Adult ESL/ELL Beginner Quiz: Using Be Am Is Are
15 questions · exam conditions
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Using Be Am Is AreQuestion 1 of 15

Choose the correct word: My friends are ready, but I   not.

is
am
are
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Adult ESL/ELL Beginner Quiz

Adult ESL/ELL Beginner Quiz: Using Be Am Is Are

Practice Using Be Am Is Are in Adult ESL/ELL Beginner with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Using Be Am Is Are, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for Adult ESL/ELL Beginner.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

Choose the correct word: My friends are ready, but I   not.

  1. is
  2. am (correct answer)
  3. are
  4. be
Explanation: The subject is "I," so the verb must be the first-person singular form "am." The most tempting wrong choice is "are," but "are" goes with you, we, or they, not with I. Say: My friends are ready, but I am not.

Question 2

Choose the correct word: A pen and a book   on the table.

  1. are (correct answer)
  2. is
  3. am
  4. be
Explanation: The subject 'a pen and a book' is two things joined by 'and,' so it is plural. Use 'are' to agree with a plural subject. The tempting wrong answer is 'is' because it is singular, but it would only work for one item, like 'A pen is on the table.'

Question 3

Choose the correct word: Where   my glasses?

  1. be
  2. is
  3. am
  4. are (correct answer)
Explanation: The subject "my glasses" is plural, so the verb must be plural. Use "are" to match. The tempting wrong choice is "is," which is singular and would be used for one item, not glasses.

Question 4

Choose the correct word: Everyone in the class   here today.

  1. is (correct answer)
  2. are
  3. am
  4. be
Explanation: Everyone is a singular indefinite pronoun, so it takes a singular verb: is. The word are is tempting because everyone refers to many people, but grammatically it is one group, so are would be incorrect.

Question 5

Choose the correct word: There   a lot of people at the market.

  1. am
  2. is
  3. are (correct answer)
  4. be
Explanation: People is the subject and it is plural, so the verb must be are. The word 'a lot' can make you think of one amount, but it just means many. The most tempting wrong answer is 'is' because it sounds like a singular amount, but 'people' requires a plural verb.

Question 6

A student wants to introduce himself. He says: '  name is David, and   a nurse from Haiti.' Which pair of words correctly completes both blanks?

  1. My / I am (correct answer)
  2. My / I is
  3. I / my am
  4. My / I are
Explanation: When introducing yourself in English, you need two things: a possessive adjective (to show ownership, like "my name") and a subject pronoun paired with the correct verb (to describe yourself, like "I am a nurse"). Keeping these two grammar rules in mind will guide you straight to the answer. For the first blank, you need a word that shows the name belongs to you — that's "my," a possessive adjective. For the second blank, you need a subject and verb to complete the sentence "  a nurse from Haiti." The subject is "I" (first-person singular), and the correct verb is "am" — because in English, "to be" changes depending on the subject: I am, you are, he/she is. Putting it together: "My name is David, and I am a nurse from Haiti." That makes A the correct answer. Choice B fails because "I is" is grammatically wrong — "is" pairs with he, she, or it, never with I. Choice C reverses the words entirely — "I" cannot introduce a name ("I name is David" makes no sense), and "my am" is not a real English phrase. Choice D uses "I are," which is also incorrect — "are" pairs with you, we, or they, not with I. A helpful tip: memorize the "to be" chart — I am / You are / He-She-It is / We-They are. This pattern appears constantly in beginner ESL questions, so knowing it cold will save you every time.

Question 7

A student writes: 'My teacher friendly and smart.' What is the BEST correction for this sentence?

  1. My teacher are friendly and smart.
  2. My teacher am friendly and smart.
  3. My teacher is friendly and smart. (correct answer)
  4. My teacher be friendly and smart.
Explanation: When a sentence has a subject and a describing word (like "friendly and smart"), you need a linking verb to connect them. The original sentence — "My teacher friendly and smart" — is missing that connecting verb entirely, which makes it incomplete. Your job is to choose the right form of the verb "to be" to fix it. The subject here is "My teacher," which is singular and refers to one person. In English, the verb "to be" changes depending on the subject: I am, you are, he/she/it is, we/they are. Since "my teacher" is the same as "he" or "she," the correct form is is. That makes C — "My teacher is friendly and smart" the correct, complete sentence. Looking at the wrong choices: A uses are, which is for plural subjects like "my teachers" or "they" — one teacher does not take are. B uses am, which in English is only used with I — never with a third-person subject like "my teacher." D uses be, which is the base form of the verb and cannot stand alone as a main verb in a simple statement; it needs a helper verb (like "can be" or "will be") to work properly. A helpful tip: whenever you see a sentence with a subject and an adjective but no verb, ask yourself "who is doing the being?" Then match the verb to the subject — singular subjects like "he," "she," or "my teacher" always need is.

Question 8

Which sentence uses 'are' correctly?

  1. She are a very helpful person at work.
  2. The weather are cold and cloudy outside.
  3. You are a new student in this class. (correct answer)
  4. He are ready for the English test.
Explanation: When choosing between "is" and "are," the most important thing to think about is the subject of the sentence — specifically, who or what the sentence is about. The verb must match that subject. "Are" is used with plural subjects (like they or the students) and also with the singular pronouns you, we, and I (except "I am"). Choice C is correct because the subject is you. In English, "you are" is always the right pairing — whether you're talking to one person or many. "You are a new student" follows this rule perfectly, making it the only grammatically correct sentence. Choice A is wrong because the subject is she, a singular third-person pronoun. The correct verb is "is," not "are" — the sentence should read She is a very helpful person. Choice B contains the same type of error. The weather is a singular subject, so it also needs "is." The correct version would be The weather is cold and cloudy outside. A common trap here is thinking that a long or descriptive subject might change the rule — it doesn't. Choice D has the subject he, another singular third-person pronoun, which also requires "is." He is ready for the English test is the correct form. A simple tip to remember: if the subject is he, she, it, or any single person or thing, always use "is." Save "are" for you, we, they, or groups of people. When you spot "are" in an answer choice, quickly check the subject to confirm the match.

Question 9

Maria is a new student. She is from Mexico. Her friends Ana and Luis are also in the class.

Which sentence correctly describes Maria and her friends using 'be'?

  1. Maria and her friends is in the class together every day.
  2. Maria and her friends are in the class together every day. (correct answer)
  3. Maria and her friends am in the class together every day.
  4. Maria and her friends be in the class together every day.
Explanation: When using the verb "be" in English, the form you choose must match the subject of the sentence — this is called subject-verb agreement. The key question to ask is: Who or what is the subject, and is it singular or plural? In this sentence, the subject is "Maria and her friends." Whenever two or more people or things are joined by "and," the subject becomes plural — meaning more than one. For plural subjects (and for the subject "you"), the correct present-tense form of "be" is are. That makes choice B — "Maria and her friends are in the class together every day" — the correct answer. Now let's look at why the other choices are wrong. Choice A uses "is," which is only correct for singular subjects like "she," "he," or "it." Maria and her friends are multiple people, so "is" does not match. Choice C uses "am," which is only ever used with the subject "I" — for example, "I am a student." Using "am" with any other subject is always incorrect. Choice D uses "be" without any helping verb or change in form. In simple present tense statements, "be" must be conjugated — you cannot use the base form "be" on its own this way. A helpful tip: memorize the three present-tense forms of "be" — I am, he/she/it is, and we/you/they are. When you see a plural subject joined by "and," go straight to are.

Question 10

A student writes a note: 'Dear Teacher, Today I is sick. My children is sick too. We is at home.' How many errors with 'be' are in this note?

  1. One error — only 'I is sick' is wrong.
  2. Two errors — 'I is sick' and 'My children is sick' are both wrong.
  3. Three errors — 'I is,' 'My children is,' and 'We is' are all wrong. (correct answer)
  4. No errors — all three sentences use 'be' correctly in formal writing.
Explanation: When using the verb "be" in the present tense, the form must match the subject. This is called subject-verb agreement. Think of it like a lock and key — the wrong key won't open the door, even if it's close. Here's the complete present tense chart for "be":
  • I am
  • He/She/It is
  • You/We/They are
Now look at the note: "I is sick. My children is sick too. We is at home." Every single sentence breaks this rule. "I" requires "am," not "is." "My children" refers to more than one person, so it needs "are," not "is." "We" also requires "are," not "is." That gives you three errors total, making C the correct answer. A is wrong because it only catches the first mistake and ignores the other two. A careful reader must check every verb in a piece of writing, not just the first one. B is closer, but it still misses the third error — "We is" is just as wrong as the first two. D is completely incorrect. These errors exist in both formal and informal writing; the rules for "be" don't change based on the setting. A helpful study tip: whenever you see the verb "be," stop and ask yourself two questions — Who is the subject? and Is the subject singular or plural? Memorizing the chart (I am / he-she-it is / you-we-they are) will help you catch these errors quickly, both in grammar questions and in your own writing.

Question 11

Anna is talking about her family. She says: 'My parents are from Poland. My father is a doctor. My mother is a teacher. My sister and I are students.'

Anna's classmate asks about Anna's brother. Anna says: 'My brother   not a student. He   an engineer in Chicago.' Which answer correctly fills in both blanks?

  1. are / are
  2. is / is (correct answer)
  3. am / is
  4. is / are
Explanation: When working with the verb "to be" in English, the most important rule is subject-verb agreement — the form of "to be" you use must match the subject (the person or thing doing the action). In present tense, the three forms are: I am, you/we/they are, and he/she/it is. In both blanks, the subject is "My brother" — a single person, which is a third-person singular subject (like "he"). That means both blanks need the form is. The completed sentence reads: "My brother is not a student. He is an engineer in Chicago." This makes answer B correct. Looking at the wrong choices: A) are / are uses the plural form, which belongs with subjects like "they," "we," or "my parents" — not with a singular subject like "brother." C) am / is uses am in the first blank, but am only goes with the subject "I" — Anna is talking about her brother, not about herself. D) is / are gets the first blank right but then switches to are for the second blank, even though the subject "he" is still singular — you can't change verb forms mid-sentence when the subject stays the same. A helpful tip: whenever you see a pronoun or subject in a sentence, ask yourself — is this singular or plural? Write out the three forms (am / is / are) and match them to the subject. Singular "he/she/it/brother/sister" always takes is.

Question 12

A teacher writes four sentences on the board for students to correct.

Which sentence on the board is already correct and does NOT need to be changed?

  1. You is a very good student in this program.
  2. She am happy about the test results today.
  3. They is ready for the next lesson now.
  4. We are late for the morning class today. (correct answer)
Explanation: When a question asks you to find the sentence that is "already correct," you are being tested on subject-verb agreement — the rule that the verb in a sentence must match its subject. In English, each pronoun (I, you, he, she, it, we, they) pairs with a specific form of the verb "to be": I am, you are, he/she/it is, we are, they are. Memorizing this chart is the key to answering questions like this one. Choice D — "We are late for the morning class today" — is correct. The subject "we" correctly pairs with "are," following the rule perfectly. This sentence needs no changes. Choice A is wrong because "you" must go with "are," not "is." The corrected sentence would be: You are a very good student. Choice B is wrong because "she" must go with "is," not "am." Only "I" uses "am." The corrected sentence would be: She is happy about the test results today. Choice C is wrong because "they" must go with "are," not "is." The corrected sentence would be: They are ready for the next lesson now. Notice that choices A, B, and C all mix up the verb "to be" with the wrong pronoun — this is one of the most common grammar traps for beginner English learners. A helpful study tip: write out the full "to be" chart (I am / you are / he-she-it is / we are / they are) and practice it daily until it feels automatic. On any grammar question, always identify the subject first, then check if the verb matches.

Question 13

Carlos says: 'I am a student. My school is downtown. My classes are in the morning.'

Carlos wants to add this sentence: 'My brother and I   both tired after class.' Which word correctly completes the sentence?

  1. is
  2. am
  3. be
  4. are (correct answer)
Explanation: When a sentence has a subject, the verb must "agree" with it — meaning the verb form changes depending on who or what the subject is. This question tests subject-verb agreement, specifically with the verb "to be." The subject here is "My brother and I." Whenever two or more people or things are joined by "and," you have a plural subject. With plural subjects, the correct form of "to be" in the present tense is are — making D the right answer: "My brother and I are both tired after class." Here's why the other choices don't work: A) "is" is used with singular subjects like "he," "she," or "it" — for example, "My brother is tired." Since the subject includes two people, "is" is too small for the job. B) "am" is only used with the word "I" alone — for example, "I am tired." Once you add "my brother," you're no longer talking about just yourself, so "am" no longer fits. C) "be" is the base form of the verb and cannot stand alone in a simple present-tense sentence — it needs a helper verb like "will" or "can" (e.g., "We will be tired"), so it doesn't work here on its own. A handy tip: memorize the three present-tense forms of "to be" — I am / he-she-it is / we-you-they are. When you see "and" connecting two subjects, treat them as plural and reach for are.

Question 14

Li is filling out a form at the doctor's office. He reads the questions and writes his answers.

The form asks Li to write a sentence about where he is from. Li writes: 'I are from China, and my hometown are Beijing.' What is the BEST correction?

  1. I am from China, and my hometown is Beijing. (correct answer)
  2. I is from China, and my hometown am Beijing.
  3. I am from China, and my hometown are Beijing.
  4. I are from China, and my hometown is Beijing.
Explanation: When you see a question about fixing a sentence, focus on subject-verb agreement — the rule that the verb must match its subject. In English, the verb "to be" has three present-tense forms: am (used only with "I"), is (used with he, she, it, or singular nouns), and are (used with you, we, they, or plural nouns). In Li's original sentence, he uses "are" with "I" and "are" again with "my hometown" — both are wrong. "I" always takes am, never are. "My hometown" is a singular noun (one place), so it takes is, not are. Answer A fixes both errors correctly: "I am from China" pairs "I" with am, and "my hometown is Beijing" pairs a singular noun with is. This is the right answer. Answer B is wrong because it uses "I is" — "is" is never used with "I" in standard English. It also uses "am" with "my hometown," which is incorrect since am belongs only to "I." Answer C corrects the first error ("I am") but leaves the second mistake in place — "my hometown are" is still wrong because "hometown" is singular and needs is. Answer D keeps "I are," which is incorrect, and only fixes the second part. A sentence needs both verbs to be correct, not just one. A helpful tip: memorize this short pattern — I am, you/we/they are, he/she/it is. When you spot "to be" verbs in a sentence, quickly check each subject against this list before choosing your answer.

Question 15

Which sentence uses 'be' correctly to show location?

  1. The books is on the table in the kitchen right now.
  2. The books are on the table in the kitchen right now. (correct answer)
  3. The books am on the table in the kitchen right now.
  4. The books be on the table in the kitchen right now.
Explanation: When using the verb "be" in English, you must match its form to the subject of the sentence. This is called subject-verb agreement, and it's one of the most important grammar rules for beginners to master. The subject here is "the books," which is plural (more than one book). In the simple present tense, plural subjects use the form "are." That makes B the correct answer — "The books are on the table in the kitchen right now" follows the rule perfectly and correctly shows location using the right form of "be." Now let's look at why the other choices fail. A uses "is," which is correct for singular subjects like "the book" or "it," but "books" is plural, so "is" doesn't match. C uses "am," which is only ever used with the subject "I" — you would say "I am here," never "the books am." D uses the base form "be," which is not used in simple present statements; "be" appears in sentences like commands ("Be quiet!") or with helping verbs ("They should be here"), but never alone in a statement like this. A helpful memory trick: think of the three present-tense forms of "be" and who they belong to — I → am, he/she/it (or singular noun) → is, we/you/they (or plural noun) → are. Whenever you see a location sentence with "be," find the subject first, decide if it's singular or plural, and then choose the matching form.