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I am a cook.
SVC (Subject Pronouns + Be)
2 Beginner

With pronouns and the verb 'be,' you will be able to provide basic information about a
subject.

Exercise 1
Sentence Practice

I am a cook.

Sally and I are cooks.

We are cooks.

You are a cook.

You are cooks.

John is a cook.
He is a cook.

Susan is a cook.
She is a cook.

Susan and John are cooks.

They are cooks.
Grammar Focus

'I am a cook' is an example of a very basic sentence pattern in English: Subject + Verb
+ Complement (SVC). 'I' is the subject. 'Am' is the verb. 'A cook' is a subject
complement. This lesson will focus on the subject and verb.

Subject

The subject is the first part of the SVC sentence "I am a cook". The subject is the focus
of the sentence. The most basic kind of subject is a noun, i.e. a person (Sally), place
(the park), or thing (a movie). Instead of nouns, we can also use personal subject
pronouns.

These are the 1st person personal subject pronouns:

I
we (plural of 'I', can replace 'Sally and I')

This is the 2nd person personal subject pronoun:

you (singular and plural)

These are the 3rd person personal subject pronouns:

he (male person, can replace 'John')

she (female person, can replace 'Sally')
it (objects or animals)
they (plural of 'he'/'she'/'it', can replace 'Sally and John')

Linking Verb 'be'

The linking verb is the second part of the sentence "I am a cook". It links (connects)
the subject 'I' to information about the subject, 'a cook'. The most basic linking verb is
'be'.

In English, the subject is the most important part of the sentence. Verbs, such as 'be',
change form to 'agree with' the subject. The forms of 'be' are: am, are, and is.
 I am a cook.

You are a cook.

We are cooks.
They are cooks.

He / she is a cook.
It is a movie.

Tip

Just remember that most subjects use 'are'. Only 'I' and 'he/she/it' use a different form.

Contractions

When speaking, we often contract (i.e. shorten) a word or phrase. Many phrases with
linking verbs are contracted using an apostrophe ('):

I am a cook → I'm a cook.

We are cooks → We're cooks.
You are a cook → You're a cook.
They are cooks → They're cooks.
He is a cook → He's a cook.
She is a cook → She's a cook.
It is a movie → It's a movie.

Exercise 2
Sentence Practice
First person

I am a student.
We are students.

Second person
 You are a singer.
You are singers.

Third person

He is a doctor.
She is a doctor.
They are doctors.
It is a pen.
They are pens.

Exercise 3
Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the blanks with "is," "are," or "am" to complete the sentences.

1. I a soldier.

2. You a painter.

3. She a cashier.

4. We barbers.

5. They waiters.

Exercise 4
Sentence Building

Provide information about yourself, a friend, and a family member. Use the correct form of
the verb 'be'.

Introduce yourself
 My name, [name]. → "My name is Chika."

My name, [name].
I, [job].

Introduce a friend.

He/she, [job] → "He is an engineer."

My friend's name, [name].

He/she, a [job].

Introduce a family member.

My brother’s name, [name] → "My brother's name is Steven."

My mother/father/brother/sister's name, [name].

He/she, a [job].

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