Using the verb TO BE – being verbs

am is are was were

-followed by thepresentor thepastparticiple

e.g. I amgoing to the park. ( am = verb to be; going = present participle)

I wasbeaten by a better player.(was =verb to be; beaten = past participle)

Underline the verb to be and the presentparticiple.

  1. I am reading my book.
  2. You are talking too loudly
  3. He is eating his lunch.
  4. She is washing her face.
  5. They were going home.
  6. We were playing on the lawn.
  7. Ellie and Zoe were singing out of tune.
  8. Emily and Maddy were singing in the choir.
  9. She was not working hard.

10.They are coming home with us.

11. Zara is feeling ill.

12. Kate is running in the last race.

13. They were so afraid!

14. Natasha and Olivia were watching them and giggling.

Now try these ( remember past participles)

15. Mrs Twit was stretched by those balloons.

16. All the birds were saved from the bird pie.

17. Mugglewump was delighted to get back at the Twits.

18. Mr and Mrs Twit were glued to the floor.

Underline the verb to be and the participle AND any doingverbs which you can spot.

19. Paula was smiling sweetly as she gave him the cup.

20. Smiling sweetly, Paula gave him the cup.

21. They were pushing their way to the front of the queue.

22. Pushing their way to the front of the queue, they claimed their prize.

23. He was amazed when they won the prize.

24. The witches screamed when they were turned into mice.

25. Stepping inside, Emily was amazed by the size of the capsule.

26. Seeing the open door, Emily stepped inside.

27. They were cowering under the stairs when the bomb exploded.

28. Cowering under the stairs, they heard the bomb explode.

29. Fish are usually eaten with chips and vinegar.

30. They were running past the gates when they saw the space ship land

on the field.

31. Running past the gates, they saw the space ship land on the field.

32. They saw the space ship land on the field as they were running past

the gates.

33. He was gasping for breath as he reached the top of the stairs.

34. Gasping for breath, he reached the top of the stairs.

35. He was clambering up to the top of the stairs, gasping for breath.

Now read these sentences again and make sure you have underlined ALL the being verbs, the present and past participles and the doing verbs.

Make up your own sentences with the verb to be and a participle in them.