BBC Verb to be, present and past The form of the verb to be is am (contracted to 'm ), is ( 's ) and are ( 're ) in the present tense and was/were in the past. To be is used as an auxiliary verb, to form continuous tenses and the passive, and as a main verb. Here we are looking at it as a main verb. After the verb to be we use an adjective phrase, a noun phrase, a preposition phrase or an adverb phrase.
"Some men see things as they are and say 'Why?' I dream things that never were and say, 'Why not?'" George Bernard Shaw