Verb To Be (am, is, are) Khmer explanation - Easy forms, rules, examples and Exercises for Cambodian learners

Learn the usages, forms and rules of verb to be (am, is , are) with easy easy English and Khmer explanation, examples, practices and keys. Many students tend to use verb to be all the time when the speak or write which is grammatically incorrect. For example, they would say, I am go to school. They are study with me. He is likes meat. If you are one of those who frequently make mistakes with verb to be ( am, is, are), you are at the right place now to learn and correct your mistakes. 

• ខុស​ : I am go to school. 
• ត្រូវ : I go to school.
• ខុស​ : They are study with me. 
• ត្រូវ : They study with me. 

What is verb to be used for?  

Verb to be ( am, is, are) is used to describe the situations that are relating to habits, facts, general truths. It doesn't show action. It gives more information to the subject. Often time, after verb to be a complement is used. A complement can be an adjective, noun and prepositional phrase. 

កិរិយាស័ព្ទ am, is, are បកប្រែថា គឺ, ជា ឬ​នៅ ដែលយើងប្រើប្រាស់វាដើម្បីបំពេញន័យអោយប្រធាន (subject) ។ យើងតែងតែប្រើ គុណនាម (adjective) នាម (noun) និងឃ្លាឆ្នាប់ (prepositional phrase) បន្ទាប់ពីកិរិយាស័ព្ទ am, is, are ។ 

What are the verb to be? 

Verb to be in present simple are: am, is, are

Subjects

• I - am
• You, we, they, plural noun - are
• He, she, it, singular noun - is

Plural Nouns (នាមពហុវចនះ)= they 

- People are មនុសទាំងឡាយ គឺ

- Lions are តោទាំងឡាយគឺ

- Students are  សិស្សទាំងឡាយគឺ

- Places are ទីកន្លែងទាំងឡាយ គី

- leaves are ស្លឹកឈើទាំងឡាយគឺ 

Singular Noun (នាមឯកវចនះ) = he, she, it

- Tom is ថម គឺ

- A lion is តោមួយក្បាលគឺ

- A student is សិស្សម្នាក់គឺ

- A place is ទីកន្លែងមួយគឺ

- A leaf is ស្លឹកឈើ១សន្លឹកគឺ

Forms

Positive : [ Sub + be + complement.] 

Note : Complement can be a noun, an adjective or a prepositional phrase.

* Noun (នាម): Names of everything

• teacher (គ្រូបង្រៀន)
• school (សលារៀន)
• car (ឡាន)
• phone (ទូរស័ព្ទ)
• Pizza  (ភីតហ្សា)

*Adjective​(គុណនាម) : used to describe the quality of a person, animal or a thing. 

• good(ល្អ
• bad អាក្រក់
• hot ក្តៅ
• handsome សង្ហារ
• interesting ដែលគួរអោយចាប់អារម្មណ៌

* Prepositional Phrase : a phrase that begins with a preposition.

• on the table នៅលើតុក
• under the chair នៅក្រោមកៅអី
• in the box នៅក្នុងប្រអប់
• at school នៅសាលា

Example

• She is very beautiful. (adjective) នាងគឺស្រស់ស្អាតខ្លាំងណាស់។
• They are friendly. (adjective) ពួកគេគឺមានភាពរស់រាយណាស់។
• He is very hardworking. (adjective) គាត់គឺឧស្សាហ៌ព្យាយាមណាស់។
• He is a teacher. (noun) គាត់ជាគ្រូបង្រៀន។
• Theary is a student. (noun) ធារី ជាសិស្ស។
• Titanic is a large ship. (noun) ថាយថានិក ជានាវាដ៏ធំ១គ្រឿង។
• They are Americans. (noun) ពួកគេជាជន់ជាតិអាមេរិក។
• The pictures are on the walls. ( prepositional phrase) រូបភាពទាំងឡាយគឺនៅលើជញ្ជាំង។
• Students are in the class.  ( prepositional phrase) សិស្សទាំងឡាយគឺនៅក្នុងថ្នាក់រៀន។

Negative : [ Sub + be + not + complement.] 

Note 

• is not  - isn't
• are not - aren't
• I am not - I'm not

Example

1.  She is not very hardworking.
2. They are not Cambodians.
3. He is not a teacher.
4. It is not hot today.
5. Some snakes are not dangerous. 

Yes/No : [ Be + sub + not + complement?] 

Short answers

• Yes, sub + be.
• No, sub + be + not.

Example

1. Is she a hardworking student in the class? ( Yes, she is. No, she isn't.) 
2. Are they friendly? ( Yes, they are. No, they aren't.) 
3. Is he a teacher? ( Yes, he is. No, he isn't.) 
4. Is Theary a good student? ( Yes, she is. No, she isn't.) 
5. Is Titanic a large ship? ( Yes, it is. No, it isn't.) 

Wh-Question : [ Wh-word + be + sub + (not) + adjective/noun...?] 

* Wh-words

• what អ្វី
• when ពេលណា
• why ហេតុអ្វី
• which មួយណា
• who នរណា
• whose របស់នរណា
• where ទីណា
• how របៀបណា

Example

1. What is your favorite food?
2. When is his birthday? 
3. Why is she so sad today?
4. Which pen is yours?
5. Who is your English teacher?
6. Whose ruler is this?
7. Where is your house?
8. How is your new class?

Practice 1

Complete the following sentences using the correct forms of verb TO BE.

1. I ________ a student.
2. She ________ my best friend.
3. They ________ teachers.
4. He ________ very happy today.
5. It ________ a sunny day.
6. We ________ ready for the trip.
7. You ________ kind and helpful.
8. My brother ________ an engineer.
9. The dogs ________ in the living room.
10. My sister ________ at the park.
11. I ________ not tired.
12. The cake ________ delicious.
13. My parents ________ at home now.
14. The books ________ on the table.
15. He ________ always punctual.
16. She ________ a doctor.
17. The children ________ outside.
18. We ________ from Canada.
19. You ________ very talented.
20. The movie ________ interesting.

Keys

1. am

2. is

3. are

4. is

5. is

6. are

7. are

8. is

9. are

10. is

11. am

12. is

13. are

14. are

15. is

16. is

17. are

18. are

19. are

20. is

Practice 2

Practice 3

Make to following sentences negative.

1. I ________ tired today.
2. She ________ at home now.
3. They ________ students.
4. He ________ interested in sports.
5. It ________ cold outside.
6. We ________ Lisa's friends.
7. You ________ correct.
8. My brother ________ in the city.
9. The cats ________ hungry.
10. My friends ________ here today.

Key

1. am not

2. is not / isn't

3. are not / aren't

4. is not / isn't

5. is not / isn't

6. are not / aren't 

7. are not / aren't 

8. is not / isn't 

9. are not / aren't 

10. are not / aren't 
Practice 3

Choose one correct verb to be (am/is/are) for each sentence below then click on submit button to see your result. Good luck!