be
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
How often you will meet it
Rank 26 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 1,182,629 times across 175,113 chapters — 0.562% of every word in the library.
It belongs to the first 100 words, the band worth learning before any other.
What it means
auxiliary verb
- used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
- used to link a subject with what describes it
be in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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Even things that are true can be proved.
The Picture of Dorian Gray · Oscar Wilde · Chapter 1
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Many extra children may be introduced in several of the plays, as a chorus.
The White Christmas and other Merry · Walter Ben Hare · Chapter 1
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Four better types of the Blue-grass and of the mountains it would be hard to find.
The Heart of the Hills · John, Jr. Fox · Chapter 1
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He must get the girl and the chaperon off his hands, and be at his business.
The Courage of the Commonplace · Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews · Chapter 1
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They are given to hiding a great deal, but the father in them can not be hid.
Christian's Mistake · Dinah Maria Mulock Craik · Chapter 1