. Don’t swim in it.
4. My brothers ______ here. They’re in Australia.
5. These questions ______ easy. I need some help.
6. The film ______ interesting. Let’s go home.
7. An orange ______ a vegetable. It’s a fruit.
8. A carrot ______ a fruit. It’s a vegetable.
9. My bicycle ______ purple. It is brown.
10. Betty ______ here today. She’s on holiday.
11. It ______ warm today. It is cold.
12. We ______ hungry now. Let’s eat later.
13. John ______ my father. He’s my grandfather.
14. I ______ ready. Please wait.
15. This food ______ bad. It’s perfect.
16. We ______ farmers. We are agronomists.
6. Ask questions and give short answers.
1. ______ your feet cold? Yes, they ______
2. ______ breakfast ready? No, it ______
3. ______ the water hot? No, it ______
4. ______ your sister well? Yes, she ______
5. ______ the buses in London red? Yes, they ______
6. ______ the taxis in New York yellow? Yes, they ______
7. ______ the bank open? No, it ______
8. ______ your hotel expensive? No, it ______
9. ______ her eyes blue? Yes, they ______
10. ______ this bread fresh? No, it ______
11. ______ he your husband? Yes, he ______
12. ______ you tired? No, I ______
13. ______ they here? No, they ______
14. ______ your coffee good? Yes, it ______
15. ______ we late? No, we ______
16. ______ you Cape Verdean? No, I ______
Peter Dainty 1998. Penguin Grammar Workbook – 1 Beginners (adapted)
Opposites:
bad - ______ hot - ______
big - ______ poor - ______
difficult - ______ ugly - ______
dirty - ______ unhappy (=sad) - ______
dry - ______ warm - ______
early - ______ wrong - ______
expensive - ______ closed (= shut) - ______
far - ______
1
7. Complete what Frank says. Use the verb to be.
My name (1)______ Frank Mancini. I (2)______ 23 years old and I (3)______ a lifeguard. I (4)______ from
Santa Monica, California. I have one sister and one brother. Their names (5)______ Gina and Paul. Gina
(6)______ 20 years old. She (7)______ a student. Paul (8)______ 28. He (9)______ a fireman with the Los
Angeles Fire Department.

8. Ask questions and give short answers.

Example:
1. you / a good singer? 1. Are you a good singer? Yes, I am. / No, I’m not.
2. your lecturer/ married? 2. _____________________________________________________
3. tennis / your favourite sport? 3. __________________________________________________________
4. your shoes / new? 4. __________________________________________________________
5. your best friend / English? 5. __________________________________________________________
6. you / very intelligent? 6. __________________________________________________________

9. Ask questions and give short answers.

Example:
1. What / your name? 1. What is your name? My name is Rui Santos.
2. Where / you from? 2. _____________________________________________________
3. How old / you? 3. __________________________________________________________
4. When / your birthday? 4. __________________________________________________________
5. What colour / your eyes? 5. __________________________________________________________
6. Who / your best friend? 6. __________________________________________________________
Beaumont, Digby. 1993. Heinemann Elementary English Grammar. Oxford: The Heinemann: 65; 68

10. Ask questions and give short answers. 11. Write positive or negative sentences.
1. (my shoes very dirty) Are my shoes are very 1. (Paris / capital of France) Paris is the capital of France.
dirty? Yes they are. /No they aren’t. 2. (I / interested in football) I’m not interested in football.
2. (my bed very comfortable) 3. (I / hungry)
3. (your cigarettes in your bag) 4. (it / warm today)
4. (I very happy today) 5. (Rome / Spain)
5. (this restaurant very expensive) 6. (I / afraid of dogs)
6. (The shops not open today) 7. (my hands / cold)
7. (Mr Kelly’s daughter six years old) 8. (Canada / a very big country)
8. (the houses in this street very old) 9. (the Amazon / in Africa)
9. (the examination difficult) 10. (diamonds / cheap)
10. (those flowers very beautiful) 11. (motor-racing / a dangerous sport)
11. (barn big) 12. (donkeys / big animals)
12. (Fire station far)
Murphy, R. 1990. Essential Grammar in Use. Cambridge: CUP: 3 (adapted)

12. Ask the questions (Read the answers to the questions first). The first two are done for you.
1. (your name?) What’s your name? Sónia.

2. (married or single?) Are you married or single? I’m married.

3. (Portuguese?) _______________________________________ No, I’m not.
4. (where / from?) ______________________________________ I am from Angola. I am Angolan.
5. (how old?) _________________________________________ I’m 24.
6. (a student?) _________________________________________ No, I’m a nurse.
7. (your husband a nurse?) _______________________________ No, he is a vet.
8. (where / from?) ______________________________________ He is from Portugal. He is Portuguese.
9. (his name?) _________________________________________ Pedro.
10. (how old?) ________________________________________ He’s 28.
Murphy, R. 1990. Essential grammar in use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: 5. (adapted)

13. Write positive or negative short answers (Yes, I am / No, she isn’t etc.). The first two are done for you.
1. Are you Mozambican? No, I’m not. 6. Are you thirsty? __________________
2. Are you blond? Yes, I am. 7. Is your mother short? ______________
3. Is it warm today? _________________ 8. Is it windy? ______________________
4. Are you a veterinary nurse? _________ 9. Are you cold? ____________________
5. Are you happy? __________________ 10. Are your hands dirty? _____________
Murphy, R. 1990. Essential grammar in use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: 5. (adapted)

2
KEY

1. long forms 2. short forms 3. long forms - negative. 4. short forms - negative
1. is 1. I’m 1. am not 1. I’m not
2. am 2. He’s 2. is not 2. isn’t
3. is 3. It’s 3. is not 3. isn’t
4. are 4. It’s. 4. is not 4. aren’t
5. is 5. We’re 5.is not 5. aren’t
6. is 6. She’s 6. are not 6. isn’t
7. is 7. I’m 7. is not 7. isn’t
8. am / is / is 8. The taxi’s 8. are not 8. isn’t
9. are 9. You’re / I’m / I’m 9. is not 9. isn’t
10. is 10. We’re 10. is not 10. isn’t
11. is 11. The window’s 11. is not 11. isn’t
12. are 12. Pierre’s / wife’s 12. is not 12. aren’t
13. are 13. They’re 13. are not 13. isn’t
14. am 14. We’re 14. is not 14. I’m not
15. is 15. dinner’s 15. am not 15. isn’t
16. is 16. We’re 16. are not 16. aren’t

5. questions 6. questions and short answers Opposites:

1. are 1. Are your feet cold? Yes, they are. bad - good
2. is 2. Is breakfast ready? No, it isn’t. big - small
3. is 3. Is the water hot? No, it isn’t. difficult - easy
4. is 4. Is your sister well? Yes, she is. dirty - clean
5. are 5. Are the buses in London red? Yes, they are. dry - wet
6. are 6. Are the taxis in New York yellow? Yes, they are.
early - late
7. is 7. Is the bank open? No, it isn’t.
8. am 8. Is your hotel expensive? No, it isn’t. expensive - cheap
9. is 9. Are her eyes blue? Yes, they are. far - near
10. are 10. Is this bread fresh? No, it isn’t. hot - cold
11. is 11. Is he your husband? Yes, he is. poor - rich
12. are 12. Are you tired? No, I’m not. ugly - beautiful
13. am 13. Are they here? No, they aren’t.
unhappy (=sad) - happy
14. is 14. Is your coffee good? Yes, it is.
warm - cold
15. are 15. Are we late? No, we aren’t.
16. are 16. Are you Cape Verdean? No, I’m not. wrong - right
closed (= shut) - open

7. Complete what Frank says. Use the verb to be.

My name (1) is Frank Mancini. I (2) am 23 years old and I (3) am a lifeguard. I (4) am from Santa Monica,
California. I have one sister and one brother. Their names (5) are Gina and Paul. Gina (6) is 20 years old. She (7)
is a student. Paul (8) is 28. He (9) is a fireman with the Los Angeles Fire Department.

8. Ask questions and give short answers.

1. Are you a good singer? Yes, I am. / No, I’m not.
2. Is your lecturer married? Yes, he (she) is. / No, he (she) isn’t.
3. Is tennis your favourite sport? Yes, it is. / No, it isn’t.
4. Are your shoes / new? Yes, they are. / No, they aren’t.
5. Is your best friend English? Yes, he (she) is. / No, he (she) isn’t.
6. Are you very intelligent? Yes, I am. / No, I’m not.

9. Ask questions and give short answers.

1. What is your name? My name is….
2. Where are you from? I am from…. (Cape Verde, Panama, Guinea-Bissau, Portugal, etc).
3. How old are you? I am … years old. (eighteen, nineteen, twenty, etc)
4. When is your birthday? My birthday is in…. (January, February, March, etc).
5. What colour are your eyes? My eyes are… (brown, blue, green)
6. Who is your best friend? My best friend is…

10. Ask questions and give short answers.

1. Are my shoes are very dirty? Yes, they are. / No, they aren’t.
2. Is my bed very comfortable? Yes, it is. / No, it isn’t.
3. Are your cigarettes in your bag? Yes, they are. / No, they aren’t.

3
 4. Am I very happy today? Yes, you are. / No, you aren’t.
5. Is this restaurant very expensive? Yes, it is. / No, it isn’t.
6. Are the shops not open today? Yes they are. / No, they aren’t.
7. Is Mr Kelly’s daughter six years old? Yes, she is. / No, she isn’t.
8. Are the houses in this street very old? Yes, they are. / No, they aren’t.
9. Is the examination difficult? Yes, it is. / No, it isn’t.
10. Are those flowers very beautiful? Yes, they are. / No, they aren’t.
11. Is barn big? Yes, it is. / No, it isn’t.
12. Is Fire station far? Yes, it is. / No, it isn’t.

11. Write positive or negative sentences.

1. Paris is the capital of France.
2. I am (= I’m) interested in football. / I am not (= I’m not) interested in football.
3. I am (= I’m) hungry. / I am not (= I’m not) hungry.
4. It is (= It’s) warm today. / It is not (= isn’t) warm today.
5. Rome is not (= isn’t) in Spain.
6. I am (= I’m) afraid of dogs. / I am not (= I’m not) afraid of dogs.
7. My hands are cold. / My hands are not (= aren’t) cold.
8. Canada is a very big country.
9. The Amazon is not (= isn’t) in Africa.
10. Diamonds are not (= aren’t) cheap.
11. Motor-racing is a dangerous sport.
12. Donkeys are big animals.

12. Ask the questions.

1. What’s (= is) your name?
2. Are you married or single?
3. Are you Portuguese?
4. Where are you from?
5. How old are you?
6. Are you a student?
7. Is your husband a nurse?
8. Where is he from?
9. What is his name?
10. How old is he?

13. Write positive or negative short answers

1. Are you Mozambican? Yes, I am. / No, I’m not.
2. Are you blond? Yes, I am. / No, I’m not.
3. Is it warm today? Yes, it is / No, it isn’t.
4. Are you a veterinary nurse? Yes, I am. / No, I’m not.
5. Are you happy Yes, I am. / No, I’m not.
6. Are you thirsty? Yes, I am. / No, I’m not.
7. Is your mother short? Yes, she is / No, she isn’t.
8. Is it windy? Yes, it is / No, it isn’t.
9. Are you cold? Yes, I am. / No, I’m not.
10. Are your hands dirty? Yes, they are / No, they aren’t.