Verbs

 Be 

/bi, strong form bi:/verb→auxiliary verb IRREGULAR VERBS

1.  A linking verb used when you are naming peopleor things, describing them or giving more informationabout them: + noun Today is Monday. ♦ 'Who is that?' 'It'smy brother' ♦She's a great beauty. ♦ Susan is a doctor. ♦He wants to' be (= become) a pilot when he grows up. ♦+ adj. Iťs beautiful! ♦ Life is unfair. ♦ He is ten years old.'How are you?' 'I'm véry well, thanks.' ♦ Be quick! ♦~(that)... The fact is (that) we don't have enough money.♦~doing sth The problem is getting it all done in the timeavailable. ♦ ~to do sth The problem is to get it all done inthe time available. 2. A linking verb it is/was used whenyou are describing a situation or saying what you thinkabout it: + adj. It was really hot in the sauna. ♦It's strangehow she never comes to see us any more. ♦ He thinks it'sclever to make fun ofpeople. ♦ + nóun It would be a shameif you lost it. ♦ It's going to be a great match. 3. linking verb there is/are + noun to exist; to be presenț: Is there a God? ♦Once upon a time there was a princess..'♦ T triedphoning but there was no answer. ♦ There's a bank downthe road.♦ Was there a pool at the hotel? 4.[D[I] + adv,/prep. to be located; to be in a place: The town is three milesaway. ♦ Ifyou're looking for your file, it's on the table. ♦Mary's upstairs. 5. [I] ~from ... used to say where sbwas born or where their home is: She's from Italy. 

 Auxiliary verb

 1. used with a present participle to form progressive tenses: I am studying Chinese. ♦ ľll beseeing him soon. ♦What have you been doing this week?I'm always being criticized. 2.  used to make QUESTIONTAGS (= short questions added to the end of statements):You're not hungry, are you? ♦ Ben's coming, isn't he? ♦Theold theatre was pulled down, wasn't it? 3. used with apast participle to form the passive: He was killed in thewar.♦ Where were they made? The house was still beingbuilt. ♦ You will be told what to do. 4. B1 used to avoidrepeating the full form of a verb in the passive or a progressive tense: Karen wasn't beaten in any ofher games,but all the others were. ♦ 'Are you coming with us?' 'No. I'm not.' 5. ~to do sth used to say what must or should be done:I am to call them once l reach the airport. ♦ You are toreport this to the police. ♦ What is to be done about thisproblem? 6. ~to do sth used to say what is arranged tohappen: They are to be married in June. 7. ~ to do sth used to say what happened later: He was to regret that decisionfor the rest ofhis life (= he did regret it). 8. ~not, never,etc. to be done used to say what could not or did nothappen: Anma was nowhere to be found (= we could notfind her anywhere). ♦ He was never to see his wife again(=although he did not know it would be so at the time, hedid not see her again). ♦ She wanted to write a successfulnovel, but it was not to be (= it turned out never to happen).9. if sb/it were to do sth... | were sb/it to do sth...(formal) used to express a condition: Ifwe were to offeryou more money, would you stay? o Were we to offer youmore money, would you stay?

[Adapted from ' Oxford Advanced

 Learners Dictionary ']